Braybrook Bakehouse - Braybrook Shopping Center, Braybrook

Braybrook Bakehouse - Braybrook Shopping Center, Cnr Ashley St & Ballarat Rd, Braybrook $4.50

Can't say to much for the area or the establishment but lets face it, I had one thing on my mind and one thing only. I am talking pork. The downside of this pork roll was the bread. Far to soft and chewy, almost like a hotdog roll, and the salad was not the freshest but still passable. If it was not for those simple but significant things, this squealer could be a winner. The hot BBQ pork was delicious and the chilli left my lips burning for an hour. Now thats what I want. Soy sauce and BBQ sauce soaked up the last few bites and creates a higher taste that was not at the start. A real creeper.

Bread 2/5
Salad 2.5/5
Meat 4.5/5
Chilli 4/5
Overall 7.5/10

Ingredients: mayo, pat'e, carrot, coriander, spring onion, cucumber, BBQ pork, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, chilli

Nobel Bake house, Footscray

Nobel Bake House, Paisley St Footscray           $4

This place holds a lot of sentiment for me, as this is the place that started my love of Banh Mi nearly 20 years ago. So I hope it's with no biased opinion that I say this is one of Melbourne's BEST!.
The place looks horrible, is hardly noticeable and the ladies are not the chattiest but damn they have a fine tasting roll. I even went this time on a public holiday so I'm pretty sure the bread wasn't the freshest and it still scored high.
Although it's not advertised on their list of roll's my father and I order a "special roll" as this is what it was called when we first started going there. A special roll is simply a mixed ham style pork roll with a hot meat ball smeared inside. The trick with this place is, it seems to be absolute randomness as to wether or not you receive the meat ball or not. It just seems like if they couldn't be bothered doing the meat ball... then no meat ball it is!. For the record it's much better with the meat ball but still one of Melbs best even without it (this review was sans meat ball)
So having said all this I'm not going to describe what it tastes like but invite all (especially the Nhu Lan lovers of Footscray and N.Lee hipsters of Collingwood) to try and compare to your favourite. If you disagree with me then I will happily fight you.

Bread: 4/5
Salad: 4/5
Meat: 4/5
Chilli: 4/5

Overall:   8.75/10 sentimental Viet Piglets

Ingredients: 3 Meats, pickled carrot, sliced cucumber, chilli, coriander, mayo, special sauce (no photo of actual roll)

The Avenue S/C Bakery, Sunshine West

The Avenue Shopping Center Bakery, The Avenue Sunshine West      $3.50

Yes... that really is the uninspired name of this establishment!
Speaking of uninspired...  you can see by the photo this pork roll even looks sad :(
The only good thing I can really say about this one is, the chilli was hot but unfortunately was hardly there.
The bread made a mess but was quite soft. The cucumber was almost whole and lettuce just shouldn't have been there.
All the elements of a pork roll are there they are just pretty average.

Bread: 2/5
Salad:2/5
Meat:2/5
Chilli: 3/5

Overall: 5/10 Lethargic Viet Piglets

Ingredients: 3 meats, pickled carrot, lettuce, mayo, pat'e, coriander, spring onion, special sauce, big fat wedge of cucumber

Salina Hot Bread, Sunshine

Salina Hot Bread, Hampshire Rd Sunshine                $3.50

This is a funny little place in sunshine that does battle with an up market version only 2 doors away and despite being the ugly duckling of the 2 it is always busy (a good sign).

Very good pork roll!!

Allot of things going on in this one, i counted around 6 meats the usual pate' and mayo combo as well as special sauce made it pretty tangy and the rare shallots is a nice surprise. The bread is really good but was almost overcooked, it didn't "shatter" but was still crunchy enough to cut your gums!. The chilli in this one is by far the hottest i have come across.. awesome roll for just $3.50

Bread: 4/5 

Salad: 3.5/5

Meat:  4/5

Chilli: 5/5

Overall  8.27 /10 Viet Piglets choking on chilli

Ingredients: Lots of meat, pickled carrot, spring onion, coriander, purple onion, dried shallots, special sauce, mayo, pate', slice of cucumber, chilli

Nhu Lan Bakery, Footscray

Nhu Lan Bakery, 116 Hopkins St Footscray           $3.80

Disputed heavy weight champion of Melbourne's Banh Mi 'Vets'.
This son of a squeeeler is definitely going to make the finals but it's too early in the game to throw around terms like "Melbourne's best".
The team of 5 pork roll ladies is a spectacle un to itself, the soup nazi style way in which this establishment operates means they churn out fast, efficient, tasty treats at lightnin quick speed.
All elements of this roll are excellent, fresh salad, crunchy bread, hot chilli, tasty meats and well constructed ie: you don't have to take a bite from both sides to get meat and salad!.

We tried two of their best..

Meatball: 
Bread: 4/5
Salad: 3/5
Meat: 4/5
Chilli: 3/5

Overall: 8/10
Ingredients: Meatball, cucumber, coriander, pickled carrot w/ Radish, Vietnamese mayo, Pate'

BBQ Pork: 
Bread: 4/5
Salad: 3/5
Meat: 3/5
Chilli: 3/5

Overall 6/10

Ingredients:  BBQ Pork, cucumber, spring onion, coriander, pickled carrot w/ Radish, Vietnamese mayo, chilli

Also pictured Taro Moon Cake is a nice treat for dessert

Newport Bakery Cafe, Newport

Newport Bakery Cafe, Hall St Newport                 $3.80

Generous coriander and chilli but below average everything else!!! Aussie BBQ sauce was a shame, might be OK as a beginners Pork Roll but not for the seasoned Vet.

Bread: 2/5
Salad: 2/5
Meat: 2/5
Chilli 3/5

Overall: 4/10 disappointed Viet piglets

Ingredients: Margarine, pate', x2 ham style pork, pickled carrot, coriander, cucumber, chilli, aussie bbq sauce, soy sauce

N'Joy Cafe, Pascoe Vale

N'Joy Cafe, 86 Cumberland Rd Pascoe Vale       $5

Neat little friendly cafe, well rounded tasty pork roll with meat balls as an added deliciousness (special Vietnamese sauce was a nice touch as well) salad was packed with coriander which created a very fresh taste but unfortunately the chilli didn't pack much punch and the price is on the high side!

Bread: 2/5
Salad: 3/5
Meat: 3/5
Chilli: 2/5

Overall 6/10 Viet Pigglets

Ingredients: Vietnamese style mayo, Pate', x2 ham style pork, Meatball, Coriander, pickled carrot, cucumber, special sauce, chilli

T&D Hot Bread, Glenroy

T&D Hot Bread, 814 Pascoe Vale Road, Glenroy


Excellent crunchy bread that shatters when bitten. Fried shallots where good touch with soy sauce and Vietnamese BBQ sauce combo a bonus. Unfortunately the BBQ pork was microwaved and the spring onion not so fresh. A bit shy on the chilli for my liking also. Nevertheless an all round tasty pork roll.
For a side dish or extra try out the 'Vietnamese sausage roll' a small round pastry filled with pork mince.

BREAD: 4/5
SALAD: 2/5
MEAT: 2/5

OVERALL 6/10