Cha Lat Chay: a cold cut made from soy and grains — how it differs from the meat version

What the vegan cold cut is made of

The sliced cold cut in a Banh Mi XANH loaf contains no meat or fish at all. The base is soybean with a proportion of grain flour, pressed into a block and cut into thin slices. It is seasoned with pepper, five-spice and a little sesame oil for aroma, then pan-seared or grilled until both faces are golden and the edges slightly caught.

Unlike a battered, deep-fried patty, this is not wrapped in a thick coating. The golden surface is the soy protein itself setting in the heat, not a layer of fried batter.

How it differs from the meat version

The ingredients

Conventional Vietnamese cold cut is minced meat, fat and additives for bounce. This replaces all of that with plant protein from soybean plus grain for structure. No animal fat, and no borax or animal-derived texturisers.

Texture and taste

The vegan version has a lighter chew than the meat one and is not richly fatty — but in exchange the pepper and five-spice come through more clearly, because no fat is covering them. The first bite is slightly drier than meat cold cut, though the sauce and pickles in the loaf balance that straight away.

How to eat it well

It is at its best hot, straight out of the pan. The Bánh Mì Chả Lát Chay at 53,000d always comes with cucumber, pickles, coriander and a vegan sauce so the cold cut never reads as dry.

• Eat it while the bread is crisp and the cold cut warm — inside fifteen minutes if you can.
• Add fresh chilli if you like heat; this one takes chilli better than sweetness.
• Have a Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d alongside to cut the richness, or a Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d if it is breakfast and you need to wake up.

Who it suits

People eating vegan full-time or on set lunar days choose it because there is no meat flavour and nothing to worry about in the ingredients. It also suits anyone cutting back on animal protein during the week and wanting a lighter meal.

If you are new to vegan food and wary of the taste of soy, start here: it is firmly seasoned and served with pickles, so it never reads as plain the way boiled white tofu can.

One thing to check

Anyone allergic to soy should avoid this one — take the Bánh Mì Bơ Đường at 28,000d instead, or ask the staff about ingredients before ordering.

Season, and how to order

In the rainy months, customers tend to take this loaf hot with a hot coffee rather than iced — warm, and suited to the cool that follows a Saigon downpour. In hot weather more people pair it with jasmine lemon tea.

To have a Bánh Mì Chả Lát Chay delivered, call 0923.183.183 or order from the XANH delivery page. All five shops are open 24 hours: 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7. Orders from 500,000d within 5km are delivered free.

Quick questions

Does it get sickly after a few bites?

No — there is no animal fat in it, so it is not rich the way meat cold cut can be. The pickles and herbs in the loaf lighten it further.

Is there enough protein in it?

Soybean is a common source of plant protein and covers an ordinary meal. This is general information rather than individual dietary advice.

What does the banh mi cost?

The listed price is 53,000d a loaf, including herbs, pickles and vegan sauce.

Can someone who is not vegan try it?

Of course. Plenty of customers who eat meat order it for the pepper and five-spice. No religious reason required.

Where can I buy it, and do you deliver?

Five shops across Ho Chi Minh City, open 24 hours; order on 0923.183.183. Orders from 500,000d within 5km are delivered free.

How long does it keep, and should I reheat it?

Eat it as soon as it arrives, while the cold cut is hot and the bread crisp. If it has gone cold, a few minutes in an oven or a pan softens it again — avoid a long spell in the microwave, which dries it out.