The first event of this kind, which is held by the HCM City Tourism Association at the Thanh Nien Culture House in District 1, features 120 pavilions of 84 domestic and foreign restaurants, hotels, bread shops, suppliers and businesses nationwide.
The festival aims to promote Vietnamese bakers and baked goods. The event, which will run until April 2, is expected to attract 50,000 visitors.
Attending the event, a chef from Haiphong City, Nguyen Thi Mai said “I'm very happy to take part in this festival which was a great opportunity for me and other chefs and bakers to share our experiences and learn from others."
The opening ceremony attracted thousands of visitors. Many queued at the food stalls.
A customer said that she enjoyed the different ways of making sandwiches based on regionally-available ingredients.
A ceremony to honour top Vietnamese bread brands and a workshop on the development of sandwiches in Vietnam will be organised at the festival.
Banh Mi sandwiches consist of a baguette and fillings including terrine, meat, pork pie, chili sauce, herbs, and pickled vegetables.
The banh mi sandwich was ranked 7th among the best street foods in the world by TasteAtlas, a website dedicated to discovering fresh ingredients, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants around the world. It was also named among the 50 best street foods in Asia by CNN.