Food pairing
Beer with bánh mì
A light baguette with pâté, cured pork, pickled vegetables, coriander and chilli — rich and sharp in the same bite.
The construction is the interest. French bread and pâté meet Vietnamese pickles and herbs, and the pickled daikon and carrot are there specifically to cut the fat of the pâté and the pork. The dish contains its own solution.
Which means a beer does not need to do that job and should not try. What it needs to do is stay out of the way of the coriander and chilli while handling the bread. A light, clean lager is the traditional answer and remains the right one.
Bánh mì narrows the field sharply, and one answer stands clear of the rest. Most beer falls down on at least one thing this dish demands. The attribute doing most of the work is acidity.
What to drink
International pale lager — classic pairing
The pickled daikon and carrot are in the sandwich specifically to cut the pâté and the pork, so the dish arrives with its own contrast already built. A beer that turns up to do the same job is doing work that is done; the useful contribution is to stay out of the way of the coriander and chilli and handle the bread.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Dubbel — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Bière de Garde — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Munich Dunkel — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Czech dark lager — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
American brown ale — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dunkelweizen — outstanding
Peppery and clove-like notes from the yeast pick up the warm spicing in the dish — the same aromatic family on both sides.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Oud Bruin — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Imperial stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.