Meet the team ‘churning out’ authentic Vietnamese food in the Square Mile
We speak to the finalists for our first ever Toast the City Awards, celebrating the very best of the Square Mile’s culture. Banh Mi Keu Deli City’s Vietnamese food is nominated twice – so it must be great!
Why do you deserve to win a coveted Slice of Toast?
For almost 30 years, we have been churning out some of the most authentic Vietnamese cuisine in London. Our bánh mì, rice bowls and noodles are the flavours we grew up with, brought straight from Saigon streets to London tables.
It’s proper Vietnamese food made with love and a lot of hustle. We were the first to bring Saigon style bánh mì to the City, and over a decade later, we’re still perfecting it. A Slice of Toast would be a tasty nod to our journey, from overseas students to feeding the Square Mile.
Tell us a bit about you
I’m Hieu. I landed in London as a student, missing home cooking but dreaming big about food. By 2010, I was obsessed with cracking the code for the perfect bánh mì. That’s how Kêu was born. My brother Nghia came from Saigon to help and the rest is history. Together we’ve built something that’s still growing but always true to what we believe.
What’s your favourite thing about the Square Mile?
The Square Mile has always been buzzing with food and trade, with its markets once feeding the whole city. That hustle feels just like Vietnam, where markets are the beating heart of daily life. Both places thrive on energy, flavour and constant movement, which makes Kêu City feel like home turf for us. It’s the perfect place to bring our style of Vietnamese street food to a crowd that truly gets it.
What’s your fondest memory of the Square Mile?
Opening day at Kêu City was pure madness in the best possible way. We had queues wrapped around the block, and by 2pm we were completely sold out.
London Wall had never seen Vietnamese street food like this before and the buzz was unreal. That day proved London was hungry for proper Vietnamese flavours and we’re still here, serving it up better and better each time.
What’s your secret Square Mile hotspot?
St John Smithfield. It’s iconic, authentic and just brilliant. It’s a spot that is built on British traditions while still feeling exciting and innovative, which is exactly how we like to think about our food, too. A place with heart, history and a lot of flavour.
What’s your favourite thing to have on toast?
Bánh mì nuong muoi ot. It’s a grilled baguette slathered in butter, chilli and spice.
It’s the kind of street snack you’d hunt down in Saigon at midnight. Simple, messy and a delicious style of toast.
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