Australian Prime Minister tastes banh mi in Hanoi

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised his thumb as he savored his first bite of Vietnamese baguette, saying, "Vietnamese banh mi is very delicious," sipping beer and cheering like Hanoians: "One, two, three, yo" to other people in the restaurant.

It's a humble way to experience food in Hanoi.

Albanese bought banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) from a local food stall before visiting a bia hoi (draft beer) shop on Duong Thanh Street in Hoan Kiem District.

Praising Vietnamese cuisine for its diverse and unique dishes, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sampled boiled peanuts, grilled pork belly, cha ca (fish balls), and fried tofu. For the Australian Prime Minister, each dish provided an unexpected experience. Among things, he liked the fish balls the most.

The friendliness of the Australian Prime Minister, enjoying beer and baguette with colleagues in the capital city as the people of the capital do, shows some significance in people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Australian Prime Minister's lunch lasted about 30-40 minutes. He said he enjoyed the affection and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.

He said 99% of the beer in Vietnam is made with Australian barley, and many baguettes come from Australian wheat.

Then Anthony Albanese took to Twitter to share his enjoyment of banh mi and bia hoi in Hanoi.

The picture uploaded on Twitter of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese concluded his official visit to Vietnam on June 5 as part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bilateral ties. 

During the two-day visit, Prime Minister Albanese met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and other Vietnamese leaders.

"Australia and Vietnam are committed to working together to meet the challenges of the future, including the climate crisis. Australia is committed to becoming a renewable energy superpower and supporting our regional partners in their transition to net zero," Albanese said.

He also looked forward to discussions to upgrade the Australia-Vietnam relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Interestingly, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong enjoyed Hanoi's specialty of Pho ga or chicken noodles as she arrived in the city on her visit to Vietnam in June 2022. In a Facebook post on June 27, 2022, the Embassy of Australia in Hanoi shared that Chef Tran introduced Minister Wong to the history and importance of Pho, and especially the Hanoian style of eating Pho. The photo shows the top diplomat in casual wear, enjoying Pho ga with Ambassador Robyn Mudie and sharing "views on Australia and Vietnam’s strong people-to-people links.”

In another move, when coming to Vietnam to attend the 2017 APEC summit, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed a popular banh mi at a roadside restaurant in Danang.