Bánh mỳ Phượng, or Madame Phượng's bread is offered at VNĐ20,000 in Hội An city. The brand has been introduced in Seoul, South Korea. VNS Photo Công Thành

HỘI AN — Bánh mỳ Phượng, a popular sandwich restaurant in Hội An, has opened its first foreign branch in Seoul in South Korea.

The restaurant owner, Trương Thị Phượng, 55, said her niece, whose husband is Korean, opened the shop and uses original recipes. It sells products for VNĐ140,000-160,000 (US$6-7), six times the price in Việt Nam.

Phượng held a 10-day training session for Korean chefs to teach them how to make bánh mỳ Phượng.

The original family-made Hội An sandwich, which has been unchanged for 32 years, includes liver pate, roasted and steamed pork, chicken, and hand-made bread. The stuffing can also include fried eggs, vegetables and hot chili.

In 2013, Phượng also offered instructions on how to make the recipe to David Paul, an American gastronome.

The TripAdvisor website ranks Bánh Mỳ Phượng as 32nd out of 432 restaurants in Hội An.

Seven years ago, the late chef Anthony Bourdain described the bánh mỳ he ate in Việt Nam as a “symphony in a sandwich". Food lovers around the world took note.

Last year, Hội An was recognised as the food capital of Việt Nam by the World Association of Chef Societies.

TripAdvisor lists Hội An’s traditional food among the top six foods globally, while Lonely Planet says that cooking classes in the city are one of the world’s most interesting tourist experiences. — VNS