How it all started
Bruce’s Banh Mi was born from a last minute trip back home after hearing some bad news. In hindsight it was as if life had asked me to rethink my path.
You see, at 23, I left Christchurch for big, bright Melbourne, chasing a version of success I thought was laid out for me. But during an unplanned trip home, something shifted. I realised the life I was building didn’t feel like mine. I loved hospitality, I loved food and quickly noticed the booming Banh mi scene in Melbourne. Sitting with my dad, I brought up the idea: what if we opened a Banh mi shop together?
Call it fate or destiny how everything came together but that question eventually turned into Bruce’s Banh Mi. And lucky it did because now you can have a taste of the best Banh mi in New Zealand!
A bit more about me
I was born and raised in Christchurch and studied Speech Therapy at the University of Canterbury. While I didn’t end up in that profession, its heart has never left me. I was drawn to that field because it centred on people; listening deeply, creating safety, helping others feel understood. That same purpose lives here. Food, like language, connects us. It gathers people, creates memories, and opens doors into new worlds.
I feel a deep sense of responsibility opening this shop, because I’ve seen the devotion behind it. Instead of resting between his long shifts of running a busy restaurant, I’ve watched my dad work through countless batches of dough despite not technically being a baker. Always refining and perfecting. It takes a lot of focus, discipline, and love for the craft. When you eat our Banh mi, I hope you taste the patience, the obsession with detail, and the pride in doing something well.
People often ask why I came back to Christchurch instead of staying in Melbourne. And without doubt, Melbourne is vibrant and inspiring, however this idea was never about chasing excitement although tempting. It’s about sharing our gift and leaning into what lights us up. Christchurch’s food scene is booming, and I believe introducing thoughtful, well-crafted food here is more meaningful This is my home, a city that celebrates diversity and flavour, and a place I feel called to give back to. I’m incredibly grateful to build this small community in Christchurch and am looking forward to sharing this delicious journey!
About Dad (Bruce)
My dad immigrated to New Zealand as a refugee from Vietnam in his early teens. With limited English, money and few connections, food essentially became his pathway to survival in a foreign world. After years working in factories, my parents owned several fish and chip shops - including Kaiapoi Fish & Chips, which is still operating today. After many years of humbly cutting potatoes and frying fish, they took a leap of faith and opened Hello Vietnam Restaurant on Riccarton Road, which also remains open and now sits right next door to Bruce’s Banh Mi. The journey hasn’t been easy, it’s come with long hours, uncertainty, and a lot of sacrifice. For my dad, food has always been a way to build a life: through discipline, repetition, and showing up every day. Bruce’s Banh Mi is both a continuation and a handover; a father’s lifetime of work sitting in the shadows and daughter’s choice to carry it forward, with the same care and standards that shaped everything before it.
