Venture near the Market at lunchtime and you’ll be greeted with a queue that weaves around the Riversdale Road Entrance, full of hungry customers waiting patiently for their delicious crispy pork Bahn mi. Introducing…Kelly from Trang Bakery! We sat down with Kelly to chat about all things Bahn mi and baking, and to find out a little bit more about Kelly herself.
1. How long have you been at the Market?
Trang Bakery has been in the Market for around 7 years.
2. Tell us something your customers may not know about you?
I have two young children: a 1 ½-year-old and a 3-year-old. I love my family. Also, I’ve been in the bakery business for 25 years; we have five different bakeries around Melbourne.
I also love talking and laughing.
3. What’s your favourite food hack or tip you can share?
I pour vinegar over my pork skin before rinsing it in water and then drying it out overnight to ensure it goes nice and crispy.
4. Do you have a favourite Market memory?
When I had my firstborn child, one of my regular customers gave me a pram blanket that she had hand-made herself. I’ll always remember that. I call her ‘Auntie’ now because she’s like family. I also have another regular customer who brought me back a souvenir from her holiday. I love that.
5. What’s the most common thing customers ask you for?
The crispy pork Bahn Mi. Close second is the barbecued pork Bahn Mi.
6. What do you love cooking the most?
I don’t cook! My husband Tam does all the cooking in the house. My favourite dish he cooks is his sweet and sour chicken. He made this for me the very first time I went to visit his house and I thought ‘I’m going to marry this man’!
7. When you eat out, what do you like to order?
I really love Pad Thai noodles.
8. What do you love most about being part of the Market?
I love my market neighbours. We’re like a family. We share and talk and I just love that.
