Restaurant Review: Banh Mi Boys
BANH MI BOYS SANDWICH SHOP
392 Queen Street West ~ banhmiboys.com Instagram: @banhmiboys ~ Twitter: @BanhMiBoys Co-Diner: Tim Golem
Let's talk bánh mì. It's the Vietnamese word for "bread" and it also refers to a pretty popular sandwich. Baguettes were introduced to Vietnam by the French and in the 1950s the bánh mì sandwich was born, one of the original fusion foods. You can find endless versions of bánh mì today but the original (and arguably best, in by opinion) usually involves a few different types of deli-style meat, pâté, chili, mayonnaise and is topped with cucumber, pickled carrots, pickled daikon and cilantro. It is served cold. I love this straight-up classic version because of the perfect marriage of Vietnamese and French ingredients. When it comes to bánh mì in Toronto, everyone talks about Banh Mi Boys. You Gotta Eat Here! featured them in season two of the show, National Geographic magazine included them in their Places of a Lifetime article about Toronto, NOW Toronto has voted them #1 Best Sandwich 2019, and blogTO has named them as the #1 Best Banh Mi in Toronto. The hype is real. They now have four locations in the city, but you know me, I've gotta visit the orig. Fashion District. I stopped in to the little shop on a Saturday evening, excited for some bread with stuff inside of it. Like I said, the shop is small and you won't find very much in terms of decor. Honestly though, in my experience the absolute best bánh mì shops are the ones that look like complete trash. So in that sense, Banh Mi Boys is almost too nice. The red pendant lighting is decently atmospheric and there are rustic wood panels on the walls - I certainly wouldn't call the place a "hole in the wall." As with most casual joints, you go up to the counter to place your order and grab a spot to sit. While there always seemed to be tables available in the restaurant, the traffic coming in and out of the shop was constant. Many people were taking their sandwiches to go. One of my favourite things to do in restaurants of varying ethnicities is to try their most interesting drink! It's usually something imported from the respective country and I'm always super into trying whatever they've got. In this case it was a can of Yeo's Chrysanthemum Tea Drink ($1.70).
Delish! Kind of like drinking an iced tea, except with a lovely sweet honey flavour. The menu at Banh Mi Boys includes more than just bánh mì. You'll also find tacos and steamed bao, as well as a few different sides. I liked seeing a green papaya salad on the menu as a nice fresh option... But was truly intrigued by the Kimchi Fries ($7.50). They had to happen.
This was like an Asian poutine, for lack of a better way to describe it! And wow was it ever good! I think the aspect that surprised me the most was that the fries were actually quite delicious and cooked well. The rest of the ingredients are a no-brainer when it comes to a one-way ticket to delicious town. I loved the huge flavours in every bite! The pulled pork was savoury and well-seasoned while the kimchi brought its signature spicy fermented funk. And of course anything with mayo on it is going to be good. I'm not sure why my expectations were apprehensive on this one because I was completely blown away. An absolute must-try. The main show, of course, is the bánh mì. There are nine different sandwiches to choose from, all innovative riffs on the classic. Call me a traditionalist, but I did find myself just a little disappointed that there is no straight classic bánh mì offered on the menu. Mostly because I know that if there was, they would crush it. However, I can certainly appreciate that they have created nine out-of-the-box sandwiches using some truly incredible ingredients ranging from squid to 5 spice pork belly. There is one sandwich on the menu that everyone seems to talk about though and it was the one that I had to try for myself: Duck Confit ($9.00).
The first and most important thing about a bánh mì sandwich is the baguette. Hands down. It needs to be fresh with a thin, crusty outside and a soft, chewy inside. If the bread is wrong, you might as well forget the whole thing. In this case, the baguette was ideal, providing just the right bite without overpowering the whole sandwich with too much breadiness. Served as a warm sandwich, the generous amount of duck confit was tender and delicious. I loved the way that the Asian flavours from the Luck sauce played with the rich and savoury meat. The vegetables were piled high, adding a beautiful pop of freshness and colour. I couldn't help but love this. It certainly wasn't a traditional bánh mì, but what it was was delicious. One of the main characteristics of bánh mì shops tend to be the rock bottom prices. Typically a sandwich will run you about $3, which is pretty much the best thing ever. You likely noticed that this isn't the case at Banh Mi Boys, with their sandwiches going for about three times that price. Keep in mind that they are offering a more elevated bánh mì experience on almost every level. Of course it's going to cost more. Their food is very good and they've taken a simple sandwich and created something special and unique. They're worth the extra few bucks.
Commenti