I don't know how I overlooked a highly rated bánh mì spot this close to my office for so long. Then I went, and the mystery solved itself: Banh Oui is very easy to miss. It's tucked into the back corner of what I can only describe as a dining hall — or maybe a student lounge — at George Brown College. You have to know it's there. Now you know it's there.
It's a funny spot, but it works. And whatever else I'm about to say, understand this: they take their bánh mì seriously. I mean seriously. It took somewhere between fifteen and twenty minutes to make our five sandwiches, with no other customers in the queue, and they were working the entire time. I don't know how their system holds up at busier times, or how many sandwiches they can physically sell in a day. But watching the effort that went into every single step, I was genuinely impressed.
I went with the omelette bánh mì. It was tasty, though a bit dry — but in the parts that hit, it hit. Yohann chose the classic, with sliced meats and pâté, which was good, though nothing to write home about. And yet here I am, writing about it in my blog.
Rob and Shawn ordered the chicken, which for some reason took about five minutes longer than everything else. Again: those guys behind the counter were working the whole time, and you have to respect that. Though maybe speed it up a little bit, eh guys?
So where does it land? There were definite moments of delight in this sandwich, but it didn't sustain. The problem was the bread — it simply wasn't fresh enough. It was warm, it was flakey, it had good texture. It just would have been better the day before. And bread is the one thing a bánh mì can't fake its way past.
Now for the analysis. Better than Bloor? Not in the running. Would I go back if I was in the neighbourhood? Absolutely probably. I mean, it's a pretty dead neighbourhood.
Verdict: Absolutely probably
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