Bánh Mì Très Bon (White Rock)

How far will I travel for food?  Well I guess since I do go as far as overseas, I guess it is limitless.  However, on a daily basis, I've headed out to Chilliwack a few times for eats and that would be considered far.  So when I had an invite to to try out the new location of Bánh Mì Très Bon in White Rock, it didn't take much convincing.  Besides, it is always nice to dine with Roanna and Eileen.  Beyond the difference in location, there are also unique dishes that are exclusive to White Rock.

One of which is the Caramel Fish Sauce Brussels Sprouts with lap cheong, scallions and crispy shallots.  This was so impactful and delicious that I really wanted the whole dish to myself.  Those sprouts were prepared perfectly where they had a crunch and life left in them.  At the same time, they were cooked through and completely dressed in a briny, salty and sweet sauce.  The fat from the lap cheong added an aromatic meatiness to the whole dish.

The other White Rock exclusive item is the Duck Confit Bao with scallions, jalapenos, cilantro and pickled carrots & daikon.  I enjoyed these as the bao was fluffy and light while stuffed with enough shredded duck breast confit for maximum meatiness.  Hence, these were filling with hits of duck, spice, tang and aromatics.  There was the option of adding hoisin and sriracha if one wanted either sweet and/or spicy.

Onto another sandwich, we had the Bánh Mì Poulet Gà with lemongrass chicken, cucumbers, jalapenos, sriracha, cilantro, pickled carrots & daikon and Maggi sauce.  Unlike some other spots in town, the baguette here was more crunchy on the outside and it didn't shatter.  The bun itself was a bit chewy, but not too dense.  The chicken was nicely charred and had good flavour.  The rest of the classic ingredients afforded a familiar taste.

So one of my favourite items was the Buttery Salt & Pepper Squid seasoned with smoked paprika, red chili, jalapeno and lime.  They aggressively battered the squid and the result was a firm crunchiness.  The tentacles were the classic rebound chewiness while still tender.  Nice wok-toss on the squid were the combination of spice, tang and smokiness came through.

Another classic dish that I'm glad they served us was the Butter Garlic Chicken Wings.  Beautifully crunchy, the skin was mostly rendered.  I did get some butter and garlic from the outside, but I could've done with a bit more.  Inside, the meat was juicy and tender enough inherent flavours that I didn't really need the sweet chili dip on the side.  A squeeze of the lemon wedge was more than enough for me.

So one of the most understated dishes visually was the Green Papaya Salad.  However, it was more about textures than appearances here.  This consisted of shredded green papaya, beef jerky, carrots, roasted peanuts, fresh basil, sriracha drizzle and soy sauce dressing.  This was solid with bright crunchiness with hits of spice, tang, saltiness and nuttiness.  With the soy dressing on the side, it allowed us to customize the saltiness.

Lastly, we had the Savoury Mini-Crepes with shrimp, onion and crispy shallots.  Soft and fluffy while crispy along the edges and bottom, these little crepes were delicious.  Add in the crunch from the shrimp and aromatics from the shallots and onions, this was a nice little bite.  We also had some fish sauce served on the side to add some briny saltiness.  Overall, the food was solid at Bánh Mì Très Bon at their new location.  Love the decor and the ambiance too.  A nice addition to the neighbourhood close by to Chez Christophe and the Wooden Spoon.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Beautiful space
- Solid eats
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Parking is a little hard to find