Bánh Mì Très Bon

Yes, I realize that it hasn't been long since I made my last visit to the White Rock location of Bánh Mì Très Bon.  However, they have begun to add more dishes to their menu as they get settled into the groove of operating a second store.  So that is the main reason for being there again so soon.  However,  we were able to sample some of the favourites as well as their surprisingly good cocktails.  So I met up with Roanna and Eileen for another tasting.

We started off with their Savoury Mini-Crêpes and I thought this time, they were even better than the last time I was here.  The edges and bottom of the crêpes were uniformly crispy and light.  Each one was filled with fried shallots, shrimp and green onion.  This combination ensured there would be aromatics, brininess and a bright sharpness.  But to complete this concoction, we were served a side of fish sauce to up the salty briny flavour quotient.

So we couldn't do food here without some of their excellent drinks either right?  We got the Taste of Vietnam Cocktail Flight featuring Smooth Landing (plum wine, rambutan juice, ginger, & jalapeños),  In the Air (rice wine, soho lychee, & crème de cassis), Taking Off (hpnotic & coconut liqueur).  My favourite of the bunch was In the Air due to the lychee and creaminess.  We also had the Bonsoir Saigon and Parisian Nights.  Loved the coffee in the Bonsoir Saigon and the fruitiness of the Parisian Nights.

So we had 2 versions of their next dish including the Sweet Tamarind Crispy Prawns as well as the Sweet Tamarind Crispy Tofu & Cauliflower.  Loved the tanginess of the tamarind that was tempered by the sweetness and slight spice of the sauce.  The prawns were indeed crispy with a meaty snap texture.  However, I enjoyed the vegetarian version even more with the firm cauliflower and the tender chunks of crispy tofu.

The next 2 dishes we had also featured the same main dish but with different starches.  We had the Vietnamese Free-Range Chicken Curry served with rice vermicelli or their house-made baguette.  Really enjoyed this dish as the curry featured coconut milk, but wasn't heavy at the same time.  We got the aromatics as well as some sweetness with some spice.  The chicken was certainly tender while the little nuggets of purple yam were texturally appealing.  We also found eggplant, green beans, carrots and daikon hidden within too.  I thought the vermicelli went really well with the sauce.  The bread was fantastic too being soft with a crunchy exterior, but it would go better with a beef stew in  my opinion.

So you can't dine at Bánh Mì Très Bon without having their Bánh Mì Trio right?  Well, this featured braised pork belly & Vietnamese ham, grilled lemongrass chicken and pork meatball.  Again, the bread on these were good with a crunchy crust giving way to a soft chewy interior.  This held all the wet ingredients at bay very well.  My favourite was the meatball as it was soft and meaty with lots of sweet onion flavour as well as a meatiness.

Going for all the greatest hits, we had the BMTB Signature Beef Tenderloin Bone Marrow Phở.  Okay, yes, this was money with a clean-tasting broth that had plenty of meatiness.  It wasn't too heavy on the seasoning though as it was not too salty.  I found the meat to be tender and sliced thin.  Of course the star of the show was the large bone marrow with plenty of fatty goodness in the middle.

We ended our savoury portion of the meal with the delicious Caramelized Fish Sauce Brussels Sprouts.  Yes, to most this would look very unassuming, but rest assured, the flavours in this pop.  With the briny saltiness of the fish sauce and the sweetness of caramel, the balance was all there.  Coupled with aromatic crispy shallots and firm, but cooked-through Brussels sprouts, we had textural and flavour contrast.

Onto dessert, we tried the Apple Cream Puff Tart.  Oh I really liked this as the contrast between the fluffy & crispy choux pastry with the firm tart shell worked.  Also, the sweetness was just right where it was impactful without being overly sugary.  So nice end to this delicious meal.  Things were carefully-prepared and tasted great.  Definitely an elevated Vietnamese dining experience.  Perfect for the neighbourhood.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post

The Good:
- Elevated food
- Good flavours
- Nice dining space

The Bad:
- On the pricier side (but what isn't these days?)
- Parking is a bit difficult