Stalwart for Canadian bánh mì sandwiches
Banh Mi Boys burst into the Toronto food scene in December 2011 and quickly became a food sensation. They had the elusive formula of creativity, price, and taste. Firstly, they were a step up from traditional bánh mì sold a few blocks away in Chinatown. No more mystery meats and cuts. Banh Mi Boys put in recognizable chunks of proteins and jazzed it up with breaded squid rings and duck confit. Secondly, although they were more than twice the price of Chinatown bánh mì, it was still a basement bargain starting at $5.64 (2012 price including tax). Most importantly, as with any restaurant, taste is king. It was sinfully good and a harbinger of how the culinary scene in Toronto was taking off.
Fast forward to 2020 and Banh Mi Boys have opened several outlets across the city. As with any long-running establishment, there are the usual complaints of dropping standards and higher prices. There is some truth to that. But it is still a lifesaver for students on a budget and people looking for fast food that is not burger and fries.
Anatomy of a bánh mì
Quick crash course on bánh mì. Like how to pronounce the weird squiggly lines. It’s ok to say it in a neutral tone: “ban mi”. If you want to attempt Vietnamese tones, bánh has the same rising tone as someone exclaiming “huh?”. Mì has the same falling tone as someone dismissively saying “meh”.
Bánh mì is just a medium-length baguette sandwich. The crusty bread is sliced lengthwise and stuffed with mystery meats and đồ chua (pickles, almost always julienned carrots and daikon). Vietnamese love deli meats like chả lụa (pale pork sausage) and pâté (liver paste). These make an appearance in the house specials (bánh mì đặc biệt) of most stalls. Another popular variation uses grilled meats, like lemongrass pork in bánh mì thịt nướng.
The sandwich is finished in typical Vietnamese fashion with lots of fresh herbs and cucumbers. Well, at least for the ones in Saigon. Bánh mì originated from Southern Vietnam and is in top form there. Street vendors might slather on chilli sauce and drops of Maggi seasoning. Delish.
The food
The menu can be summarized as bánh mì, wraps, and fries. Having tried everything on the menu over several years, here is how they rank.
Bánh mì
All bánh mì sandwiches are topped with coriander and đồ chua. There are 4 spice levels that translate to none, hot sauce, jalapeños, or habaneros. The hot sauce is a nasty, one-dimensional sriracha sauce. Go for fresh chillies or no spice.
- Grilled pork. 8/10.
This is the classic bánh mì thịt nướng, elevated. Large slices of pork with a faint scent of lemongrass, lightly charred. Mayo and other unhealthy but flavourful sauces are slathered on the crusty bun. This is the best value on the menu. - Squid. 8/10.
Crispy deep-fried squid rings balance well with the tangy lime vinaigrette and đồ chua. A successful fusion creation. - Duck confit (not offered recently): 8/10.
Another fusion offering that works well. You can’t go wrong with duck braised in its own fat. Meat falls apart and has a tantalizing aroma. Topped with caramelized onion chutney, a classic pairing. - Grilled chicken. 7.5/10.
This is similar to grilled pork. Although the marinade is supposedly different, you probably can’t tell the difference from the strong sauces. It scores slightly lower because it’s chicken. Also, slightly more expensive. - Lemongrass tofu. 7.5/10.
The only vegetarian option is surprisingly good. The flavour profile is similar to grilled chicken, minus the smokey grill flavour. - Braised beef. 7/10. Imagine pulled pork but with a base of soy sauce, star anise, and a bit of sugar. Oh, and it’s beef. Meat is tougher than I would like for slow-cooking.
- Meatball (not offered recently). 7/10.
Vietnamese twist on an Italian meatball sub. I quite enjoyed this variation. The meatballs are the size of ping-pong balls and bouncy. They are lightly fried. No gravy. Taste-wise, it is like grilled pork bánh mì. Although it is supposed to contain peanut butter, I can hardly taste it. - Kalbi beef. 6.5/10.
This should work in theory but execution has mixed results. The beef ribs are on the tough side. Adding kimchi to strong flavours is risky and doesn’t work well here. The blunt flavour of low-grade kimchi clashes with barbecue-sauced ribs. - Pulled pork. 6.5/10.
The pulled pork here can’t compete with dedicated barbecue restaurants. Definitely has a mass-market taste to it. Quality is inconsistent. Sauce tastes like store-bought. It’s not bad, just average. - Five spice pork belly. 6.5/10.
The times when I had this, the pork belly was chewy and on the verge of becoming dry. Five spice powder doesn’t come through. It’s a shame because pork belly has bacon potential.
The bánh mì menu hasn’t changed in 10 years. There is nothing wrong with that because I will happily eat any of them. However, a part of me wishes that they will experiment with different fillings. They could catalyze the evolution of Toronto’s food identity. I look forward to maple syrup pork belly bánh mì.
Wraps
Banh Mi Boys has something called “tacos” on their menu. It’s not a taco. It’s a thin flatbread seared on the griddle like an Indian chapati. Structurally, it can pass as a taco but don’t expect it to taste like one.
Their lineup of baos are similar to tacos, just with a different bread. Bāo is a general term for steamed, dense, white breads of Northern Chinese origin. The bāo used here is guà bāo (刈包), a handheld version suitable for wrapping around ingredients. You know, like a taco.
Since the main fillings are the same as the ones offered in the bánh mì lineup, I won’t cover them here. Get these if you are not that hungry. It’s equivalent to a one-third sized bánh mì. The other difference is that tacos come with purple cabbage slaw, but it doesn’t add much to the taste.
Fries and not-fries
Of their side dishes, the most famous one has to be kimchi fries. They also have a couple of vegetarian options to round up the lineup.
- Tofu fries. 6.5/10.
No, not fries made out of tofu. This is the popular kimchi fries with tofu substituting pulled pork. It’s almost vegan except for the kimchi. I actually prefer this over the meat version because the flavours are less noisy. - Kimchi fries. 5.5/10.
A meal on its own. It’s not just kimchi and fries. It also has a large amount of pulled pork plopped on top of it. In the early years, it was well-prepared and a must-try. Over the years, the cookery has become more sloppy. Greasy fries and chunky pulled pork. The kimchi and pulled pork fight for attention. Still, it’s a satisfying cholesterol bomb: mayo + pork + fries + lots of salt. Great for starving students and heart attacks. - Sweet potato fries. 5.5/10.
Nothing extraordinary. Just deep-fried sweet potato fries. - Jicama papaya salad. 5/10.
Bears a passing resemblance to Thai papaya salad, minus peanuts, fish sauce, shrimps, and other goodies. An ok dish, but the ingredients and flavours do not justify the price.
The place
Banh Mi Boys is a casual fast food restaurant. Spiffy decor. There is a red colour scheme going on and commissioned graffiti works sprawl across walls. Seating space was never a strong point in any of their branches. There are not enough seats to go around and you might have to takeout. Not to fret, because Banh Mi Boys’ assembly line is geared for takeout. There isn’t much difference anyway. Dine-in just means that the chefs would leave bánh mìs lying on their signature red chequered wrapping paper. For takeout, they will roll the bánh mì with the same paper.
Verdict
Comfort food. Unglamorous and unfussy, uniquely Canadian-Vietnamese. 7/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Banh Mi Boys
- Rating
- 7/10
- Recommended dishes
- Grilled pork banh mi
Squid banh mi
Duck confit banh mi - Prices
- Grilled pork banh mi: $7.35 ($6.50 excluding tax)
Five spice pork belly banh mi: $8.48 ($7.50 excluding tax)
Kimchi fries: $8.48 ($7.50 excluding tax) - Address
- 392 Queen Street West (original branch)
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 1100h – 2200h
Saturday 1100h – 2100h
Sunday 1200h – 1900h - Date of visit
- May 2020