Address: 399 Yonge Street or 392 Queen Street West
Type of Meal: Lunches
My first glimpse of a banh mi was
in Asian supermarkets when I was younger.
They looked unappealing, an unsightly bland combination of cold cuts and
slivers of vegetables in a cold bun all saran wrapped together.
Banh Mi Boy’s version unquestionably
differs from my childhood memory. The kalbi
beef banh mi ($5.99) arrives with hot pieces of meat topped with kimchi,
pickled carrots & daikon, cucumbers and cilantro all sandwiched between a
warm toasted bun. A tangy Asian sauce tops the meat, which was
unanticipated as I expected the sauce to be sweet and garlicky like the kalbi
sauce at Korean restaurants.
The short ribs were tender and a
good portion of vegetables were placed into the bread so that the bread to
filling ratio is 50/50. The customer
gets to choose the spiciness level of the sandwich (essentially how much
sarachi sauce gets squeezed on). I chose
“medium” and although it didn’t seem spicy at first, the last half of the
sandwich certainly had some heat as it slowly accumulates with the kimchi
sauce.
Bánh mì is really the Vietnamese term for bread and is influenced by the French
baguette. I wouldn’t describe Banh Mi
Boy’s bread to be baguette like, but rather softer, dryer and cased in a thin
crumbly crust. Overall, it was a decent
sandwich, though I wish they pulled out some of the middle of the bread so that
it didn’t get as soggy. Although it was
filled with a lot of ingredients, I still found that there was too much
tasteless bread for my liking.
In my mind, they should
have called the place Bao Boys, I know it really doesn’t have the same ring to
it. But, the highlight of their menu is
not their namesake but rather the steamed bao ($3.49). Mine was stuffed with a
substantial portion of braised beef cheek, juicy and tender and caramelized in
a sweet hoisin tasting sauce. The
pickled carrots, slices of cucumber and sprigs of cilantro helped to lighten
the bao. All wrapped up in a hot soft white steam bun Banh Mi Boy’s version
easily rivals the one found at Momofuku at a fraction of the cost.
Banh Mi Boy’s tacos
($3.99) are also tasty and superior to their sandwich. Their taco shell was interesting and unlike
any other I’ve tried. Its texture is almost like a mixture between a tortilla
shell and roti so that it was a bit chewy.
I enjoyed that they toasted it up so that the edges were slightly
crispy. The squid version I tried
consisted of deep fried calamari rings topped with creamy lime vinaigrette,
purple cabbage coleslaw, the customary pickled carrots and daikon and a little
bit of cilantro. There was so much
filling that eating it got slightly messy.
However, since the squid is relatively it got somewhat lost is everything. I think one of the stronger proteins such as
the braised beef cheek, grilled chicken or pork belly would stand up better in
the taco.
For other blog readers, you may notice one key item not
reviewed here - everyone raves about their kimchi fries, essentially a poutine
made from kimchi, mayo and pulled pork.
However, after reading a Toronto Star article that clocks it in at 1,180
calories and 86 grams of fat, it seemed a bit generous for one. I should have never read the article given
ignorance is bliss (sorry for ruining it for you). But, will eventually try it if a few people
agree to split it with me so that I can limit the indulgence to a quarter of
the poutine.
As a warning, arrive early if you want to beat the lunch
time rush and avoid Fridays at all costs if you don’t like lines. I made the mistake of going on Friday on my
first visit and found it be mayhem.
Further visits, during the beginning of the week, were much better with
less than a two minute wait and actually being able to sit and dine there.
Although the initial ordering and payment line moves
quickly, you then have to wait in another line to get your food which moves at
a much slower pace. My visits were at the Yonge and Gerrard location and found
the layout awkward. The single trash can
is placed near the cash register so that everyone leaving has to manoeuver
through the line-ups adding to the congestion.
Patience and constant moving around to allow people in and out of the
space is required if you’d like to survive the lunch hour here. But, if you go
just before noon on a Monday, you can happily enjoy a steamed bao at Bao Boys
(will that ever catch on)?
Overall mark - 8.5 out of 10*
*Mark is for the steamed bao and tacos, their actual banh mi would only earn at 6 for me.
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
