A memorable food moment during a recent trip to Vietnam was eating a traditional banh mi from a Ho Chi Minh street vendor. Simple, authentic and better than anything we could find at home. Genuine banh mi simply didn’t exist on the Main Line.
Until this past winter. Enter Banh Mi Bar & Bistro, which opened on Norristown’s Main Street in late February. Attracting a steady stream of customers from the community and across the Main Line for its breadth of banh mi options, this restaurant also offers other bistro bites, such as Vietnamese beef sliders, made with pickled vegetables, pate, lemongrass aioli, and home-made pickled hot peppers.
Bright, airy and modern, the restaurant is casual while offering quick sit-down service. While you can order your banh mi fillings in alternative fashion—tucked in soft tortillas or atop steamed Vietnamese rice—go traditional (at least on your first visit). We tried the classic, made with Vietnamese pork and ham, French country pate and homemade butter; the chicken, stuffed with dry rubbed five-spice grilled chicken; and the egg, filled with sunny-side eggs, soy sauce and pork roll. All three were amazing, generous and a steal at $5 a piece. Unique sides include tiger prawns, a salad with ginger dressing, lentil bites and an apple slaw.
After checking out this new bistro, we spoke to Chris Nguyen, the young, professionally trained chef and co-owner of Banh Mi B&B. Here he shares what makes this French-inspired Vietnamese sandwich (as well as the dish on pho Mondays).
What makes a banh mi different than our typical hoagie?
The bread has to be crispy on the outside and soft or airy on the inside. The ingredients themselves (in the banh mi) play a big roll. It takes all of the tastes and combines it together, creating a well-balanced burst of flavor in your mouth. You’ve got sweet from the meats, sour from your pickled vegetables (carrots and daikon radish), spicy from the jalapeno (optional), and just the right amount of salt. For a richer taste, some have home-whipped butter and French pate. To top it off, we add fresh cilantro in the banh mi to elevate the freshness.
How did the concept of a banh mi first begin?
Our classic banh mi is the original banh mi of Vietnam. When the French ruled Vietnam, they brought their baguettes, ham (jambon), whipped their own butter, and made their own variations of pate. Somewhere along the line, the Vietnamese learned how to make all of these things, making their own variations of a sandwich. Today, you will find many different banh mi toppings in the streets of Vietnam. As the younger generation of people in Vietnam is growing up, just like myself, we’re coming up with new variations and toppings for the banh mi. Whatever it is, the classic will always be my favorite—It’s the combination of the butter and pate in the classic that makes it really good.
Also, we hear Mondays are all about pho at your restaurant … How do you make yours?
Pho is not an easy thing to make—it takes a lot of patience, heart, and soul to make a good broth. First, I take some beef bone and whole peeled onions and bake it in the oven for about two hours or until it turns a light brown color. I take that beef bone and onions, stick it in a big pot with water and five spice and simmer it for 4 hours. The goal is to have a broth that is clear and free of fat but tastes full of flavor. The broth needs to be translucent—almost clear—with just a hint of brown. The next time you go eat pho, look for a clear broth. If it is too brown or too cloudy, this is a sign the restaurant used some sort of packaging or premix powder to make a broth instead of making it fresh.
Pho is only served on Mondays at Banh Mi Bar & Bistro. The dish, or should I say bowl, has been such a big success that it has turned our slowest day of the week into our busiest day of the week! We have the same guests who come every Monday just to eat pho and the numbers of guests climb every week. We are planning to extend our pho day to two days a week, eventually serving it for the whole week.
Banh Mi Bar & Bistro is located at 31 West Main Street in Norristown. Guests may BYO during dinner hours; the restaurant delivers within a six-mile range. For more information, call (610) 239-1008 or visit bmbbistro.com.
Photo credits: Banh Mi Bar & Bistro.
