THE BANH MI SHOP
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
Districts: Bellevue
Banh Mi Sandwiches & Boba Teas
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout; Vegan Options
Standout Dishes: Beef Bulgogi Banh Mi; Chinese BBQ Pork Banh Mi; Coconut Pandan Waffle; Chicken Curry Soup
The banh mi sandwich became a staple of Vietnamese food for its portability. The hustle and bustle of life in modern Saigon made convenient food that can be eaten on the go attractive; a crusty baguette filled with meat, mayo, and veggies fit the bill perfectly.
But you don’t have to be in a hurry to enjoy this unique sandwich. In fact, The Banh Mi Shop encourages you to do the opposite: stop, relax, and enjoy flavors from another corner of the world.
Located in Bellevue, the Banh Mi Shop’s unassuming exterior gives way to a cozy, intimate interior with excellent lighting and an open kitchen. You can get your order to go and the food travels well, but with friendly employees, a small marketplace stocked with local goods, and a giant chalkboard wall where the staff lists their favorite meals, you feel compelled to stay.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Chloe Tran, a South Vietnam native who adored banh mi sandwiches but couldn’t find any in Omaha when she moved here in 2012. Passionate about bringing this staple of her childhood to her new home, this self-trained baker and chef developed recipes for Vietnamese style baguettes, mayo, ham, sauces, pate, pickles, and more before opening The Banh Mi Shop in 2017.
The highlight of the restaurant is its namesake, and it all starts with the bread. Baked in house every morning, The Banh Mi Shop’s baguettes possess a crusty, crunchy exterior that protects a pillowy inner dough, giving the sandwich great texture while allowing it to maintain its integrity. Each sandwich is garnished with daikon and carrots pickled in a sweet and sour vinegar solution and a healthy swipe of tangy mayo.
From there, customers choose one of 17 sandwiches filled with traditional Vietnamese cold cuts, pork meatballs, pork belly, teriyaki chicken, and many other proteins. Though the base of each sandwich is the same, the meat and its marinade create very different flavor sensations.
The Beef Bulgogi is tender and juicy with underlying smoky and soy notes complementing its sweetness, and cabbage kimchi adds a pleasant funk. The Chinese BBQ Pork is unctuous and balances sweet and salty with just a touch of heat from hoisin sauce. The Lemongrass Chili Tofu proves this shop doesn’t even need meat to make a great sandwich, as the soft, chewy tofu soaks up the bright, acid lemon notes to match the sweetness of the vegetables.
But the sandwich Chloe recommends most is the Special Cold Cuts, the traditional sandwich that’s enjoyed as street food in her Saigon home. Constructed with pork roll, pate, and pork belly ham, the meats in the sandwich are rich and salty. But the acidity and sweetness of the pickled daikon and carrots balance it perfectly, and the house mayo adds a welcome creaminess.
Great as the sandwiches are, the sides are just as noteworthy. The Chicken Curry Soup is as good as I’ve found in Omaha. A rich, creamy base mixes sweet and earthy flavors and is flowing with juicy chicken and cooked carrots.
And while the green hue of the Coconut Pandan Waffle may seem a bit odd at first, this is a must-try item. With a chewy texture (imagine a waffle combined with a marshmallow) and a sweet vanilla/coconut flavor, this is a waffle that needs no syrup.
Bubble tea originated in Saigon, but it’s extremely popular in Vietnam, where this cold drink provides some relief from the oppressive heat. With fond childhood memories of bubble tea, Chloe added dozens of milk teas, lemonades, green and black teas, lemonades, and slushes to The Banh Mi shop’s menu.
The bubble teas combine the robust complexity of black tea with the creamy richness of milk, and the tapioca pearls provide chewy pops of sweetness. The Taro Milk Tea is a customer favorite, as this purple concoction taste somewhat like a sweet potato but with a lighter flavor profile and subtle vanilla undertones.
If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, The Banh Mi Shop also offers rice bowls and vermicelli noodle dishes.
The latter starts with a base of long, thin rice noodles that have a pleasantly chewy consistency. Combined with a flavorful herb mix (mint, basil, shiso, fish mint, and Vietnamese balm), veggies, peanuts, and a tangy fish sauce dressing, there’s a lot going on inside these bowls. But the composition is cohesive, and the poultry in the Chicken Vermicelli Bowl has juicy thigh meat coated in slightly sweet, pungent spices.
The prices here are a steal, as these hearty sandwiches mostly cost around $8. That’s beyond reasonable for these unique flavors, big portion sizes, and in-house ingredients.
The Banh Mi Shop is offering Omaha something no other restaurant is: a lineup of authentic banh mi sandwiches that provide a slice of life from the other side of the globe. From the delicious sandwiches to the excellent sides and a roster of drinks the size of a football team, The Banh Mi Shop is more than worth the drive to Bellevue for.