What to know
- A family-run shop overcame a break-in, a month before opening its doors.
- Signature sandwiches, Vietnamese coffee and viral matcha chilli crunch snacks are on the menu.
- Vegetarian and vegan bánh mì options are available.
This family-run bánh mì shop in Toronto was broken into before even opening. Despite the setback, they’re now serving up fresh, authentic Vietnamese sandwiches, desserts and coffee.
& Bánh Mì is located at 13 Elm St., right in the downtown core, just steps away from Toronto Metropolitan University.
After almost a year of planning, and only a month away from opening, & Bánh Mì posted an Instagram reel showing security footage of someone breaking into the store, police involvement and the repairs they had to start over.
As devastating as the situation may be, the owners & Bánh Mì coped with humour and positivity.
“POV: opening soon sign just dropped, and someone said ‘say less, I’m coming in early,’” the Instagram caption reads.
Now Toronto went to & Bánh Mì to hear more on the break-in and do a taste test of their menu.
Break-in
& Bánh Mì is co-owned by three family members, including Tony Lê. He shared how overwhelming the break-in was for him and his family.
“It felt pretty overwhelming, in a way, because we were trying to settle everything,” Lê told Now Toronto.
This break-in delayed the opening by two weeks.
On May 2, & Bánh Mì held a media and influencer preview and soft-opened to the public on May 4.
From the break-in to finally opening, Lê shared his relief.
“We did work really, really hard. Pretty much my whole team stayed overnight working as well. We came out of this place around 4 a.m.,” he said.
Taste test
After hearing about & Bánh Mì’s journey and seeing the menu, Now Toronto had to put the food to the test.
Waking up early isn’t for everyone — at least not for me. So, I started with the “Morning Coffee,” priced at $5.50.
From the first sip, the drink was sweet — not so much that you get sick, just the perfect amount.
It tasted like a creamy Vietnamese coffee.
My only complaint is that there was so much ice. Now I love cold drinks, but I finished the drink so quickly! (But maybe I’m just greedy and loved the drink too much.)
I barely took a few sips, and the food was already ready!
Admittedly, I have never tried bánh mì, but there’s a first for everything.
I chose one of the shop’s signature bánh mì’s: “& Caramel Braised,” priced at $14.75. It’s a slow-braised pork belly in a caramel glaze with fresh cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon, spring onion and coriander.
The food was packaged in a way that made it perfect for on-the-go eating, and I felt like I was drooling just at the sight of the bánh mì. The bread tasted great — not soggy nor too dry, and from the first bite, the vegetables felt so fresh.
The caramelized pork was sweet and had such a great flavour, and combining the greens with the meat was just heaven in my mouth.
Overall, I’d rate everything a nine out of 10.
Other must-try food and drinks
Tony Lê recommended many must-try foods and drinks from the menu. Out of the ten options, he recommended the signamìs bánh mì. But from the media and influencer preview, he shared that the classics were “everyone’s favourite as well.”
There are also vegetarian and vegan options, including the & Garden Crackle, priced at $14,75. That bánh mì includes plant-based pork, layered with cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon, spring onion and coriander, topped with a house plant-based sauce.
There’s also a matcha chilli crunch side that’s gaining traction online.
@solgogi This new banh mi spot in Toronto baking fresh daily 👀🥖 Tried And Banh Mi recently and the texture of each banh mi is unreal: crispy outside, soft and airy inside!! Best possible texture yk!! 😋 Standouts for me: 🥩 Betel leaf beef 🍵 Matcha chili crunch (surprisingly good) ☕ Morning coffee (bạc xỉu) is a must!! Prices are reasonable for the quality you get! Give them a try and let me know what you think 😉 📍13 Elm St, Toronto #torontofood #toronto #torontoeats #banhmi #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound – Vivi’s Foodie Guide ◡̈
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“It is a new way of making like a snack from bánh mì, and I know a lot of people enjoyed that, especially for late-night snacks,” Lê explained.
For drinks, he recommends a coffee in the morning, but gives Now Toronto an inside scoop that the shop’s soon introducing a bánh mì combo with iced tea.
“Any of the iced tea would definitely go well with all the heavy meat products that we have,” he added.
Check out & Bánh Mì, now open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
