Bun Me Baguette

I was starving on Robson in the middle of a serious shopping trip and this was one of the few food cart options open late in the day. I ordered the lemongrass chicken banh mi. It was decent but nothing memorable — not the best banh mi I’ve ever had but also nowhere near the worst. At $ 5.50 it definitely wasnt the cheapest, but I do think the convenience of it being on Robson justified the slightly higher price. If you’re on Robson it’s a decent option, but there’s definitely better banh mi to be found in the city.

I am SHOCKED at these mediocre/​negative reviews! As an avowed Banh Mi lover, I was a bit skeptical at a chicken filling (it is usually pork based cold cuts and pates) — but the lovely family who owns this cart converted me. The juicy thigh meat, spicy fruity sauce and the crunchy pickles make this sandwich delicious, but my favourite part is the bread. Banh Mi means «French bread» so of course, the bread is the most important part of the package! These guys get theirs made at a local French bakery, and it is perfect — crispy on the outside and slightly drier than a normal baguette — the ideal platform for the filling. In fact, I think I will go get one for lunch right now.

I personally love the options that food carts are providing.
I work downtown and appreciate the convenience of grabbing something on the go and sitting in the sun.
At $ 5.50, it’s not the cheapest nor best banh mi in town, but I have found that it is one of the most inexpensive options out of the surrounding food carts. The service is very friendly, and they seem excited about the opportunity to serve up street food.
But regarding the sandwich itself, I’d have to say that the pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, jalapeños, and cilantro are definitely the best part. I’d love to see the quality of the meat go up though.

I fundamentally disagree with Marc’s assessment of food trucks, but that’s beside the point.
Today we finally hit up Bun Me… and I actually agree with his statement about this particular truck. It wasn’t the price that got me (You’d easily pay that at Subway for a sandwich, let’s face it, and this was meh, but it was better than Subway), but it was that the sandwich just wasn’t a great banh mi. Sure, the pickles and cilantro were fresh, the bread had that perfect crunch, but it lacked the oomph of other banh mi’s have had.
Admittedly, my palate can handle some heat, but I expected to be rocked when I got both jalapenos and the hot sauce. The hot sauce just wasn’t that hot for me, and one long thin jalapeño didn’t really work for me either.
The meat was kinda meh for me and I didn’t really get the taste of the lemongrass.
The pictures provided are accurate.

* Part of the overpriced food cart program! *
In the latest installation of food carts which don’t get that street food is supposed to be less expensive than full restaurants/​bakeries, my latest visit was to this little banh mi cart which serves two types — lemongrass chicken and lemongrass tofu. Each banh mi is $ 5.50. Crazy pricing, considering the excellent options around town at better banh mi pricing such as Tung Hing:
I seriously don’t get what is going on with all of the street carts choosing such high price points for their products compared to what is available in non-​street options.
On to the food…
The baguette was toasted instead of just naturally crunchy/​fresh baked the way I prefer it. The lemongrass chicken was a bit gristly, but had nice flavouring to it. The cilantro, pickled daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber, and jalapenos were all fresh tasting. There was no noticeable Vietnamese mayo (perhaps food cart regulations?), and a very little hint of fish sauce only. Overall it was ok, but there are much better options available around town. Photos:
and
It isn’t far away from the TacoFino stand which also sets its price for its flank steak taco at $ 5.50/taco. I guess that is some sort of magic number!!! Well, perhaps. But I just don’t get it.