They make great Vietnamese sandwiches and Vietnamese coffee. I like to order 5 sandwiches at a time. *cash only*
Johnny D.
Place rating: 4 Richmond, VA
The Banh Mi WAS awesome! I say«was» because Kim’s left about a year ago and the outfit running it now: Le’s, not so much.
Brandi O.
Place rating: 2 Washington, DC
Stopped in here around 11am one morning hoping to pick up some banh mi and banh cam. Walked in and it looked as if the place had been deserted. Most of the display cases were empty, with only a few items here and there. None of my beloved sesame balls. No menu to be found, either. I was a little confused so I took a peak at the meager selection available and nothing looked appealing. Mainly just a bunch of prepared dishes. Not sure when they were prepared but it didn’t look recent. They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover but this is a book that I don’t think I want to read. You’d think a bakery would still have a fair amount of items before lunchtime. After a few minutes of standing around, a human life form appeared! She kind of grunted at me, so I assume that was her way of asking me what I wanted. Since there was no menu, the only thing I KNEW Kim’s had was banh mi, so I ordered the banh mi ga. She made it right then and there, handed it to me, I paid the $ 3 or so and I was on my way. I could’ve eaten it there but there is only one table and chair set in the place… so that would’ve been a little awkward. Took my sammy home and was excited to get my fix. It was a little disappointing though. While the sandwich itself was tasty and flavorful, the chicken was like 70% cartilage. No thank you. So, sadly, I don’t think I’ll be returning. Confusing, small selection… this place just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
Tara S.
Place rating: 2 Richmond, VA
The hubs and I were totally craving a banh mi, so I send him to Kim’s due to the reviews here. Eh. I guess they do not have a menu so he ended up ordering chicken banh mi, shrimp and pork spring rolls and a rice and black eyed peas dessert. I took a bite in the spring roll, the pork was gray and i was just waiting for my stomach to revolt. The banh mi was nothing special. The bread was soggy and stale but the flavors were there. I am Filipino so I am used to beans in my dessert. This was ok. Not to sweet and had the texture of mush. I guess my hunt for a yummy banh mi continues…
Mike G.
Place rating: 3 Glen Allen, VA
Went to Kim’s today for their banh mi… stale baguette but lots of flavor in the ingredients inside of it. I love their assortment of heat and serve like the chicken and rice and their Pâté Chaud. Mind you… you will need to reheat a lot of these things as they are not fresh, but they are still good. Looking for fresh? Don’t go here… looking for Vietnamese food you can get and reheat later… then Kim’s can help you. ust my experience…
Julia N.
Place rating: 4 Saint Louis, MO
I give Kim’s Bakery five stars for the food and the friendliness of the employees and four stars for the atmosphere and lack of a published menu or labeled foodstuffs; that rounds out to four stars overall, since I can’t give a 4.5. I went to Kim’s after reading positive reviews on Unilocal for their banh mi and sesame balls, and those items lived up to their reputation. Actually, I signed up for Unilocal because of how positive my first experience was at Kim’s. In my opinion, Kim’s has the best banh mi ga(chicken) in Richmond, much better than the kind from Catina up the road. The chicken is wonderfully seasoned and full of flavor, and the baguettes are baked fresh daily; they’re so fresh, in fact, that I once went to Kim’s and they had sold out for the day! The sesame balls are also absolutely delicious, and I echo another reviewer’s suggestion of buying more than you think you’ll need, because they’re just that good. Although I know they offer other food at Kim’s, the banh mi ga and sesame balls are so good that I’ve never felt the need to order anything else; why mess with perfection, right? As I mentioned, one of the men who works there is extremely friendly and personable, and I was lucky to be waited on by him during my first visit to the bakery. He chatted with me about Vietnamese food and taught me how to pronounce some of the words I was unfamiliar with, and I had such a positive experience overall that I was smiling for the rest of the day(which is rare for me). Another man who works there is also very friendly, though more reserved; he once gave me an extra sesame ball for free because they were smaller than usual that day(though I didn’t notice a difference, and think he was just being generous because he had sold out of bread and I could not order the sandwich I came for). The lady who works there seems to speak limited English so she is rather quiet, but she is perfectly friendly and courteous. There is limited seating in the establishment, and no décor to speak of; this is really more of a take-out sort of place, as you’d expect from a bakery. My only problem with Kim’s is that there is no menu to look at or even a list of the items that are offered. Since I’m not very familiar with Vietnamese baked goods, I can’t identify most of the items in the case by sight, and I also don’t want to have to ask the employee behind the counter to describe each one to me. All in all, Kim’s Bakery is a great place to satisfy your craving for banh mi and sesame balls, making it a perfect spot to pick up a quick and tasty lunch. There are drinks like Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk(in a half-filled cup; the person behind the counter will fill the cup with ice when you purchase it so that it doesn’t melt and water down your drink before you’re ready for it), coconut juice, cans of fruit juice and tea, soy milk, and bottled water, but my favorite thing to do is stop in at Catina on my way home and pick up a boba/bubble drink to go with Kim’s superior banh mi ga and sesame balls. If you appreciate tasty, fresh Vietnamese sandwiches and desserts and don’t mind a lackluster setting, I think you’ll be very happy with Kim’s Bakery.
Daniel S.
Place rating: 5 South Gate, CA
Went here the other day on recommendation for Banh Mi. This place was AMAZING. The food was authentic, and the guy who ran the counter was very friendly. I’ve tried all three of their Banh Mi flavors: Ham(3 kinds of deli cut ham), Chicken, and bbq pork. My favorite was the bbq pork. I’m so excited to have a place to get cheap, good Vietnamese food. This place gets 5 stars because it’s authentic, friendly, customer-oriented, affordable, and delicious.
Kristen H.
Place rating: 4 Richmond, VA
Kim’s is THE place for yummy Asian desserts, Vietnamese sandwiches, and mini prepared plates. My favorite things to get here are the fried sesame seed balls, filled with what I think is mung bean paste; banh mi, and the grilled chicken and rice plate. I am addicted to those sesame seed balls and they are perfect here! They are the perfect mix of crunchy and chewy with a slight sweetness. The banh mi has the right amount of meat and peppers and just the right price($ 2 or $ 3). I have no idea what is on that simple-looking chicken, but it is super duper tasty! Prices in here are very reasonable and they have a wide selection of Asian drinks, like soybean milk, grass jelly, and coconut water. The best coconut water is the one in the blue and clear plastic cup. Mmmm! Just as a note, it’s kind of hard to find, just go to the very end of Rigsby road and it is the last thing on the right hand side. As a rule of thumb, always get 5 or so sesame seed balls because at least two other people will want some and never leave here without getting a second banh mi… that’s just wrong… You know wherever you are going, the other person will be mad you didn’t pick them up one. Be nice, k?!