TL:DR – Check it out if you haven’t. Their Bánh mì are delicious. The egg coffee may not be for you.
I have gone here a number of times in the past month and been satisfied 🙂 There’s been minimal wait time between ordering and being served. The service staff are all friendly and kind. Lots to like in a “hidden gem” like this. I was lucky to have this place recommended to me, otherwise I wouldn’t have naturally wandered by because they are tucked in from the main road.
Their strength for me is their Bánh mì. I’ve tried their beef, pork, and chicken varieties, and would rank them from best to least best in that order of my own preference. Each time there were enough fillings that they were practically falling out of the sandwiches! I can’t speak to the tofu one.
They also have a very nice Classic Viet Coffee (hot) which is definitely worth a try. A bit sweeter than your typical coffee, and a nice taste to it.
Also, a big positive for me, they us a coffee cup that is recyclable/biodegradable/compostable. A part of the experience that is missing from many other coffee places in the downtown core.
But, there are a couple of drawbacks for me…
The Bánh mì are tasty, but there are missed opportunities with a tastier paté, and a tougher/crunchier bun. The pluffy bun is nice, but might fill you beyond what you want for a sandwich.
The other “miss” here is their egg coffee. I’m really hoping that I just got a bad egg, because other reviews praise this coffee. But it was definitely not for me. It’s salty, which I don’t mind. But with the egg topping also came a taste/smell that was fishy-leaning. Unfortunately, it’s not what I’m looking for in a coffee, and I wasn’t able to finish it. Worth a try for yourself to see if it’s for you.
There’s also just a couple benches for sitting on, but no tables. Because of the nature of what’s being offered, I don’t see this as a drawback, and in fact lends to the ease with which you can order and get your food without fighting through a crowd.
Overall, I’m giving a positive review because there is so much good going for this place, and always happy to have another option for Vietnamese cuisine in downtown Ottawa!
