Pho 68: Pho Dac Biet in Burnaby

Pho 68 (don’t ask me where the other 67 are) recently opened up in South Burnaby.

Le BL Cafe: Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

So, if you haven’t noticed this by now, there have got to be dozens of little Vietnamese shops on Victoria Drive. Le BL Cafe is one such nondescript eatery.

Pho Thai Ha: Average Vietnamese Eats

Pho Thai Ha is located in the Killarney Centre on 49th and Elliot in Vancouver. I decided to try this place out because the ratings were pretty good and I’ve been craving banh mi sandwiches again.

Ngon Banh Mi & Tea: Braised Pork Banh Mi

Ngon Banh Mi is located on the same block as Obanhmi. Suffice to say, if you’re looking for a banh mi sandwich, this block has got you covered.

Obanhmi: Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

I know, I know… I’ve been on a bit of a banh mi kick recently. Well, who can blame me? When done right, this is the perfect lunch item and packed with so much flavour (sorry Subway).

Bánh Mì Très Bon: Modern Vietnamese Cafe

Bánh Mì Très Bon has been on my radar for quite some time… not just for their banh mi either. We visited in early December (Covid safety protocols were in effect) and the pretty interior is a stark contrast to hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese places.

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Banh Mi Saigon: Banh Mi Dac Biet

If you asked what the perfect sandwich is, the banh mi would definitely rank high up there. There’s something about that freshly baked, crusty bread stuffed with flavours that explode in your mouth that just speaks so much more than a plain old bologna sandwich.

Hanoi Old Quarter: Chicken Wings and Banh Cuon

Hanoi Old Quarter is one of the many Vietnamese restaurants that dot Victoria Drive. The sister restaurant to Mr Red Cafe, Hanoi Old Quarter similarly focusses on northern Vietnamese cuisine.

Viet Mama Cafe: Bánh Cuốn and Spring Rolls

Something that seems to have picked up more steam in the Vancouver food scene lately is bánh cuốn. Similar to Chinese rice rolls, bánh cuốn rice sheets tend to be much thinner and more delicate. I decided to try the ones at Viet Mama Cafe on Victoria Drive as I’ve been hearing good things about this place.

Royal Pho Restaurant: Vietnamese Food in Champlain Square

Royal Pho Restaurant is a Vietnamese restaurant that’s located in Champlain Square. As we don’t have many Vietnamese places nearby, we stopped by to grab some take-out in May.

Bean Banh Mi: Modern Banh Mi Offerings

A couple of years ago, I noticed that a new Banh Mi placed opened up in the former haunts of Tung Hing on Kingsway but it hasn’t been until recently that we were able to try out Bean Banh Mi. I was a bit intrigued by their name because I don’t normally associate beans with banh mis. However, I did quite enjoy watching the episodes of Mr. Bean that they had playing on the overhead tv screen while we waited for our orders to come up.

White Lotus Cafe: Busy Hidden Gem

Okay, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you probably know that I’m not really inclined to wait in long lines for restaurants. I usually pre-plan and look up when places are busy to avoid those hours. Unfortunately, Google’s not always that accurate (I probably shouldn’t say that out loud… I can hear the black helicopters hovering nearby as I type this).