Eat Out London!Banh Mi Bay
Highly popular, Banh Mi Bay is a family run, mini-chain of Vietnamese restaurants serving some of the best authentic Vietnamese food in Central London
Recommended Vietnamese | London Cheap Eats | Banh Mi Bay
Reviews and related sites
Cheese and Biscuits: Banh Mi Bay, Bloomsbury
food value
First of all, I was surprised by the texture of the bread - I'm told genuine bánh mì use baguettes made of rice flour, which provide a much softer texture than the usual crusty French sticks.
Secondly, the filling was also interesting, with all the familiar flavours of good Vietnamese food (coriander, spicy grilled pork paté, pickled carrots and I think perhaps a dash of fish sauce) in a handy lunchbox-sized portion.
The textures were addictive, the flavours recognisably Vietnamese and the price pleasingly low - I was impressed, and given the relative ease of setting up a stall and availability of the key ingredients I expected to see banh mi stall popping up on every street corner.
From the first bite, you could tell these were not "authentic" (a meaningless word really but it will have to do) rice flour baguettes, just normal crusty French sticks, meaning my jaw was aching so much before I was even 2/3 through I had to give up.
I quite like the idea of the 'shredded caramel pork' banh mi, and of course for eat-in diners only they do a Pho, another good test of a Vietnamese kitchen.
New Restaurant Review: Banh Mi Bay | Londonist
food value
Londonist is just back from having a delicious, filling and inexpensive late lunch (or was that an early dinner) at the newly opened (as in today's the first day) Banh Mi Bay in Holborn.
Not expecting a Southeast Asian feast, we were a bit overwhelmed by the menu's impressive choice of dishes and went for this quaint eatery's Banh Mi Dac Biet Bay Special baguette filled with home made pate, spiced pork and pork roll along with pickled carrot and mooli, sliced cucumber and coriander.
The actual baguette itself provided a delightfully crispy and light container for those aforementioned Bay Special fillings.
Upon our return trip (which we suspect will be soon), we'll be a bit more prepared to explore the menu's other tasty looking options - the vast majority of which are at or under the £5 price mark.
Owned by the folks behind Bay Cafe in Denmark Hill, Banh Mi Bay is located at 4-6 Theobald's Road (WC1X 8PN) and, incredibly is scheduled to be open until 10pm every night of the week (but best call ahead first).
Vietnamese restaurant in Camden London
Banh Mi Bay Holborn, London, Holborn. Book now!
Fragrant noodle soup garnished with fresh chopped onions and coriander.
Served with a side salad of Vietnamese herbs, fresh chilli, lemon, hoisin and chilli sauce which you add to the Pho according to your taste.
Banh Mi Bay Reviews - London, United Kingdom - Skyscanner
Super fresh food, and fresh atmosphere.
I recommend it for the summertime especially, as their food tends too be full of refreshing raw veggies.
Banh Mi Bay | Restaurants in Holborn, London
food
Most of London’s Vietnamese restaurants are clustered around Shoreditch and Hackney, so it’s a bonus to find a more centrally located venue in which to load up on pho (rice noodle soup), summer rolls, banh xeo (pancake) and other Viet classics.
At lunchtime, many local workers pop in for takeaway banh mi: a crisp baguette stuffed with pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander and chilli, plus a filling of your choice – perhaps chargrilled beef or prawn, or spicy pork.
Pho comes in beef and chicken variants, plus a vegetarian option that’s packed with tofu, mushrooms, carrots and daikon; the broth doesn’t have the depth of flavour it could, but is a decent enough rendition.
For a zingy starter, go for the goi: crisp, shredded vegetables in a chilli-citrus dressing topped with crushed peanuts, with prawns and pork as optional extras.