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| - This place is a dive in the truest sense of the word. Even Guy Fieri wouldn't be able to come up with a catchy euphemism to describe it. Located in the heart of Chinatown, this was just a snippet of the conversation I heard as I walked here: "Sorry, I can't go to the liquor store for you now, I have to go get my methadone...maybe later?"
Anyway, back to business. I was seriously craving a banh mi and seeking an alternative to the ever popular Banh Mi Boys. Who wants to pay $6 for a banh mi when you can pay $2.50, man?
I assumed that the proprietors would be Vietnamese, so I was shocked when my boyfriend stepped up to the counter and started barking orders in Cantonese. Apparently Nguyen Huong seems to be run by a gang of older Chinese women who just don't care about anything, including proper food handling techniques or customer service. But I think it would be even more shocking to walk out of this place saying, "What a lovely restaurant, and such great service!"
The large vegetarian banh mi I had was tasty and filling, and for $2.50, who can complain? I asked for it spicy and they delivered, with the addition of hot chilis that seemed dead set on making me a full-on firebreather. My only concern was that they seem to just touch all the fillings willy-nilly without changing their gloves, so really strict vegetarians should probably avoid. I just look the other way -- ignorance is bliss! Ignorance is bliss!
There's nowhere to sit inside, so you either have to bring it home, or eat your banh mi outside, leaving a trail of crumbs behind you. Note that they take cash only, so make sure you have a few loonies and toonies jingling around in your pockets before you come here.
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