TL;DR: Do you really need more convincing here? It is yet again some more Vietnamese street food, which is a surefire winner in my book.
Right on the bottom level of the Myer Center, and round about smack bang in the middle of the food court, one more addition to this relatively quieter and more hidden on the food courts, it has more or less transformed into the Asian domination with Vietnamese street food getting another bite at the cherry with success. This time around it is all about their snack foods, all constantly cooked fresh, and presented not unlike many sandwich bars out there. This is one which rarely fails to provide what it promises to offer, and in honesty there could be a bahn mi bar on every street corner and I could make a case for there to be even more to come. That is the case here with Vietnamese Baguette, and the freshness and dedication to having the bread be hot from the oven gives it a slight edge over much of the competition in nearby streets.
All that was needed for me to pique the interest right up about this place was that it was selling bahn mis. That was precisely the selling point of them overall, and without any doubts I was going to get to this when I could - almost as soon as possible if that were viable. Out of nowhere that was the case, and when I heard it on the grapevine that they were offering it for half price all round the menu on the first week ... that would have actually been irrelevant to me since I would be there regardless. But to be fair, the odd saving and discount here and there makes most things a little more tempting. Straight after work one day I was in the city, and it was by chance that I was passing by here. With a bit of time before having to be at the next arrangement I decided to go up and try it out for myself. The diagnosis is that it is not the best bahn mi out there (keep in mind that I have yet to have a bad bahn mi, this continues that streak), and decent enough for a quick snack. For what it was worth, the sandwich was solid and filling, nice as some sustenance in between errands. It has its place and function which for now is managing to do well enough.
The area they have chosen has a good through-flow of potential clientele, with the design being bold in colour, pretty spacious and something about the looks of it is simply warm. It is possibly from the kitchen out the back and the aromas of freshly baked bread that is wafting out on a constant basis. Something about it is simply just a lot more inviting, a lot more welcoming, and just appears friendly. Maybe it is because they are new and have stars in their eyes, but confidence exudes from here.
Service is basically the takeaway kind. You line up at the counter, then place your order and pay. After that, you are given a number and when that number is called out you come up and collect your order. It could not be more simple. Everything here is made fresh, and they have a fair few people helping out between the cash register, baking the bread rolls, and preparing the sandwiches. Even with so many people here helping out, it is often a big rush and a-buzz, ensuring that none of the customers is left waiting. All of this makes the customer service at Vietnamese Baguette both quick and efficient; with its position and dynamic, it is just right for a bite before and between catching the buses at the adjacent stations.
For the most part, the menu consists of different sorts of bahn mis - and the majority are different sorts of pork and chicken fillings. As well as those, they have European style sandwiches on offer and some Vietnamese snacks to round it all off. For drinks, there is the usual coffee and a couple of other Vietnamese-style beverages. They keep it brief and simple here, and have a rare case with Vietnamese of showing off the possible French influence side-by-side. Over time they will introduce other specialties including their signature noodle soup. and that is possibly just the beginning.
Well, it was for the good old burgers and fries for me again. That is a combination which I can never get sick of, and is close to the first thing that I will use to determine if somewhere Vietnamese is worth its salt. That is the code for getting none other than a bahn mi along with an iced coffee. This combination has yet to let me down, and I will say again that this continues that trend. From the menu of the place, the bahn mi that looked the most interesting to me was some lemon grass pork, and the coffee was with the condensed milk. Both of these were pretty tasty, and suffice as a reasonable snack.
As per usual, the bread roll is a combination of crusty and soft, plus adding both butter and pate onto it creates a rich flavour and a creamy texture which is contrasted with the crisp freshness of the vegetables - the cucumber and the carrot. With the meat, they were fairly generous with portions and there was a good amount of lemon flavour from the chicken, in which they must have used thigh meat. Add in the distinct flavour of corriander, and you have a well-rounded sandwich on your hand. All that I can say here is I am kicking myself for not getting some chilli on it, because that always makes it just a little bit better. In addition to that, there was also the coffee, which was the right combination of strong, of sweet, and of creamy. On a slightly hot day, this was needed and went down a treat as per usual. Therefore, both of these components complimented each other pretty well and the value cannot be argued with either.
Overall this place ain't so bad, but it is nothing overtly outstanding either. To be most fair to it, they have set themselves up pretty well in terms of location and they do give a good amount of attention to providing a product of decent quality. The fundamental aspects are all around at least a decent level of quality, and there is only room to improve and They have a dynamic to the customer service where it is a constant buzz, and the output and diligence of each order is very consistent. Plus the food was filling, tasty and rich with a range of both textures and flavours.
Like any new starting up place, even if I absolutely did not like it I would still want it to do well without exception and inherently that includes here which I already can perceive that it has started well off on the right foot. With a simple layout, decent enough fare that is good value and quality, plus a system of service that is both quick and efficient, there are already the makings of a mainstay in this area. Not only what has just been mentioned, but also it being healthy and customisable to the client's tastes. Good luck and fortune is ahead for this baby.
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