Bánh Mì Bay

Good place for lunch or take way. Portions are small. Prices are ok. Very good pork noodles. And coffee is also very good. Will definitely came again for the lunch. Unfortunately they only do takeaways.

So I’ve tried this place a few times both for lunch and dinner before writing a review. In short I don’t think it will be a place that I frequent. I’ve had a Com, Phở, and Bun as take away and I’m left with the impression that everything is a bit too sweet for my taste. The meat in general was good in flavor but again a tad on the sweet side. Portion size is I think on the smaller side for the price point, I am a bit forgiving on portions of meat, but skimping on veggies and starch annoys me a bit because both are just very low cost items. Rice that I had was cooked right, Phở noodles were ok as well, but the bun noodles were over cooked which was a bit disappointing. I had the pork belly for dinner, but it fell short because it was cold, portions fairly small for dinner pricing, and the plate overall was nothing exciting. I think I’ll go back for the occasional phở but can’t seem myself as a regular there. Service I received was good, and the ambiance is nice (who doesn’t love a clean asian restaurant!) I just wish they upped their food game because they have potential to making a killing here.

Extensive menu, but falls short of expectations.
Lots of options for phở. I got a mixed beef and chicken Phở (£7.30), which was a bit disappointing. The broth and noodles aren’t as good as City Caphe’s but way better than Bep Haus’. There’s a hefty amount of beef and chicken if you really like meat though.
Bahn Mi was £5 and had a myriad of choices and three options for bread (wheat, dutch crunch, or Vietnamese). The Vietnamese bread I was expecting to be crunchy and airy, and it was neither. Overall I’ve never liked the baguette sandwiches in the City, but I guess i
It’s not a bad option for lunch, but there are plenty of better ones out there.

There is a new entrant in the City Vietnamese takeout scene, with a new branch of Banh Mi Bay opening up on Cannon Street between St. Paul’s and Mansion House station. This is getting to be a pretty crowded scene with City Caphe and Chao Now the incumbents, but Bep Haus and Phở have both opened up in the past year. I walked by Banh Mi Bay several times after work and, after reading Unilocal reviews of their Holborn location, finally made it in for lunch around noon. There were a few guests seated to eat-​in, but only one other person in the queue so service was fast and I got my food within a matter of minutes. I ordered the bun vermicelli with garlic pork, and I’m happy to say that the differing prices on their menu are not for regular/​large size but for takeaway/​eat-​in prices. So it’s £6.25, and a good size portion about equally split between meat, veggies, and noodles. I thought it was solid and I’d definitely have it again, though I think I might prefer City Caphe’s by just a bit. I feel like I need to come back and try the phở and the spring rolls, even though the Unilocal reviews for those were only mediocre. Not sure how these places are going to differentiate themselves… Chao Now, Bep Haus, and Phở all have loyalty card schemes, so it will be interesting to see if Banh Mi Bay has to jump on that bandwagon as well.