Victoria B.
Yelp
I use to work in the city and one of my favorite places to go to for lunch was this little place, Le Vietnam, partly because they have such tasty food and such a good concept of what is essentially Vietnamese street food. The fact that this place is also one of the cheaper places to eat also added to my delight of this Vietnamese affair. I was once a poor uni student (we've all been there), and the thought of eating fast food day in and day out meant not only putting on weight but also just hating food in general. Alas, this little place kept me afloat and continued my love affair for food. My love affair has taken me to a point that I may have used and exhausted many stamp cards from this joint (1 stamp for every purchase, 10 stamps gets you 1 free on your next visit).
Walking in, your always greeted with a smile from Tony (I think that's what his name is, I might be wrong... don't hold it against me). Tony usually multitasks between taking orders and making beverages (a fine quality in a gentleman), but he also tries his best to be the perfect host by walking around and talking to customers and getting feedback, offering some free samples of refreshing teas to drink or even just handing out some cheeky chocolates to some unsuspecting customers.
Bahn Mi- a french baguette stuffed with pork, pate, mayo, carrots, cucumber, coriander, chilli (optional) and topped off with a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce and sriracha hot sauce. Le Vietnam has this concept to the tee!!! The original Bahn Mi has thinly sliced pork belly and Vietnamese pork loaf ($2 extra for double the meat). The daily made baguette is fresh, lightly toasted and crisp on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside. Also, one side of the baguette has whole egg mayo (none of this generic mayonnaise that taste like crap), the other side has chicken liver pate` which has a subtle flavor but is not over powering or over bearing of the rest of the ingredients. The vegetables are fresh and crisp, even the carrots which are pickled in a sweet vinegar doesn't lose its texture. To finish off, the Banh Mi gets a splash of soy sauce and sriracha hot sauce, fresh chilli is optional.
The reason why this place is so great is because they take the traditional concept and give it a modern twist. There are also rolls on the menu that has different stuffing, so there is variety for even the pickiest of diners. To top off what is a great concept of what a cafe should be, Le Vietnam also offers traditional Vietnamese coffees, Teas from T2 and a whole bunch of delicious drinks (so you don't have to go there to eat). A nice refreshing iced tea for the mid afternoon is perfect for any summer day. The cafe I will admit is a little cramped in seating so it does get crowded at lunch time. I just avoid peak hour so I can enjoy the place to myself (selfish me!). However they do make up for it by allowing take away, which is a plus for me!
As a loyal customer and lover of food I keep returning to this place because the cafe gives me all the right reasons to. It is cheap, very tasty and just a wonderful place to be in. Regardless of the crowd!