BanhMiYes® Hintonburg — Restaurant in Ottawa

I recently ordered lunch at BahnMiYes on Wellington St. W. in Ottawa, a little after lunch hour. I ordered the "Office Energy" sub, adorned with grilled pork, a luscious canvas of creamy mayo, invigorating Vietnamese kimchi, fragrant laksa leaves, and a tantalizing burst of hot sauce. I don't have a really refined palate when it comes to banh mi, but I found it really delicious.

The undeniable star of the show was the grilled pork. It was marinaded overnight and delicately infused with a nuanced touch of sweetness, balanced by the smoky flavor from the grill in a way that elevated the banh mi. I was a little disappointed that the pork seemed to be grilled ahead of time. I wouldn't have minded waiting a few minutes for the extra prep time and I think it could have enhanced the flavor if it was fresh off the grill.

The overall experience was delicious, but it is worth noting the baguette. To be clear, the classic French-style crust was really tasty and the flakiness was nice, but it could have been a bit fresher or slightly heated to accentuate the flavor enhance the texture of the bread a little. Nevertheless, the constructive feedback is very minor and it didn't slow me down from devouring the delicious banh mi.

The portion size was really large and I can't imagine anyone going away hungry from this meal. One more thing, I will ask for a bit of extra hot sauce next time I come back because I like a little more spice.

In conclusion, BahnMiYes is possibly Ottawa's best Vietnamese banh mi purveyors. While minor room for improvement exists—namely, the bread's freshness and the pre-cooked nature of the pork. I would also challenge them to expand on the menu to offer variations of their banh mi on a steamed bao. Thank you very much to BanhMiYes for a delicious lunch. I will definitely be returning and I wholeheartedly recommend anyone reading this review to make your way to BahnMiYes. You won't be...

Charcuterie board - 5/10. Two sandwiches worth of food. Pricy as it came to about $44 after tax, which is more than what two sandwiches cost. It is more presentable for parties.

Classic and Saigon sandwiches - 10/10!! Absolutely delicious. The bread is so flaky and hard so it might be hard to eat without making a mess and might hurt your mouth a little. But they are so delicious so it is worth it. The meat and the pickled veggies are perfectly balanced. I had tried other BanhMi before from other places and they would be either too pickled or not enough or the veggie would be cut too thick (not having a good ratio of veggie to meat) or too soggy (regular bread with too much sauce or liquid). But these sandwiches are perfect.

Pork sandwiches - 8/10. Although the pork sandwiches are my friend's fav, it is not my cup of tea. I find the pickled cabbage too much. Would be nice if they are shredded cabbage instead of chunks. The pork itself is charred with that sweet glaze....

I am an avid enjoyer of bahn mi. But the service here is not that great. The sandwiches are good. But the bread is often stale and they put a lot of mayonnaise on the sandwiches presumably to try to mask this. I dislike mayo and often as for none or very little. Yet every single time I bite into my sandwich mayonnaise busts out like it a fruit gusher. Everytime I order I am the only one in the shop. The worker is not making anyone else’s order but mine. They always acknowledge what I ask for and yet every time im disappointed. About a year ago when I started going to this shop the sandwiches were amazing, flavourful and delicious. And within the past 6 months I’ve just been disappointed every time I’ve gone. The meat has gotten less flavourful, the veggies have changed and the mayo. Why so much?? My partner is a mayo lover and even they get turned off by the amount of mayonnaise that is put on...