Banh Mi Ba Le — Restaurant in Toronto

Went on Tuesday for lunch and was one of the few places where you can grab a meal that's not closed in Chinatown.

The owners greeted us immediately and offered suggestions to try. Another reviewer complained about no AC but it was perfectly fine inside on a hot 28°C day and we had to move as the table we originally sat was underneath the AC unit and was too cold.

We chose the house special pho and came about 10 minutes later with usual garnishes. The garnishes were fresh and crisp.

The noodles were from freshly made and not from rehydrated batches. We overheard a story of someone complimenting them on the freshness and delicious noodles compared to other pho places nearby. I have to agree.

On that note, I haven't been to many places nearby recently but check their photos, you can see how oily the broth is. Now take a look at my bowl and you can see how my broth looks "clean" as we call it. The broth had a lot of colour and richness without any of the crazy amount of fat. There was another reviewer complaining about lack of seasoning and star anise and the broth tasted what a good broth should taste like. Yes I finished my bowl down to the last drop.

The bowl size was large and everyone was full and enjoyed their meal.

Throughout the meal other folks came in to buy from the counter or sandwich takeout and were happily greeted and served quickly.

The complaints from others about decor and tables being literally tacky are in each person's perspective. I remember a long time ago, one of the first pho 88 opened 5 stores down and they had the most sticky tables but wonderful pho. I eat from the bowls and not off the tables so I suggest using the napkins if the table bothers you. From someone else complaining about pests, I didn't see any on my two visits and nothing suggested anyone was being unhygienic. It is Chinatown after all, so if you're that worried, then you can try cooking at home. The decor/design is functional, and no comment on restrooms as I didn't use them. Again I want to pay for the pho and service, and not for faux-elegance of fine dining.

The pho-elegance of the bowl is all you need.

It is cash only but can accommodate e-transfer.

I recommend picking up a bag of pepper buns Hújiāo Bǐng / Bánh Tiêu on your way out as they were fresh, soft and not...

The interior of this establishment is not well kept. The window counter top sticky, the small tables sticky. I almost walked out but... i wanted to try a bahn mi and a pho... the other reviews seemed so optimistic... I had a tofu lemon grass and it was great. The bread had a nice crunchy crust and the filling is delicous. The beef pho i had was abit of a let down. The beef was fine, condiments fine, and the accompanying finely sluced onion, basil etc,... fine. But the broth they made that day is missing star anise. I couldn't taste it at all, and im sure there were some other ingredients either missing or used in very small amounts. I would go there again for take out sandwiches BUT with pho pasteur across the street, im not having pho there again, ever. And 15$ for that pho was, well, not worth it IMO.... if yu dont believe me, try pho hung, pho pasteur, saigon lotus (vegetarian...) or any other noodle place in that part of town. and then you will have something to...

This little restaurant is located on Dundas with plenty of street parking nearby. It's also accessible by TTC as well (it's a short walk from the stop).

They have a banh mi menu with quite a few options for toppings. The bread is more of a French baguette and they will toast it for you. The regular mixed Vietnamese ham is pretty good but the chicken banh mi has minced meat that isn't as moist as other banh mi shops. The price is a little higher here than other local shops.

I love coming here for their bun rieu (crab meat egg soup). It's flavourful, filled with meat and veggies. It can get messy from the paste so if you're wearing white, cover up. It also comes with a plate of red cabbage, white cabbage, shredded lettuce, and bean sprouts which complements the meat and noodles with a crunch.

The pho here is OK; definitely not as good as their bun rieu (which has been their main items they serve). The banh flan (custard) was budget friendly, and had the right amount...