ĂN BÁNH MÌ — Restaurant in Dusseldorf

FOOD & DRINKS I have been at this location a few times already. All I get here is the banh mi and maybe a Vietnamese avocado smoothie. My preferred option is the banh mi dac biet which is basically their special with pate and meat. The baguette they use for the banh mi unfortunately isn't really fresh. They only toast it for a few minutes and it turns up more on the softer side. If you are used to the Subway bread, this might be ok for you but a Vietnamese baguette should be fresh, very crispy on the outside and very fluffy on the inside. The veggies tasted fresh, the pate was ok but not exciting and the meat were a few cold fatty cuts of pork. In my opinion the veggies could have been pickled a bit more. They just tasted like ordinary fresh veggies. The avocado smoothie was nice.

SERVICE The guy who took my order was very nice and friendly. Same goes for the two cute Vietnamese girls. I asked for some Vietnamese chili with my banh mi and while they skimped a bit on the chili, the guy was only worried that I couldn't take the heat.

ATMOSPHERE This place is small but has a few tables and some seats at the window. I would say the building is quite old but they made the best to make it look fresh and trendy. Some corners and decoration items really need some cleaning though.

RATING I wish I could give this place one more star. I really do but the execution of the key components for a banh mi are just not up there yet. I mean its fine if you really want to eat some Vietnamese banh mi but for someone who has eaten so many banh mi around the world, I just can't justify 4 stars...

Unbelievably poor service. Absolutely avoid: explanation below, but the short version is you might unknowningly commit a faux pas so serious you'll be thrown out.

The long version is, we were refused service: one of us sat down as a table became free as we had seen others doing before (the others remained standing). The waiter appeared and grumbled 'you could have waited for me to clean the table' by the waiter, who removed the bowls left there from the last group, then disappeared. A bigger table became free so we moved there and asked the waiter how it worked there. We then discussed who would stay at the table and who would go inside to order the food when the waiter reappeared and told us we would not be served anything and had to leave. We were so confused that we sat trying to translate exactly what he had meant- luckily a kind costumer next to us offered to go inside and figure it out for us. Apparently we were so rude for sitting down before the first table was clean that the chef would not make us anything. Such a bizarre experience.

What our faux pas was - one of our party sitting down before a table was completely cleared - would be unwise in a restaurant with full wait service and a clear queue with a maitre d' to greet guests and seat them but hardly grounds to be thrown out. In a fast food place with terrace seating, no queue, and order at the bar, I simply can't understand how it can be even a problem, let alone an insult so grave as to be grounds for ejection. A strange place; try your luck somewhere with basic...

Horrible and rude experience. I have visited this place in the past and the food was always ok, but the staff not so friendly. Yesterday I decided for the first time in many months to pick up a late lunch after leaving the indoor swimming pool and riding my bike under a strong rain storm. When I arrived soaking wet around 4.35 Pm they told me that the service was on a lunch break until 5pm. The Asian guy that tried to take my order was friendly but his boss that was sitting eating told me that “we have to eat as well” which I replied “of course”. So they told me I had to wait 20 minutes to order. I said OK but if I could pre-order and the boss said not possible in a rude manner. So I waited until 5pm sitting by the entrance. Then 3 people came before 5pm and I was hoping that the staff would remember I was the first to order… . Well, when the boss got behind the cashier he ignored me and did not call me and neither looked at me, he was about to take the orders of the other people that just arrived. I asked him if he remember I was there waiting for 20 minutes and he acted indiferente and unfriendly. I told him I did not like his attitude and energy and I decided to leave without ordering anything. I wasted my time and energy but avoided paying for a sandwich 7,50 euros, which was 6,50 a few months ago. Also the food is quite expensive for what it is but if on top they are rude and unfriendly, then…, I rather not go ever...