Bánh Mì Xin Chào — Restaurant in Tokyo

Like a long-lost lover, I returned to this banh mi joint after a 7-year hiatus from Japan. Remarkably, it was as if no time had passed at all – same décor, same vibe, though they've clearly embraced the 21st century with some snazzy new kitchen gadgets (perhaps a bread-slicing laser?). My memory of their bread is a bit hazy (those were wild times), but biting into this Vietnamese baguette transported me straight back to Saigon – minus the motorbike symphony, thankfully. I opted for the grilled pork, a classic choice, and the ingredients were in perfect harmony, like a boy band that actually gets along. So, if you find yourself lost in the wilds of Takadanobaba Waseda (it happens to the best of us), stumble into Banh Mi Xin Chao and experience the magic for yourself. It's not just a sandwich, it's a culinary masterpiece disguised as street food. Consider me impressed (and slightly nostalgic...

Fastest Way to Waste 30 Minutes” I walked in hungry. I left 30 minutes later with nothing but character development. Not even a drink order. Not even a glass of water. Just me, staring at the table, slowly realizing that the staff had achieved the impossible: serving everyone around me while expertly pretending I didn’t exist.

When food finally showed up, it was so cold I thought maybe they’d fished it out of a cryogenic freezer. Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if my banh mi had been on ice since the Vietnam War.

The vibe? Imagine being the unpopular kid in high school, but instead of a cafeteria, it’s a restaurant, and instead of bullies, it’s waitstaff with selective eyesight.

If you want to eat here, bring: • A winter coat (for your food). • A book (you’ll have time). • A therapist (for when you ask yourself why you didn’t...

I ordered delivery, and when the food arrived, I was ready to give it just 2 stars. What I got looked nothing like real Vietnamese 🇻🇳 food or even the photos on their Uber Eats page. But I won’t do that. The banh mi 🥖 and the salad 🥗 were actually very tasty. The noodle dish didn’t resemble the real thing at all, but the flavor wasn’t bad either. If I could give it a 3.8, I would — but I’ll give them credit and round up to 4.

Overall, I think if I were nearby, I’d stop by again, so I won’t rate it too harshly. That said, the container wasn’t sealed properly and half the broth leaked into the bag. Also, not sure if it was the restaurant’s or Uber’s fault, but my food arrived more than an hour late instead of the...