Banh Mi Pho Luzern — Restaurant in Lucerne

Be careful with the food here!

Yesterday I bought three Banh Mi at around 15:00. The weather was around 8°C outside and after coming back home I left the baguettes on the balcony to keep them cool until evening when we ate at 19:00. So no way the food was spoiled because of the way I stored them. Right after we took the first bite, we all felt something wrong with the baguettes. Then we opened the bread to check and smelled a strong alcohol smell from the pickled carrots. I assumed their vinegar was too old and fermented, so it had a very unpleasant smell. I went to the restaurant today to give them back their baguette to check, but they were sure their food yesterday wasn't spoiled. Meanwhile, my other 2 Vietnamese friends also confirm that their pickles were spoiled. This was not the first time I had Banh Mi, as I’m Vietnamese. Sure, it can happen, but yet they absolutely do not want to be responsible for this. What a pity! Also the soy milk I bought from them yesterday was not drinkable anymore, they gave me money back for the soy milk only.

UPDATE: response to the reply of the owner

They still shirk their responsibility for the spoiled food. I brought their original white plastic bag with 3 baguettes inside to the restaurant. I took 1 of the 3 out and showed it to them. They said that their pickled carrots yesterday couldn't go bad, because they made them fresh everyday. And because some customers wanted more sour taste, they increased the amount of vinegar.

Please consider what they said. Those who often make pickled vegetables must know that it would not be so easily go bad on the same day, let alone at this weather condition.

So, I didn't see the need to continue arguing with them. I was going to toss the 2 other breads in the trash, but I went to my friend's store first, it’s 100 m away. My friends knew about this issue, I opened the 2 remaining baguettes for them to smell. They are Vietnamese and they confirmed that the pickled carrots in the breads has been fermented.

What do you think, when the carrots are in the same tray, 3 baguettes were bought at the same time and that only a baguette went bad?? Honestly, we are not that poor that I had to spend half an hour ride with my little child to come to the restaurant to play tricks with them just for a purchase which is worth about 30 francs. But I think this is a serious food safely issue! Imagine if we continued to eat these baguettes, what would be the...

It was already off with their attitude when I entered. The lady seemed to hate her job. But that's understandable, I don't expect customer service from a tiny take-away place. But the last straw to make this review is I ordered two boxes of rice, they gave me ONE SPOON, I went outside of the shop, checked carefully, came back and asked for one more. They said: THERE ARE TWO ALREADY IN THERE, IT'S ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER And guess what? There is ONLY ONE SPOON for my whole order. It's such a shame and disappointment.

Update to respond to the shop's reply: About the conversation, I may talk softly at low voice so you could not capture fully what I said but when I spoke in Vietnamese, I spoke with manner, either Da in the beginning or A at the end.

When I asked in Vietnamese if you speak Vietnamese, you responded in English "yes" :) that didn't sound friendly, did it?

When I entered there was no other customer (only one other coming in after I finalized my order and was waiting), thus I asked for full information to share with my brother who was waiting at Lucern station so he could inform his decision on what to order. I called him to get his order, I don't think there is anything not nice with that!

There is one small detail when I asked the cashier for the sauce to be in a small paper bowl/cup, you said that even if it can be put in, I will not be able to take it out (not sure you talked to me or the cashier) and you commanded the cashier to put it in one corner. I don't mind the way the sauce was placed but the way you were.

You also confirmed in your response that I said there is only one spoon, you assumed that I was wrong, refused to give one more and said that there were two and now blaming me for not proving my point or that I didn't ask the right question.

I said you seemed to hate your job, I didn't say that you hate your job, if you don't, good for you but my two cents, really look into whether it's the job you love or not :)

Ps: I'm just a tourist in Switzerland, I'm neither local nor a great source of your shop's income. There is no need to come back at me like that :) I shared review from time to time on Google Maps not to attack anyone but to share my experience with others. If you cannot handle such comment, then let it...

English:

If you’re looking for an authentic banh mi in Lucerne, Banh Mi Pho Luzern is an excellent choice. I tried two banh mi, and the experience was truly satisfying. The bread is crispy, very similar to what is used in Vietnam, and the crispy pork was perfectly cooked, with the right balance of flavor and texture. The fresh vegetables added a refreshing touch that complemented the sandwich perfectly.

The owners are friendly and professional, making the experience even more enjoyable. The place is very small and has no seating, so take-away is the best option. I enjoyed my banh mi by the lake, which made the moment even more special.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend trying it!

Schweizerdeutsch (Luzerner Dialekt):

Wänn dir en echte Banh Mi in Lozärn sueched, isch Banh Mi Pho Luzern e super Wahl. Ich ha zwei Banh Mi probiert, und es isch e richtig gueti Erfahrig gsi. S’Brot isch chnusprig, sehr ähnlich wie s’Brot im Vietnam, und s’chrustige Schweinefleisch isch perfekt zubereitet gsi – genau richtig vom Gschmack und vo dr Textur. Frischi Gemüse händ no en guete Frischkick gäh, wo perfekt dazu passt.

D’Besitzer sind sehr fründlich und professionell, was s’Ganze no schöner macht. S’Gschäft isch aber sehr chlii und het kei Sitzplätz, drum isch Take-away d’beste Optioon. Ich ha mine Banh Mi am See gnosse – es perfektä Moment.

Wänn dir in dr Gägänd sind, chani’s euch nume empfehle!

Italiano:

Se siete alla ricerca di un autentico banh mi a Lucerna, Banh Mi Pho Luzern è una scelta eccellente. Ho provato due banh mi, e l’esperienza è stata davvero soddisfacente. Il pane è croccante, molto simile a quello usato in Vietnam, e il maiale croccante era perfettamente cucinato, con il giusto equilibrio di sapore e consistenza. Le verdure fresche aggiungevano una nota di freschezza che completava alla perfezione il panino.

I proprietari sono gentili e professionali, il che rende l’esperienza ancora più piacevole. Il locale è molto piccolo e non dispone di posti a sedere, quindi il take-away è la soluzione ideale. Ho gustato il mio banh mi in riva al lago, rendendo il momento ancora più speciale.

Se siete in zona, vi consiglio vivamente di provarlo!

Français:

Si vous cherchez un banh mi authentique à Lucerne, Banh Mi Pho Luzern est un excellent choix. J’ai essayé deux banh mi, et l’expérience a été vraiment satisfaisante. Le pain est croustillant, très similaire à celui utilisé au Vietnam, et le porc croustillant était parfaitement cuit, avec un bon équilibre entre saveur et texture. Les légumes frais apportaient une touche de fraîcheur qui complétait parfaitement le sandwich.

Les propriétaires sont sympathiques et professionnels, ce qui rend l’expérience encore plus agréable. L’endroit est très petit et ne dispose pas de places assises, donc l’option take-away est la meilleure. J’ai dégusté mon banh mi au bord du lac, ce qui a rendu le moment encore plus spécial.

Si vous êtes dans la région, je vous recommande vivement de l’essayer !

Tiếng Việt:

Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm một chiếc bánh mì chuẩn vị tại Lucerne, thì Banh Mi Pho Luzern là một lựa chọn tuyệt vời. Tôi đã thử hai chiếc bánh mì, và trải nghiệm thực sự rất hài lòng. Bánh mì giòn rụm, rất giống với loại bánh được sử dụng ở Việt Nam, và thịt heo quay giòn được chế biến hoàn hảo, có sự cân bằng tuyệt vời giữa hương vị và kết cấu. Rau tươi tạo thêm độ thanh mát, làm cho chiếc bánh càng thêm hấp dẫn.

Chủ quán rất thân thiện và chuyên nghiệp, khiến trải nghiệm càng thêm trọn vẹn. Quán rất nhỏ và không có chỗ ngồi, nên mua mang đi là lựa chọn tốt nhất. Tôi đã thưởng thức chiếc bánh mì bên bờ hồ, làm cho khoảnh khắc đó càng đặc biệt hơn.

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