Tien Banh Mi & Boba — Restaurant in Carol Stream

I tried this place 2X.

With other Banh Mi options available within very close proximity, I would have hoped that their portions would be on par. They truly skimp on the proteins and their sandwiches are lacking compared to other places. For starters, their cold cuts are about half the width of the baguette and they slapped that in the middle and call it a day. Their pate barely exists (although it does taste good). These sandwiches need about 2X more filling.

Aside from the dac biet, I also tried Xiu Mai, Roasted Pork and Nem Nuong. All were fails. Xiu Mai was weird. Roasted pork was dry and rubbery. The 2nd time I added pate. The Nem Nuong was super dry with chunks of fat. It was kinda lardy so the fat would skim the roof of your mouth. It also kind of reminded me of Lap Chuong (Chinese sausage). I was confused. Honestly, just got buy some frozen Nem Nuong next door at Saigon and use that mean.

This place is super slow also. Like I went grocery shopping and came back and my food still wasn’t ready. My drinks were ready way before the food and so the ice melted and diluted my drinks. The...

Second time I went was on Friday at 7 PM sharp. The first time we went, the guy said they were out of tapioca, acting like we were bothering him or showed up too late. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But the second time, I saw someone walking out with a boba drink with tapioca, and when I went in, the guy told me the same thing again—no enthusiasm for serving a customer, no we ran out of tampioca at a boba spot.

Like, why even open a boba place if you don’t have , tampioca or keep running out of, it all the timea? This was the second time, right at 7 PM. You’d think as a new business they’d want to make more sales. But this is the last time I’m even going to try—there won’t be a third. And mind this have I habe my 7yr old son with me. Like ok never mind we are not...

I got a sneak peek at their soft opening, and let me tell you… the bánh mì is on point! 🥖 The bread is perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, and the flavors are 🔥. The roast pork was packed with flavor, and the pickled daikon and carrots added just the right balance of crunch and freshness.

And don’t even get me started on the Vietnamese iced coffee ☕—smooth, bold, and just the right kick to get you going! Pair that with a refreshing boba tea, and you’ve got the perfect meal (or snack 😏).

This is definitely gonna be my new go-to spot for authentic Vietnamese flavors. If you love fresh bánh mì, amazing boba, and a chill spot to grab a bite, you gotta check...