Hello Banh Mi Kirkland — Restaurant in Kirkland

Hello Banh Mi, meet Mr Tasty! When you first pick up a footlong for your first bite, you almost want to say, "Well helll-loooo banh mi." This place is legit. I've had three different banh mi sandwiches now, so time for a review. All have been excellent. The bread is clearly fresh with a perfect crust. I have to tape measure next time because I'm pretty sure their footlong is more than 12-inches long. It's been so long since I've ordered a banh mi with shredded chicken I forgot that means it's shredded to a fine hair. Chicken tasted great just not a fan of that style. Again it Tasted great with a nice flavor. But my tried and true bbq pork belly was fantastic. Lessons learned: any banh mi place serving the typical 6-8 inch isn't quite enough. Nice to have a footlong option. get footlong! I like veggies. Sandwich is really good with no extras but I like a thick sandwich. Get extra veggies, they could pickle them just a bit longer. I'm not sure what sauces come by default but be sure to ask for siracha and hoisin. If you are taking it to go but not home, make sure you get something to spread the sauces on the sandwich or you'll be bumming and have to use your finger (which really isn't that bad, simply dip, swipe, lick, clean). After all, you're using your hands to eat it right? :) I haven't felt a need for extra meat and veggies but if you do. That will make it two meals for a normal person, ASSUMING one person can refrain from eating it all in one seating. One visit I got it at lunch time but didn't eat it until dinner. Sandwich was still in great shape. Bread still crispy crust, not soggy in middle. Probably because most of the liquids you put on yourself when you're ready to eat it. Service: place is run by some young, very well mannered kids. It's refreshing to see gen "young" treat people with an honest mutual respect. This place will get busier and busier I hope they don't explode. Parking: non issue. Granted I've never been to Vietnam, but I've been working in pioneer square for over 20 years. I've had my share of banh mi's walking to China town and on occasion to Vietnam town. I have a good...

TL;DR: double check your order. A bit on the spendy side for a sandwich that looks more filling that it actually is.

Parking: small shared lot but almost always an open spot.

Atmosphere: cafe-like setting, minimal seating, mainly a grab and go joint. Looks almost like an asian-style Subway Sandwiches, without the build your own option.

Menu: posted on wall behind registers, no descriptions, some photos. If you're a seasoned banh mi eater, you know what you'll get just by the name of the item. Generally, all banh mi sandwiches have the same following condiments (excluding the protein): jalapenos, mayo, shredded pickled daikonradish/carrot, cucumber, cilantro, pate.

Service: order and pay at the register, your order will be called, pick up at counter.

Combo Ham: my personal favorite and always go-to Vietnamese sandwich. I have to start off by saying they got my order wrong. I asked for no mayo and no japanenos because my taste buds are complete wimps -- but there was mayo and two giant slices of jalapenos trying to disguise themselves as cucumbers to assassinate my poor oblivious taste buds. If you have food allergies, I suggest you double check your order before taking a bite. I'm not sure if the people making the sandwiches know much English; that, or the fact that the make so many sandwiches daily and it could have been an honest mistake. The cartilage in the cheesehead meat was a bit too hard for my liking at this shop. I've never really been a fan of cheesehead deli meat but I mainly get the sandwich for the Vietnamese Ham, that is my favorite. This sandwich was palatable but definitely not the best combo ham I've had. Average sandwich and a footlong is not very filling (at least for me).

Bubble Tea: it's pretty much hit or miss at joints like this. Most of the time I avoid bubble teas at places that offer meals and then bubble tea. I very much prefer places that only specialize in bubble tea on their menu so you know that they aren't just mixing a flavored powder with water. Too many times I've been hit with flavored chalk water so I have...

Giving this 2 instead of 1 stars because the sandwiches were really good. You’re a Banh Mi place, so just stick to the sandwiches. The honey garlic wings were good, but a little too sweet. The bacon cheese french fries looked nothing like what the photo shows. No cilantro, no white sauce, no bacon; and a pathetic glob of cheese sauce on less than half of the fries to one side (in the to go container). The smoothies were basically milk teas and not smoothies, and didn’t seem to be 100% real fruit. Also, when ordering, no one asked if we had questions, and since the fries were not going to be anywhere close to normal; why didn’t someone tell us, if you were maybe out of ingredients or something?

Again, the sandwiches were good, would recommend...