Ban Ban Shop — Restaurant in New York

Found a spot for a meal under $15 located right by Columbia University! Ban Ban Shop is a Southeast Asian-inspired spot for banh mi, bao buns and bowls. It has a vibey interior with ample seatings and a clean bathroom. I would definitely come here often for lunch if I studied at Columbia.

＊Five Spice Roasted Pork Banh Mi $13 Although their banh mi was pricier than the ones I usually get in Chinatown, the banh mi size was enormous. It was fully loaded with at least 3 to 4 slices of roasted pork. The edges of the meat were too charred, but flavor-wise it was decent.

＊Shrimp Maki Rolls $14 Surprisingly, their maki roll was the standout dish. The avocado was buttery and complemented perfectly with the shrimp and housemade mayo, just like tempura rolls.

＊Steamed Buns (3pcs) $13 These baos were heavy and loaded!! The toppings kept falling off when we held them. The steamed bao was soft and stuffed with pickled veggies. Roasted chicken was well-seasoned, sweet potato was tasty, yet the braised tofu wasn't marinated enough imo.

＊Chicken Noodle Soup $12 A heartwarming dish in winter as the soup had a spicy kick. It had a hearty portion of shredded chicken and veggies. It reminded me of a mix of pho and russian tomato soup.

＊Crispy Lemongrass Flounder Salad $14 The salad dressings, sesame caeser and lime-honey, were so addictive. I'm willing to eat more greens if I have these sauces at home.

＊Hibiscus Lemonade $4.5 ＊Mango...

Came on a Saturday around noon for pickup. I have mixed feelings about this as I’m from the west coast and where I’m from we have a LOT of Banh Mi shops. If you’re looking for a true authentic Vietnamese Banh mi, then this is not the place for you. There’s no traditional pickled daikon/carrots and none of the traditional Vietnamese salami/deli meats or pâté spread and mayo.

I would describe this place as more of a Banh mi inspired sandwich with some Asian influence. The bread is alright but the rest of the sandwich is dry. I’m assuming this is where the spicy sauce comes in. We ordered the pork and also the flounder. Both were surprisingly underwhelming.

The saving grace is actually the shrimp maki roll; probably the best item on the menu. Shrimp is cooked just right and the flavours and textures go well together. Overall, I would only come back for...

Went to Ban Ban early Saturday evening and it was pretty busy. I love bahn mi and usually go to Saiguette but thought I would give this place a try! Me and my boyfriend ordered the chicken bahn mi (from the kiosk…) and the bread was absolutely fantastic, the chicken was moist and my boyfriend loved it, we both just found the flavor and brightness to be lacking. I do find the whole vibe a little odd (with the kiosk and everything) it is almost like this place is engineered to have the least amount of people working as humanly possible… the people working were hustling, two people seemingly doing the jobs of a full front and back of house. Neither staff member really had time to answer a question and any interaction with them I felt like I would be interrupting the like 20 thing things they seemed to be...