Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and you don’t have to settle for an ordinary brunch to celebrate mom. Bánh Mì Très Bon’s new White Rock location has an amazing Vietnamese high tea set for only $65 per person!
The following is available for one day only: Sunday May 12th, 2024 for actual Mother’s Day brunch or dinner.
The everyday decor of their second location is already well suited to a high tea service. With a large collection of teas and unique pots and cups to serve them in.
For something fruity and sweet order the Bingo Blueberry with hibiscus, apple, elderberry, currant pieces, blueberries, and cornflower petals. The darker colouring definitely reflects the stronger flavours. A great tea for those who always feel like they don’t get enough flavour in theirs.
Looking for something more neutral than I suggest the Senegalese Kyoto Cherry Rose. A blend of high quality green tea with sweet cherry and subtle rose hints.
And of course, what is brunch without a mimosa? The classic orange with sparkling wine, is also available in passion fruit or pomegranate.
As for the tea service itself, you get you get 3 towers, each with two tiers filled with small bites, fresh fruit, and handmade confectionery, plus a side of pho for only $65 per person. This is more than enough food for two.
Note we came as a group and the portions have been combined to accommodate 4, whereas there will only be 4 mini spring rolls and 4 mini garden rolls on a regular tower. So take the photos with a grain of salt.
The top tier of the savoury platter is a collection of assorted mini banh mis which includes chicken, pork meatball, and jambon. My favourite was the latter, which showcases their braised pork belly with Vietnamese ham, and pate served on French baguette with egg sauce, cucumbers, jalapeños, Sriracha sauce, cilantro, and pickled carrots + daikon. I found this the most flavourful with plenty of creamy mayo to balance out the fattiness of the pork. I just could have used more pickled vegetable and in larger slices to be able to taste it. The pork meatball is the same but with a tomato based Vietnamese style meatballs. I found the shredded chicken bland and in need of more seasoning and mayo.
I liked the mini tiger prawn pork salad rolls. Bite size for easier eating with plenty of their tasty peanutbutter sauce to go with it. Prawn and pork salad rolls with vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, and lettuce.
Similarly, the mini shrimp spring rolls were easy to pop into your mouth and best soaked in their fish sauce.
You also get a side of pho to share, in either veggie, chicken, or beef. I typically gravitate towards the beef in hopes of it being the most flavourful. Sadly I found the broth pretty muted, but nothing a good squeeze of brown sauce and some chilli couldn’t aid. Grass fed tenderloin, beef balls, bone marrow, and noodles in a classic Vietnamese 24 hour bone broth. Topped with cilantro, onion, and green onion; bean sprouts, jalapeño, lemon and basil on the side.
The platter of fruits included honey dew, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and whole mini mandarins. Peeled and sliced, just like how mom would serve it to you growing up.
The dessert tower were assorted mini bites that included fruit danishes, mini croissants, macarons, a lemon tart, creme brûlée, chocolate mousse, and a key lime mousse. The lemon tart was the standout for our group, thanks to its bold and tart tang as a palate refresher. My favourite were the fruit topped flaky danishes, I just wished for more custard or cream in between. With only one chocolate mousse you might fight over this one. The lime tart is far less sweet and creamy, coming across more as a lime yogurt. Sadly, the mini croissant was over baked and came out hard and dense. And the creme brûlée was missing its layer of sugar to crack into. But a guaranteed win is any of their macarons, which they carry regularly in their front counter showcase. Available in black currant, black sesame, coconut, coffee, hazelnut, lemon, pistachio, raspberry, or rose water.
And if your mom prefers dinner, Bánh Mì Très Bon also has some one night only Mother’s Day specials for dinner. A dinner platter for four at $89 and a tribute to mom on a plate. All served with live music.
This was a collection of their mini savoury crepes, grill pork and beef skewers, and woven vermicelli noodles. As well as French inspired seared cubes of rib-eye steak totalling 8oz, served with a side of steamed rice and watercress salad (not pictured).
My favourite here was the Vietnamese crepes with shrimp, onion, and crispy shallots. Not as crispy as when they come to the table sizzling, but same fresh flavour when dunked into fish sauce.
The steak was on the tougher side and the chicken dry, but together with the noodles and fish sauce I did not mind it much. Fish sauce improves everything. Note the woven noodles are not seasoned and act like a base for the meat.
Out of everything we had I liked their sticky rice cakes topped with a tangy sweet and sour sauce the most. Available a la carte, this is the owner’s tribute to her mom and it tasted homey with pork, wood ear mushroom, and a Sriracha based tomato sauce. It was comforting at its core with a soften texture and crispy corners. It had the familiar flavours of sweet and gently spicy that I am familiar with and fond of. I definitely recommend this one.
Once again these specials will only be available during the actual day of Mother’s Day and reservations are required.
Bánh Mì Très Bon
1459 Johnston Rd, White Rock, BC V4B 3Z4
(604) 385-2008
banhmitresbon.ca
