One of Richmond’s most popular elevated Vietnamese restaurants, now has a second location in White Rock.
I most fondly remember Banh Mi Tres Bon for their extravagant bone marrow pho and cute character macarons, so was excited to see what they were going to do with the second space. Including what they would keep from the original and what will be all new for White Rock. It was just a shame that, that would not include pho or macarons today.
This was my first time in the area, and could tell the city has big plans for it, with much potential for growth in the vicinity. The restaurant itself sits in a corner with visibility from the street, and a courtyard view from their sunny patio.
Once inside, a condensed bar greets you to your left, with a collection of dainty glass ware and porcelain tea cups in the background. In front, a showcase of French pastries including glossy single serving cakes, and the aforementioned macarons as pig and unicorns in flavours like hazelnut coffee and chocolate mango.
Heading towards the dining room the space opens up with a cascade of hot air balloons that reach high towards the valued ceiling, this is in a similar motif as their Richmond location. I liked the gold frame work of each in contrast to their sea foam and teal upholstered booth seats and painted walls.
We were dining as a table of 3: myself, the very pregnant Diana of @foodologyca fame, and her young daughter of 4. And our meal would focus on Banh Mi Tres Bon’s new summer menu items and this location’s exclusive dishes.
But first drinks. Given the front focus on the bar you can expect some unique cocktail offerings. like the La Floriason cocktail with Rose infused London Dry Gin, Barcadi Island Punch, and a Lemon sour mix. This drank like a floral lemonade where the sour of the lemon inches out for flavour supremacy.
Although as fun as this was, I prefer the classic Vietnamese drip coffee over ice and their avocado smoothies, which are hallmarks of Vietnamese restaurants. They also have classic ice teas and strawberry milkshakes, to be able to serve a great variety of flavours and dining experiences for their diverse demographic.
Exclusive to the White Rock location are the Caramel fish sauce Brussel sprouts which are fried Brussel sprouts and lap cheong (Chinese sausage) tossed in a caramel made from fish sauce. And then topped with scallions and crispy shallots. I would have liked the vegetable crispier for fried, so the crispy loose leaves were my favourite. The fragrant sauce is a nice take with a salty sweetness that leaves you going back for more.
The Duck confit bao is a white steamed bun filled with shredded duck breast confit alongside scallions, jalapeño, cilantro, and pickled carrots and daikon, with hoisin sauce and Sriracha chilli on the side. It is basically a banh mi with a chewy shell, tender meat, and refreshing vegetables. I personally would have liked more punch and sauce for this. Specifically more tang in the pickles, more salt in the seasoning, and additional creaminess in a mayo that would also helped to add moisture.
I prefer their regular banh mi. We had the lemon grass chicken, but if I were to choose, it would always be Vietnamese cold cuts and ham with extra pate. This was gilled lemongrass chicken served on a French baguette spread over with an egg sauce; sandwiching cucumbers, jalapeños, Sriracha sauce, cilantro, and pickled carrots and daikon. The bread was perfect, but like the bao above, I wanted a stronger mayo presence and flavour more Miracle Whip and less sweet kewpie. Especially as the banh mi had a pretty simple and modern taste and was more bread than meaty filling.
My favourite item was their Butter garlic chicken wings. Crispy butter garlic wings with a side of sweet tangy chilli sauce. Our taster serving only came with 4, but as per our server, a regular order would have 6 pieces. Each drum and winglet was super juicy, well seasoned, and tasty enough that I recommend getting a plate for yourself to finish. My only critique would be that the pieces were in inconsistent, with smaller wings that had little meat to bone.
The Buttery salt and pepper squid was Tempura squid seasoned with smoked paprika, red chilli, jalapeño, and lime. Crispy and chewy, they tasted as expected. But it was the slight spicy dip that was the one to give this dish some personality.
And if you are looking for something fresher this hot season, order their served chilled Green papaya salad with papaya, beef jerky, and carrots. Topped with roasted peanuts, fresh basil, and sriracha drizzle. The soy sauce dressing on the side allowed you to dictated how much or how little you want it over top. Although I love the pageantry, I rather the vegetables already soaking in the vinaigrette so that the julienne picks up as much flavour as possible before I get to it.
Speaking of a show, the Banh Khot, also known as the Savoury mini crepe is another unique dish worth trying, and ordering if you had yet to do so. Sizzling Vietnamese crepes with shrimp, onion, and crispy shallots. Served in the dish they were poured into before being steam-cooked.
When delivered to your table you are given instructions to this dish. You are to use the provided mini spatula to pry pancake from cast iron pan. Then pour over how much fish sauce that you want, so that they ideally stay crispy for longer. It had a unique creamy coconut taste and chewy texture for a sweet and tropical one biter. Fun.
In closing, this is a welcomed addition to the area, that needs more speciality one of a kind restaurants like this. Pastries, patios, and cocktails too brings the guests in, and the delicious fusion dishes have them coming back for more approachable modern Vietnamese.
Bánh Mì Très Bon
1459 Johnston Rd, White Rock, BC V4B 3Z4
(604) 385-2008
banhmitresbon.ca
