St. Louis Banh Mi shop offers fresh bold Vietnamese flavors

FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor

Located along Delmar Loop in St. Louis, The Banh Mi Shop is located a bit away from campus. While the sandwich was delicious, I wouldn’t make the 35 min drive for it alone, but if I’m on the loop, I know my lunch spot.

The Banh Mi Shop is a small spot, but offers a variety sandwiches, with 11 different flavors including Saigon classic, grilled beef, lemongrass tofu and lemongrass chicken, which is what I ordered. The sandwich was extremely fresh, with the cucumber and carrot being crunchy, and the jalapeño offered a good contrast to the mayo. But the standouts for the sandwich were the bread and the chicken. The baguette was fresh, and had been lightly toasted, leaving it fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

The lemongrass chicken was moist and flavorful, with a good flavor that could stand against the competing flavors in the sandwich, but that also worked well with the fresh veggies.

It was quiet when I went in the early evening, but the staff was kind and got my order out in about five minutes.

It was around $12 which wasn’t the best price for a sandwich but that’s not to say I wouldn’t pay it again.

Overall, I highly recommend it. While I got it to go, the flaky crust definitely makes it more suitable for a sit-down meal, not something to eat while driving or walking.