Little Jasmine

This is my third bánh mì this week - I’m on a roll! Unfortunately, one was from obanhmi - so you’ll only get two new reviews out of it.

Little Jasmine is a new-ish Vietnamese restaurant that opened up in the little Saigon area on Kingsway. The interior, while lacking some polish, is bright, spacious, and modern. While their menu has a slight emphasis on pho, they have other Vietnamese favorites - including a chicken, pork, or veggie bánh mì.

The Components

Bread

The bread was solid. An extremely crisp outside, which, while crumby, wasn’t too hard for my taste. The inside was pillowy and perfect. It was served warm, always a good sign.

Veg

The veg was definitely a weak point. There was no jalapeno, and worse, no daikon. While this simply be a case of creative differences, I can’t help but feel that daikon is an essential part of every classic bánh mì.

Spread

Another miss. The mayo was barely present, and failed to coat the bun from edge to edge. There was a scant skiff of it in the middle of the sandwich. And no pate, as far as I could tell.

Meat

The meat itself was pretty good. They used a fattier, juicier cut of pork, which I appreciated, and the marinade / sauce was delicious. Full points here.

Overall Impression

For $11, I expected a little bit more out of my bánh mì. All it would take is a little bit more effort, and a couple more ingredients, to make this a really good bánh mì - the essentials are already there. But as it stands? It’s subpar.

Recommendation

I’d skip this one for now if you’re just there for bánh mì. There’s other great bánh mì-focused restaurants nearby that do a better job for cheaper - check out the Kingsway Deli just a couple blocks down.