Banh Mi Huy-Ky – 1046 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Z6
Country: Vietnam     
Must-try dish: Pork Banh Mi
Seating: Limited indoor seating. 
Dinner guests: Pornstar Sam
The high: It’s entirely family-run with several members helping out throughout the day and several generations are evident. It’s also very affordable 
The low: Based on their delicious sandwiches, we would love to try other Vietnamese dishes from this chef! 

When you specialize in one thing, do it well. That’s exactly what Banh Mi Huy-Ky does with its Vietnamese baguette sandwiches. The Banh Mi came to life in Saigon during the 1950’s when Vietnam was a French colony and the baguette developed into a staple in Vietnamese food. This sandwich is the perfect marriage of both France and Vietnam’s culinary traditions, slightly taking both out of their comfort zones. 

Banh Mi Huy-Ky is a family-run institution on a strip of Gerrard Street that’s quickly gentrifying from the city’s original Chinatown to a trendy block filled with cocktail bars, cafes, and restaurants. It’s been around for years and seems to be a hidden gem for people in the neighbourhood because of the excellent pricing of delicious Vietnamese sandwiches. It’s also a speedy pickup between meetings when working from home. 

Apart from the sandwiches, there are Fried Pork Spring Rolls sold individually or in packs of four, there are fresh juices, and a miniature grocery store section selling various food items from Vietnam.  

But let’s be honest, everyone’s there for the Bánh Mì. The individual baguettes are soft and feel as though you’re biting into a cloud with the crisp expected with a fresh baguette. There are two main options: barbecued chicken and barbecued pork, and you can’t go wrong with either. There are also only two spice levels to pick from: spicy or mild. You can try to ask for something in between but there are really only two options. There’s fresh cilantro and cucumber, plus pickled carrots and radishes and minimal mayonnaise spread. Every bite brings about new exciting flavour combinations. 

Although Banh Mi sandwiches typically have pate on them, these ones don’t, and you can’t be deterred by that. It makes it lighter in taste, and the barbecued flavour would overpower it. 

The food here is quickly prepared, tasty, and affordable. There’s always at least one customer waiting for an order, and the majority of the diners are repeat customers. It’s an institution around Leslieville, and a hidden secret from the rest of the city, which helps to maintain its charm. Don’t forget to bring cash! 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)