Eat Ban Mi

1007 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704 (512) 462-9999

Mon-Sat: 11am-11pm Sun: 12pm-10pm

 

I often review restaurants that have undergone substantial transformations. But I don’t think I’ve ever done a Starbuck’s that became a frozen yogurt shop that’s morphing into a Vietnamese bahn mi and Pho store. Welcome to Eat Ban Mi at 1007 South Congress (across from the School for the Deaf).

The irony of this change is that I office next door to this place and never once popped in for a yogurt when it was in that iteration. However, the Eat Ban Mi sign caught my attention, and I strolled over one afternoon and met owner Lezlie. My first taste was the Ban Mi Pate Sandwich. The baguette was fresh and crispy, and the foie gras along with some crisp veggies and sriracha sauce was sublime. I became addicted to the subtle yet incendiary flavors. But it was time to expand, so I tried the Eat Ban Mi Special Sandwich which is a pork roll that includes cucumbers, daikon, carrots and cilantro. Two for two. I was starting to get excited about this place.

Next up was the Ban Mi Bulgogi Sausage sandwich. I love Korean BBQ, and the folks at Eat Ban Mi have made this a very authentic and delightfully flavored sandwich. The bulgogi was spot-on, free of any gristle, and virtually irresistible along with the crunchy baguette. Then I tried the Ban Mi Beef Fajita sandwich. it was good, but in my opinion was not up to the quality of the other three with kind of an odd aftertaste.

Then we tried the Vermicili Bowl. The Grilled Pork bowl was a mixture of the requisite rice noodles along with layer after layer of veggies, fish sauce, and of course the flavorful pork. It was a south Asian home run! The Pho was equally good. The Chicken Pho with cilantro, cabbage, jalapenos, bean sprouts and of course steaming and wonderfully tasty broth along with tender chicken. This is the Asian equivalent of Jewish penicillin (in their case chicken noodle or matzo ball soup). I enjoyed every sip and eventually every slurp.

I eagerly await the final version of Eat Ban Mi that is in the works now. The yogurt will be gone (there are still some flavors available) but that’s fine with me. They’re going to have some outside dining as well, and I look for this place to blossom. And rest assured you’ll see me there awesome, and not just because of my proximity to the store.