Bun Mi – Minneapolis, MN

I got to go have lunch with D.Rough the other day and we went to one of the places close to her work that she likes. I’m glad we did. It was pretty darn good. Bun Mi is on Washington Avenue right where they’re putting in a light rail station, so the construction is brutal right now. It’s alright though – they have walkways to get across the streets and to your favorite restaurants.

The inside is small, but filled with 15 or so two-person tables. D.Rough told me they do a really fast business here and while, I realized what she meant. When the line gets too long, someone goes from behind the counter with an iPad taking people’s orders and cranking through them VERY quickly. No one waited very long at all. I was really impressed. Waiting for D.Rough also gave me a chance to look at the menu and figure out what I wanted (besides everything).

They have Bun Mi sandwiches (Vietnamese style sandwiches), wraps, salads, and sides. They also have all kinds of different proteins and veggies you can add to the items. Very comprehensive menu here. I figured I’d better go with their money maker. The Classic Vietnamese Bun Mi – it’s got BBQ pork, pork roll, and pate inside. I’m not sure what pork roll is, but I know what the traditional pate is made from. You may not want to know and it doesn’t matter – I ordered it. All of the sandwiches come with pickled carrots, daikon (an Asian radish thing), cucumber, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and mayo. That’s plenty for one sandwich; you don’t need to order extras here.

D.Rough ordered a nice salad with grilled pork on it. We also ordered some fresh spring rolls, since D.Rough said they’re pretty good.

We grabbed a seat inside under a fan – the a/c might have been out, or just couldn’t keep up with the multiple days of 95+ degree temperatures. It was just as hot outside, so we just parked it where there was room. The food came out really quickly and we dug in.

The spring rolls were good. D.Rough said they’re usually larger than the ones we got, but these were still pretty large. The wrapping was a thicker rice paper skin and a little wet, compared to many I’ve had, but it was filled with BBQ pork, so I shut up immediate and just ate. It was really quite good.

The bun mi sandwich was also really good. The veggies are very fresh-tasting, and neither the cilantro nor jalapenos were overpowering. Both provided a really nice flavor without the burn. The bbq pork was delicious on the sandwich and I’m still not sure what the pork roll is, so I can’t comment on it. The pate was a very thin later, so it was difficult to differentiate it from the mayo and other juices from the meat. It was really good though. The French roll it was on was a bit tough for me, but I’m a soft bread fan, so it’s all personal preference.

I had made mine a combo and I’m glad I did. The fries were seasoned EXTREMELY well, like they took a note from Popeyes Chicken or something. And they serve the fries with a sri racha mayo dipping sauce that just makes the whole thing better. And of course, I washed the whole thing down with a pineapple papaya Jumex nectar. Awesome.

The whole meal was awesome and I was really glad I got to share it with my lady. I don’t get to do that often enough and I need to make more of a point to do that. Especially if she keeps taking me to really awesome food places. She’s a keeper.

 

Top 5 things about Bun Mi
1. Classic Vietnamese Bun Mi

2. Really fast turnaround on orders

3. Great fries and dip

4. Lots of food choices, including sides and bubble teas
5. Really reasonable prices

Bottom 5 things
1. The construction can be daunting, but it’s worth it
2. It fills up quickly with lunch time diners
3. Odd mix of plastic baskets and ceramic plates
4. Air conditioning couldn’t keep up – I’m assuming many restaurants had this problem this week, so disregard this
5. It makes me want to have lunch with D.Rough every day… sigh…

http://www.bunmisandwiches.com/