Balboa’s Best New Bite
I previously wrote about my favorite banh mi shop, Phi Long, in the Richmond for the Fogline Sandwich Roundup. Well, a new contender has emerged even closer to my house.
Ghien Banh Mi is a new banh mi cafe at 407 Balboa Street. After spending time completing a lengthy renovation, the cafe entered its soft opening on May 11, offering a limited menu of banh mi sandwiches and a selection of drinks. The opening is a promising and welcome sign of revitalization along the Balboa corridor between Arguello and Sixth Avenue, where many storefronts have remained closed with no signs of change.
Ghien Banh Mi & Cafe, 407 Balboa St, (Source: FoglineSF)
Ghien Banh Mi & Cafe, 407 Balboa St, (Source: FoglineSF)
We were greeted by the friendly owner, who helped us decide on our banh mi order: the pork meatball and the grilled pork sandwich. As a soft opening promotion, they were also giving away free cute mini iced Vietnamese coffees with a sandwich order. The baguettes were fresh and soft with generous slices of pickled carrots, daikon radish, cilantro, and jalapeños. The pork meatball was moist with a depth of flavor. The grilled pork was juicy and so tender.
Top to Bottom: Pork Meatball Banh Mi & Grilled Pork Banh Mi (source: FoglineSF)
Vietnamese Iced Coffees (Source: FoglineSF)
The Richmond is currently spoiled for choice when it comes to existing banh mi shops and upstarts. Phi Long is a really solid option. I spotted another soft opening banh mi shop on Geary recently called Banh Mi A Mui. But the Ghien experience was superb, with quality ingredients and flavors, and their success will be a great thing for Balboa. See you in the sandwich line!