*Closed*Au Petit Cafe - Best Bánh Mì gà nướng

Dec 2022- The owners have decided to shut down the store, as the property goes to a developer.

One of the oldest Vietnamese establishment in Vancouver recommended to be my Viet friend who grew up in LA. LA has the best Viet food outside of Vietnam and Paris and he swears by this restaurant.

Located at the corner of Main and 33rd avenue and within walking distance from Queen Elizabeth park, it is usually packed and warrants a wait. You can also order take out and eat in the park.

There are only around 10 tables and you will notice is how neat and tidy everything is. It is hard to find a speck of soup on the pink walls, contrasted with ‘the dirtier the more authentic’ Vietnamese stores.

The highlight is the Bánh Mì sandwich with chicken. I tried the rest and the chicken stands out. Bánh Mì is from the southern part of Vietnam and there are quite some differences between the northern and southern cuisine. With the heavy french influence, Bánh Mì are made with bread similar to french baguettes. The bread used is softer and airier than a traditional french baguette. A good baguette must be crispy outside, chewy soft and fragrant inside. From Wikipedia, here is a list of popular items to place inside:

Bánh mì bì (shredded pork sandwich) – shredded pork or pork skin, doused with fish sauce

Bánh mì chà bông (pork floss sandwich)

Bánh mì xíu mại (minced pork meatball sandwich) – smashed pork meatballs

Bánh mì cá mòi (sardine sandwich)

Bánh mì pa-tê (pâté sandwich)

Bánh mì xá xíu or bánh mì thịt nướng (barbecue pork sandwich)

Bánh mì chả lụa or bánh mì giò lụa (pork sausage sandwich)

Bánh mì gà nướng (grilled chicken sandwich)

Bánh mì chay (vegetarian sandwich) – made with tofu or seitan; in Vietnam, usually made at Buddhist temples during special religious events, but uncommon on the streets

Bánh mì chả cá (fish patty sandwich)

Bánh mì bơ (margarine sandwich) – margarine and sugar

Bánh mì trứng ốp-la (fried egg sandwich) – contains fried eggs with onions, sprinkled with soy sauce, sometimes buttered; served for breakfast in Vietnam

Bánh mì kẹp kem (ice cream sandwich) – contains scoops of ice cream topped with crushed peanuts

The side of the bread is coated with a thick serving of butter to prevent the moisture from the vegetables and meat getting into the bread. A spread of pate, fish sauce chicken spread is then placed in the bread. The final touches are vietnamese sweet and sour pickles made from carrots and radishes and a touch of cilantro and jalapeno.

Au Petit Cafe shredded chicken bun Bánh mì gà nướng

As simple as this sounds, this sandwich is delicious. The bread is crispy and fragrant, providing texture. The butter, pate and chicken brings our the savory side and the grease and the sweet and sour pickles with cilantro and jalapeno gives it the clean and crispy finish.\

The lemongrass pork chop is also delicious. Vietnamese barbeque dishes are made with a mixture of fresh lemon grass, ginger, shallots, brown sugar and umami bomb fish sauce. The meat is then grilled over charcoal fire and served with tomato/cucumber and shredded pork skin. The flaky material on the top left of the plate is Bi(shredded pork skin)

Tip:

Avoid peak hours and if the line to gets too long, take out and eat in the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park. The vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk is also very good.

Address:

4851 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5V-3R9

Hours:

10 – 7 pm daily (Closed Wednesday)

Phone:

604-873-3328