A resounding yes for Banh Mi Yes

In the late 70s, our mayor, the forward thinking Marion Dewar, took the principled position of welcoming Vietnamese refugees to Ottawa. I still remember the outcry and thinly veiled racism heard on AM radio at the time.

Today, just as it's impossible for people of all backgrounds to imagine life without Chinese food, so is it terrible to imagine the streets of Ottawa or Gatineau without a Pho or Banh Mi shop.

Banh Mi simply means “bread” and in Vietnam when Banh Mi is asked for it's understood that it will come with a meat and vegetable filling. Typically this means a variety of hams, pickled vegetables, butter, Vietnamese mayonnaise, a few dashes of Maggi (an umami-intense seasoning developed in Switzerland circa 1868) or soy sauce and of course, a delicious pate.

The creator of, what I will call Ottawa’s finest Banh Mi, Phoebe Ha, takes this humble staple very seriously with Banh Mi Yes. From a commercial kitchen in Kanata, she not only makes the unctuous pate, pork belly and pickles that fill her sandwiches, she begins her day at 2 a.m. to start the three-hour process of proofing the bread. Yes, she bakes every single bun to order. After the sandwiches are ready, she delivers them personally. This is dedication to quality and it exemplifies a deep pride in tradition.

Phoebe came to Ottawa 11 years ago for the purpose of studying business administration at Algonquin College. Soon after she graduated, she worked for a homeowner credit service company and with the advent of the pandemic, reimagined her future and launched Banh Mi Yes last year.

Currently, she operates just two days a week making up to 140 Banh Mi. There are six varieties, including a burger-shaped one for kids. I've tried and fell in love with them all—Fish Cake Lover anyone? Fabulous—but the favourite with her large Vietnamese customer base is the Saigon Special. A flavour bomb comprised of pate, four types of Vietnamese ham, pork floss (think finely shredded jerky), mayonnaise, cucumber, green onion, and cilantro.

Phoebe came by her passion and talent honestly, having apprenticed making the various components of these sandwiches in the city of her birth: Saigon. Her business logo she created herself and her business acumen shows when you see the instructions for the warming and assembly of the Banh Mi on the back of each bag. As I sat with her, she amusingly recalled how many of her non-Vietnamese customers would eat the vegetables (packed separately) as a salad, and hence the idea for the instructions was born.

No other Vietnamese shop in Ottawa is making Banh Mi at this level and I expect that given her love of tradition, her drive and charm and all-round clear business mind, the future is wide open for Banh Mi Yes.

I do strongly recommend ordering your sandwiches 24 hours in advance and visiting her website to keep updated on which days she bakes. Phoebe may also be reached at [email protected] or by text at 613-867-7688, both of which are available on the Banh Mi Yes website.

A Happy Pairing Accident: It sometimes happens, without planning, that a beverage you've opened just happens to fit with what you're eating. So it was with our Banh Mi Yes Classic sandwiches. 

• The non-alcoholic Wasabi Ginger Ale found at the newly opened Hungry Ninja at 1529 Merivale Rd. with its sweet & spicy profile was the ideal foil for this Banh Mi.

• For something a little extra, try Fringante from Quebec's Unibroue (available at Depanneur Rapido in Aylmer, Que.). With its complexity and heavy 10 percent alcohol married perfectly with the flavours of the sandwich.

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