Restaurants
Bahn Mi & Che Cali
Bahn Mi & Che Cali (BMCC) has long been my go-to spot for random Vietnamese desserts. I'm not always sure what's being scooped into my take-out containers, but I know it's always tasty.
Although initially daunting (I don't speak Vietnamese or read Chinese, and those are the dominant languages on the menu), I've found that an adventurous spirit is well rewarded here.
Translated as "Sandwiches and Sweet Desserts", BMCC offers an impressive selection of both. Paninis filled with pickled veggies, cilantro and a choice of meat or tofu are priced at a recession-friendly $1.75. A wide array of hot dishes are also available from the hot trough, and at $4.75 for three choices plus rice or noodles, they leave plenty of room in my wallet for dessert.
The hot dinners are pretty good and the sandwiches are alright, but I generally stick to Nguyen Huong Food Co. next door for savoury snacks. Although BMCC has a small dining area, and next door doesn't, Nguyen Huong's sandwiches are moister and fresher, and their spring rolls come with a better selection of sauces.
I most recently stopped at Bahn Mi & Che Cali, lured by the "Now Serving Pho" sign hung outside. A bowl full of their cloudy, protein-speckled broth and chewy, old beef only confirmed my practice of choosing sweets when I grab food here.
It's the place I come for containers filled with coconut milk and an exotic array of seemingly incongruous ingredients. Chick peas, seaweed, white fungus, agar agar jelly, tapioca and coconut milk, together? Delicious. Add another mixed container of lotus seeds, kidney beans, and tapioca-flour jellies, and I will happily slurp away the day.
It's not the place for meat-and-potatoes folks or people with serious allergies. But for culinary adventurers, BMCC brings the random delight of Vietnamese street food tourism to the Toronto scene. It's taken me dozens of trips to learn the ingredients in these coconut treats (although I could've learned a lot faster if I'd used useful guides like this one). Still, I prefer experience as my teacher, and worry that if I'd known my dessert was a mix of fungus and seaweed, I might not have tried it. Thankfully, these sweet treats are now a regular part of my diet, and only doctor's orders could keep me from them.
One thing I know for sure: these delightful gems are best bought in threes. At $1.75 each, they're always sold on a buy-2-get-1-free rate, so the smartest thing to do is try 3 different flavours and share with friends. Just do like I do, and don't tell them it's fungus until after they've devoured it.
Other recommended treats: chewy coconut crusted tapioca flour strips in a rainbow of colours; dense cassava cakes; sweet, sticky-rice filled crepes; and light, custard filled profiteroles. Treats range from $1.75-$3.00.
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I will forsure thy the sweets!!!
That Pho looks a little off.
The best quality Bahn Mi Sandwiches are available at Ba Le on Dundas W just west of Spadina.