Fan-favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Toronto shuts down amid rent issues

Although Toronto's Vietnamese food scene has been on a steady rise over the past year, that hasn't stopped one longtime local restaurant from closing its doors.

Banh Mi Ba Le 2, formerly located at 538 Dundas St. W. near Spadina Avenue, has permanently shut down. Known for its simple, no-frills menu and wallet-friendly prices, the restaurant offered the rare chance to grab a filling banh mi sandwich or steamy bowl of pho in Toronto without spending much.

According to a notice posted on the restaurant's storefront on Sept. 24, the tenant was being served a notice of termination for failing to pay rent arrears. While the notice points to a rent-related issue, the restaurant has not publicly confirmed the circumstances surrounding its closure, due, in part, to its non-existent social media presence.

The notice posted on the restaurant's storefront. Photo: Submitted to blogTO.

The affordable, cozy restaurant was known for its hearty Vietnamese fare, including vermicelli soup and perhaps its most popular offering, banh mi sandwiches that cost around $6 (including tax), with fillings like cold cuts, BBQ pork, lemongrass tofu, shredded chicken, and pork skin.

Banh Mi Ba Le 2's closure shouldn't be confused with the Banh Mi Bae Le location in Mississauga, which reportedly operates independently and is known for baking its own bread and making deli meats in-house.

Coincidentally, the closure comes just as Toronto's appetite for banh mi appears to be growing, with numerous shops dedicated to Vietnamese sandwiches popping up all over the city in recent months.

Take & Banh Mi, for example, which opened back in May and has quickly developed a loyal following for its signature crackling pork sandwich, as well as Cabbagetown's Viet Bites, which has found enough success to plan a much larger sister location on Eglinton West.

Other spots, including Oi Banh Mi, Banh Mi Nana, Viet Sandwich, and Rose's Viet Subs, have also become part of the city’s increasingly competitive banh mi scene.

While it's clear that Toronto certainly isn't short on banh mi options these days, it's difficult not to mourn the loss of a reliable sandwich that cost just $6. RIP Banh Mi Ba Le 2.