BANH MI BY ME

Now With Banh Mi, Koenji Really Does Have It All!
[published April 2023]

Banh mi are Vietnamese sandwiches made pickled daikon white radish and carrots, along with cilantro and ham or other meats. Bahn Mi By Me in Koenji is a specialty shop for these sandwiches that are more or less standard fast food in Vietnam. The shop is located just a 3-minute walk west from JR Koenji Station (JC07/JB06) under the rail tracks on the south side. Bahn Mi By Me has a small order window that is easy to pass by so be careful not to miss it. The menu has around 10 different varieties of banh mi which are made fresh when you order.

The menu’s variety is especially appealing, compromised of genuine Vietnamese banh mi as well as some thoughtful arrangements with shrimp as the main ingredient, or using avocado or cream cheese as accents. There are so many vegetables in these that they practically spill out of the bread, making them quite a hearty sandwich. The chewy texture of the bread also goes perfectly. Packed with cilantro, these have the authentic taste of Vietnam, but for anyone who is not a fan of cilantro, you can substitute it for mizuna (Japanese mustard greens).

Not only takeout, but there is also a counter inside the shop for eating in. You can enjoy a banh mi with aromatic Vietnamese coffee and briefly forget you’re in Tokyo. Nearby there is a vintage toy shop, Godzilla-ya, popular among overseas collectors, as well as its Godzilla themed bar, Godzilla-ya 2, and other local watering holes such as Tico Bar and the 2023 newly opened Koenji Mashita.

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