While you enjoy shopping near Saint-Lazare station area, you might get hungry and you want to eat something really fast and cheap. And if you want to eat something new in Paris, this Vietnamese fast food restaurant, BUNMI, would be a perfect choice for you. As it is located near the center, it is easy to visit, just 3 minutes walk from Saint-Lazare station. The restaurant is not big but lovely and cozy enough to enjoy your meal. The foods are served quite quickly and you can either eat inside the restaurant or take away.
Once you enter, you might find the place really Vietnamese. With its cute painting on the wall, little Vietnamese flags, etc. Actually, in Vietnam, this kind of restaurants is common near universities. BUNMI kept this authentic Vietnamese atmosphere by adding those delicate touches.
BUNMI is the combination of Bò bún and Bánh mì, two main dishes of this restaurant. Bò bún is a mix of rice noodles, fried beef, vegetables and special fish sauce (nước mắm). It is a big and tasty portion which will definitely satisfy anyone. The ingredients are very fresh that create the best dish. It might seem to be a dish that is easy to cook but as soon as you eat, you will recognize that the quality and the fullness that this cuisine gives you are excellent.
Bánh mì sandwich bread is one of the legacies of the French colonization of Vietnam. This Vietnamese baguette might look like just a smaller French baguette. But it is not like that. It has a different texture once you eat. The bánh mì is lighter with its thinner and lightly crackly crust. The chef has a huge love for cuisines which makes her care for the quality of dishes. And especially, she has her own recipe to get the most similar taste in original Vietnam.
They bake the bread every day so it doesn't get dry nor hard. This is the bánh mì "special" with homemade pâté, pickles, cucumber, Vietnamese pork sausage (giò lụa) and special mayonnaise. The most interesting part is the homemade paste and its soft and rich taste. You have many choices for bánh mì menu, such as with lemongrass beef, lemongrass chicken, etc.
French colonists introduced coffee into Vietnam, but sooner and later taking a cup of coffee in the morning became a local habit. Vietnamese coffee has a strong and flavourful taste that can help you wake up easily. Within the time, Vietnamese coffee has developed its own style. At BUNMI, you can enjoy a real Vietnamese coffee and you can also choose from a variety of choices with the recipes adapted from a popular coffee shop in Hanoi. The drink in the photo is coconut coffee, a trendy drink in Vietnam.
As its menu often changes and gets updated, you can check their Facebook Page before visiting. If you can't drink coffee, the iced tea with peach, orange, and lemongrass would be a good choice for you on a hot summer. Sweetness and relaxing flavor of the drink will strengthen you up again. In addition to the main dishes and drinks, they have some homemade desserts which change every day. We recommend you to ask about it if you want to try Vietnamese desserts.
The restaurant is quite crowded at noon. If you don't want to wait in line, you can come at the hour of opening or after 13:30.
Words and Photographs by Phan Thanh Thủy
Address : 21 rue du Rocher, 75008 Paris
Transportation : Metro L3, 12, 13, 14 Saint-Lazare station
Opening hours : Monday - Friday 11:30 - 20:00 / Saturday 11:30 - 16:00
Price : Food from 5.9€, drinks from 1.5€