A new fusion restaurant has opened on 15th Street to bring some style and flavor to Edmond. Paris Bánh Mì is a French-Vietnamese fusion cafe that has already caught the attention of many for its unique blend and amazing food.

The combination of French and Vietnamese cuisine is not new, especially given that bánh mì sandwiches originated when Vietnam was under French control in the 19th century. The French colonizers brought baguettes over to the Asian country, and the Vietnamese people adopted this bread into their culture by creating the iconic dish. This fusion of cultures has gained popularity in the U.S. in part by restaurant chain Paris Bánh Mì and its owners Hien Tran and Doan Nguyen.

Right in front of the entrance is a table lined with baskets of various pastries that rotate daily. They were all reasonably priced at around $2-3 each, and the chocolate custard and almondine were both delicious. They would likely taste even better if they offered an option to warm the pastries, given that they had sat in bags on the table all day. The decorations and layout of the cafe felt trendy and cool but did not quite feel like a typical place to bring the family. The tables were really small, so my friends and I somewhat struggled to fit all of our food on it. 

The service definitely left something to be desired on the first visit. The workers were sitting around in the back on their phones, which felt a little unprofessional even if they did not have orders to take or fill. On my second trip a few days later, I actually noticed that the workers seemed to have resolved this, and the delivery of the food was fairly quick and efficient. 

The menu is the most important part of any restaurant, and the pieces they chose to include were absolutely delicious. They had a wide variety of sandwiches with various types of meats and breads, but there were very few vegetarian options. They did, however, have a banh mi that included seitan, a plant based meat alternative popular in Asia. It turned out to be much better than I anticipated, and a vegetarian friend of mine agreed.  

They offered appetizers as common as french fries to lesser-known dishes like firecracker shrimp. One item that also seemed to be popular was the Korean corn dogs. The restaurant offered four different coatings which included, bread crumbs, potato cubes, hot cheetos and crispy ramen. The latter two seemed like choices to appeal to younger customers given Gen Z’s obsession with both hot cheetos and ramen, but the first two are both traditional coatings that are often found in Korea. Customers can choose a hotdog, mozzarella or a combination of meat and cheese for their filling. I chose the whole mozzarella with potato, which was alright, but it needed some sort of condiment to go with it. 

Additionally, there were Vietnamese meat pies, gelato flavors and desserts like macarons and assorted kinds of cheesecake. A few of these items were advertised on the to-go menus or online, so to see the full scope of the menu, it is important to take a look inside before deciding on your order. The most surprising off menu items were the numerous Vietnamese snacks that were made in store and lined a wall for customers to pick up and pay for at the counter. The items all sounded appealing, however the $8 price tag seemed too much for too little. 

Probably the biggest draw for lots of customers, including a few of my friends, were the drinks. The restaurant is located just down the street from Edmond Memorial High School, making it prime real estate for a boba place. The drink menu itself was fairly standard, including classic options like taro, matcha and lychee, all of which could come as a milk tea or smoothie. They also had their own line of signature drinks like the Paris By Night and Creme Brulee Milk Tea. 

The best part was the unique design of the drink cups. Most boba places have the usual plastic cover that the customer punctures with a straw; however, this leaves greater potential for messes and spillage. Paris Bánh Mì’s cups solve this problem by using a lid somewhat like a to-go coffee lid which has a removable cover over the drinking hole. This was an amazing idea that I have never seen used for boba drinks before. There’s no worry of jamming the straw in too hard and making a mess, nor is there any concern of the drink spilling out the hole just created while in the car. 

Despite a few complaints, Paris Bánh Mì is a great choice for anyone. Whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat after school, a relaxed place to have some boba tea with friends or wanting to try something new, this cafe has it all. With 21  locations spanning from coast to coast and eight more on the way, this French-Vietnamese fusion chain is only going to grow more popular as time goes on.

Contact Adam Mohammed at [email protected]