Late night eats and 24-hour establishments are few and far between in Vancouver. That’s where Kim Penh Xe Lua fills the void of Vietnamese restaurants offering middle-of-the-night pho and banh mi.
The restaurant, located on West Broadway (near Cambie), is really spartan and tackily decorated – but that was to be expected. We ordered Vietnamese iced-coffee (perfection), and some spring rolls, which came out steaming hot and were extra crispy. We also opted for a couple Vietnamese sandwiches: a grilled chicken banh mi and a special ban mi. The subs were served very quickly, the bread was slightly crunchy but light and fluffy on the inside, and the ingredients were plentiful with a good balance of meat and veggies. Food taste and quality, however, were pretty average compared to other Vietnamese restaurants – definitely not the best banh mi we’ve ever experienced.
Some additional positives were the service was very friendly and attentive…they appeared like they actually cared! Which is a lot more than I can say for comparable restaurants. Being open all night is also a bonus for hungry night owls. Prices are really inexpensive, and portion sizes are quite generous. Sure, if you’re craving banh mi in the middle of the night, but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to try Kim Penh Xe Lua.
