Yum Yum: Banh Mi Boys, The Big Fish and #Beastwich

Lunch time on the fourth floor has taken a turn for the delicious. Our little corner of the city has seen a slew of new restaurant openings. So, in the name of research, we decided to check them out and decide the hype for ourselves.

Banh Mi Boys – @banhmiboys
392 Queen St. W.

After a longer-than-expected renovation, Banh Mi Boys is finally open again. The shop, owned by the three Chau brothers, puts a modern spin on the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. Banh mi offerings range from the traditional – grilled pork ($4.99) – to the innovative – duck confit ($7.49), crispy squid ($5.99). They also offer steamed buns (bao, $3.49), tacos ($3.99) and, our personal favourite, kimchi fries ($5.99; fries, kimchi, scallions, pulled pork, mayo, ZOMG). Deservedly, the place is super busy so be prepared for a bit of a wait. Also, we suggest doing take-out as we smelled pretty greasy after eating in.

The Big Fish
406 Queen St. W., open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays. 416.603.8102.

Grilled fish sandwich – yummy!

A few doors down from Banh Mi Boys is The Big Fish. As the name implies, their menu offers a great range of seafood items but they’ve also got lamb, beef and sausage burgers (all organic meat from Rowe Farms; from $8.85). During our visit we had fish on the brain, so tried out the basa (similar to catfish) grilled fish sandwich ($7.75) and the English-style haddock fish and chips ($9.50). The grilled fish was covered in a cornmeal and flour coating, which gave it a nice, unexpected crunch. 

One of our favourite features of The Big Fish is their vinegar spray bottles – both white and malt vinegar, naturally. Another fave part is the sheer amount of food served; we were stuffed at the end. They currently have a patio out front, and will be replacing the fence soon. Keep your eyes out for a white picket fence on Queen Street!

We agree, Big Fish. We agree.

Beast’s Beastwich Take Away Lunch – @BeastRestaurant #Beastwich
96 Tecumseth St.

Beast is known for their delicious dinners and weekend brunch, but as of last Friday they’ve introduced a new take-away lunch called the Beastwich. Available each Friday from noon until they run out, Beast will offer a sandwich, side and dessert for $10. Each week’s sandwich will be based on a different theme and will come in a meat and vegetarian version. We checked out the inaugural #Beastwich last week, with their Jamaican theme. They offered a pulled Jerk chicken sandwich, with a delicious white bean side salad. 

This pretty little bean salad was awesome.

The whole operation is very efficient – meals are bagged and ready for you when you get there, making it ideal for working lunches. Our only complaint was that our bread was a bit soggy by the time we settled in the park to eat. That didn’t stop us from eating the sandwich so quickly that we forgot to take a photo. It was a Good Friday indeed.