Adding to its first location on West 62nd Street, BONMi, a Vietnamese “fast-casual” spot is opening its flagship restaurant and showcasing signature bánh mì-inspired food as well as gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian items.
To celebrate the new location, on Thursday and Friday, BONMi is offering a $3 deal on entrees, including sandwiches, bowls and salads. On Monday and Tuesday, the restaurant will offer a Bon(with)Me two-entrées-for-the-price-of-one promotion.
“Like many people before us who have developed new variations on the bánh mì, our approach is to take the sandwich’s core components and give them a looser framework,” brand director Alexis Kukuka said. “By doing so, we are allowing our customers to use their creativity to nudge it in a direction that most excites their palates and taste preferences.”
BONMi starts with a base of bread, noodles, salad or rice and is then topped with cucumbers, a marinated protein or vegetables, gluten-free sauce, pickled carrots and fresh cilantro.
For those counting calories, you can check the nutritional value of your food on BONMi’s website.
Customers can order a signature dish like the BBQ Pork Belly Bánh Mì with honey-pepper pork belly, chili lime slaw, cucumbers and house-made barbecue sauce on a toasted baguette or customize their entrée for meatless or gluten-free fare.
“Imagine all the salty, sweet, hot, cool, pungent and crunchy contrasts of the bánh mì sandwich and then being able to make it completely vegetarian or gluten-free as part of a bowl of noodles,” Kukuka added.
“While we are not Vietnamese food purists, what we’re deriving from the cuisine allows us to develop a product that is customizable, approachable and encourages people to experiment with diverse flavors.”
BONMi opened a shop in March 2015 near Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side. The second location will be the flagship location at 119 23rd St. (between Park and Lexington avenues).
BONMi is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10p.m. and offers a 10 percent discount to all active and veteran members of the military.
