BONMi, a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich shop opens today (right now, in fact) on 19th and Eye Streets NW, Chris Shott reports:

All the proteins are prepared sous-vide, but the proprietors didn’t want to get too fancy with the menu. “We really kept in mind, ‘What is the American palate going to eat?'” says Lynne Jacoby, a partner in the company JBH Advisory Group that has conceptualized the new 40-seat eatery. “You know, we didn’t do the pate, we didn’t do the head cheese, which is more traditional of bánh mì.”

The company is planning to open at least two more locations in the D.C. area before possibly expanding elsewhere. “We definitely want it to be a franchise model,” she says.

I’m starting to think that banh mi may have jumped the shark if shops are concerned about the “American palate.” Without the spices and weird meats, isn’t banh mi just a sub sandwich? Anyway! Check Y&H for the menu.

Photo by Chris Shott