Thu Hien Deli & Sandwich Shop

Wished it was more convenient to come here more often, as usually people are zipping by here if on the way to Burnaby or DT if you’re heading the other direction.
Your typical hole in the wall outdoor signage but inside, less so, as it’s more cramped with its table with full of dry food goodies, Vietnamese coffee beans, etc. and a few tables off to the right if you want to sample their deli with about 8 choices, though none would ever pass for food photography impressions, but tasty for sure, such as their marinated pork and egg, though I keep on saying that I would one day lol.
I usually come here for their banh mi sandwiches, which are underrated as most ppl would mention DD Mau and all with their fancier décor.
Just make sure you bring cash.
Bonus star for the limited window seating along the front ;)

There are plenty of Vietnamese places along this strip of kingsway, known to us locals as Little Saigon. Amongst all these is Thu Hien. This store is one of the original Vietnamese delis around this area. Since they started up years ago, they have since grown to a building that they built and live in themselves. Inside here you will find almost all the snacks and delicacies of the Vietnamese culture; from cold cut meats, warm lunches, to exotic desserts, you’ll find it here.
A major reason to approach these stores is usually because of one simple reason, the craving for Bánh mì (viet sub). And this review is no different.
The subs found here cost an average of $ 3.00, and vary in what yet put in depending on who it is that makes them. On a good day you will find them to be average in size, but on a bad day they may seem a little lacking in ingredients.
This place is worth the visit if your in the area and you’re craving some Vietnamese on-​the-​go food and would like to visit a Viet deli.

If you know this area, then you know that this is the unoffical Vietnamese Town. There are phở shops on almost every block, maybe even 2 in 1 block. Now for sandwiches, snacks or sweets… go to Thu Hien. You can get full with $ 8 or less.
My personal favorite is their ‘banh cuon’, which is basically steamed rice rolls filled with ground pork, wood ear mushrooms and shallots. Banh cuon is eaten at room temperature or heated up and dipped with Vietnamese fish sauce, ‘nuoc mam’.
If you haven’t tried this already, give it a chance.

This place is awesome. It has the largest selection of Vietnamese snacks, desserts, and meats I’ve seen in awhile. They also have a deli that serves food. Everything is made at the store, so it’s fresh. They brought out some freshly made pork meatloaf while I was there, so I bought a pound of it. Needless to say, the food is very authentic.
I ordered two spring rolls and a coconut boba tea. It came out to $ 11. It’s not cheap, but it’s good.
I would come back here again.

*If you can handle the strong odor of the shop* $ 3 bubble tea– Get the fresh strawberry blended with taro powder and ice– UBER delicious! The pearls were the perfect consistency (I try a pearl before I buy– too many mushy-​pearl-​ruining-​drink disasters to trust new places again) though not as sweet as the ones at Dragon Ball, which I consider to be the mecca of pearls ;) $ 3 included pearls… cheapest place I’ve found so far! I approve. The owner said he was new at mixing BB Tea flavours and looked nervous as he crafted my perfect drink. Excellent job!!! :)

«A feast to behold»
This place was a feast for my eyes with all the things one could eat here. Colorful Vietnamese desserts and others. I ordered a cold cut bah mi and also a chicken one. Spring roll and a crème caramel were also an addition to my order. When I finally got to taste the bahn mi I just had to say damn good! I prefer the cold cut with so much flavour in it even though the chicken wasn’t bad either. I love the spring roll and the crème caramel well I have had better but it wasn’t bad either above average. So this was a feast to my stomach as well. I can’t wait to try the other offerings here! I actually like the meats and pâté here more than Tung Hing but Tung Hing being a bakery has a much better bread than them. I went back to buy the meats. pâté, butter, and pickles here to make my own sandwich and guess where I am going to get my bread?

* What is a good price for a dixie cup of homemade butter? *
Ok, after wandering in here I have decided I need a Vietnamese dictionary.
There was a wonderful array of items, although we were just looking for a little sweet after a meal across the street at House of Dosas.
But what we found was an exciting selection of rice rolls, sticky rice packages, pork intestine sausages, pickled pig ears, and a variety of other items that were only described in Vietnamese that I wish I knew what they were!
I did notice they were also selling «homemade» butter in a cup. It looked really good. And $ 2 for a plastic dixie cup of butter seems a fair price, no? I mean, how much do you pay for a dixie cup of homemade butter normally? I’m seriously asking. I don’t know!
In any case, we ended up sampling two of the dessert cups. One was a tri-​coloured gelatin, and the other was a sweet banana and coconut with tapioca balls. I liked the banana and coconut with tapioca balls quite a bit. It was pretty sweet — but a nice finish after South Indian food.
I definitely want to return and try some of the other items. But I may just have to find someone that knows Vietnamese food really well to serve as a guide in ordering!