A Facelift for Banh Mi Coda

I stop in at Banh Mi Coda so often – not just for lunch, but to pick up fresh tofu, the best baguettes in town, and occasionally other ingredients – that if I don’t show up for a couple of weeks the counter staff asks me where I’ve been. So it was a surprise to walk in after our recent trip and find this familiar spot changed, as if someone had moved my couch while I was away.

It’s a good change, though. The slightly cluttered bistro vibe has given way to a sleek, modern feel. The counter extends around to where there used to be a clunky glass case, and the items that were there have moved to attractive tiered wooden shelves on the counter to your left as you come in. The baguettes, fried tofu, and sesame balls that used to be spread along the counter are now neatly stacked behind glass, taking up a third of the counter space that they did before.

These changes aren’t the first at Banh Mi Coda recently. A small patio holding four or five tables was added earlier this year. It’s nice to be able to sit at outdoor tables; in the past, when we wanted to take advantage of a nice day while having lunch there, we’d take our sandwiches to the benches along busy Louisiana Avenue. This is a much quieter option, with less car exhaust. And you can watch the steady flow of customers always going in and out. Banh Mi Coda doesn’t seem to want for business!

There may be other changes afoot as well. I noticed today that the awning over the door (which has said “GRAND OPENING” in increasingly faded letters since it opened more than three years ago) is gone; I wonder if it will be replaced? I liked the look of it, and how it set Banh Mi apart from its sister restaurant, Cafe Trang, next door.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the food; it is still fresh, tasty, and prepared to order. I love how the shrimp sausage is always warm, the veggies always crunchy. Facelift or no, Banh Mi Coda remains one of the best places in Albuquerque for a quick, inexpensive, and delicious lunch. If you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time!

NaBloPoMo 2014 Post #7

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