FINALLY! Tim Kee has been on my to-eat list for what, 6 years now? It received a bit of publicity a few years ago. And after all the "foodies" paid a visit, I still haven't gone! I blame it on my "next time when I'm in Jordan" excuse. Who am I fooling, the only two times I was in that area were for IELTS and for Fairyland... So on a quiet Monday after my exam, I made a snap decision. I texted my friend:
i'm on the mtr going to jordan for a sandwich
Before she could call me nuts, I'd already jumped into a banh mi addiction spiral.
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| Small French Sandwich ($31) - Crispy baguette (tossed in the oven for a few minutes upon order) and savoury peppery fillings. Though the meat is just processed cold cuts and pâté they give a very "authentic" feel, like this banh mi can't be made at home. But the star is the pickled carrots. They cleanse your palate and add another layer of construction to the sandwich. |
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| It may look stuffed but there wasn't enough meat in the baguette. Wouldn't mind paying more for more meat. |
Rating: 4/5
Food: This isn't my first banh mi. My first banh mi was at Banh Mi Boys in Toronto, but that banh mi was memorably a lot heavier on the taste buds (possibly due to the Kimchi Fries and Sweet Potato Fries that I might or might not have ordered). So I'd say this is my first authentically Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. I liked the crisp of the baguette, the crunchy pickled carrots and the pepperiness (though my mum would probably say there was too much pepper). The only complaint is the amount of the meat or the meat itself. I could barely taste the Vietnamese cold cuts and the pâté... Another taste missing is coriander. It's interesting that there wasn't there any coriander. I'm growing to not hate this spice! But this isn't a complain. Perhaps the owner knew people my age would hate coriander or he hates coriander himself, which is not unreasonable.
Environment: A hole-in-the-wall that reminds me a lot of Denmark and Leighton (RIP) that I frequented in my high school days. There are a few seats but people mostly take out.
Service: The owner is a lovely man. I was the only person in the shop so we chatted a bit while I was waiting. He asked me if this was my first time at Tim Kee and how did I get here... and recommended me to get off at Austin or Kowloon Station rather than Jordan (take notes ppl!)... I found out later he had the same conversation with almost everyone. In the dark times of conglomerates taking over the local food scene with their chain restaurants and bakeries, it was sweet noneless.
Price: $31 for a small banh mi that isn't small. I was going to get the big banh mi (pretty sure I could finish it) until the owner told me office ladies from ICC nearby would get it for lunch and share among the three of them. Actually, the small banh mi filled me up pretty well. It also gave me a banh mi addiction. I spent the next several days googling and drooling over pictures of banh mi...
Places like Tim Kee remind me why it's great to go out of your way sometimes - follow the map, take new routes, explore side streets, and take a bite of that sandwich or whatever it is that you have only seen during late night food porn session. I don't know since when has "me time" become an indulgence. So go on a mini date with yourself whenever you can. Don't you get lost in the hustle and bustle of city life.
Tim Kee French Sandwiches
Shop A, G/F, Man Yiu Building
30 Man Yuen Street
Jordan
Hong Kong
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