Slurp It
Cafe Opens Downtown Serving Iconic Vietnamese Sandwich and More
Story and photos by Adrian Lysenko
There’s an old Vietnamese proverb, “Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn,” that roughly translates to, “if you travel for a day, you can learn a basketful of wisdom.” This proverb definitely rang true for Phuong (Julie) Pham while she was in Vietnam and taking a course on how to authentically make the country’s iconic bánh mì sandwich.
“I never thought I would apply it at that time,” says Pham, who was the previous owner of Coco Bay and Golden Wok. But when Pham returned to Thunder Bay and heard that the former Prime Gelato location was for sale, she saw an opportunity to start a new venture with the skills she had recently learned. “Everybody loves food, so I like bringing different kinds of food to Thunder Bay.”
A hybrid of Vietnamese and French cuisine that was born during the country’s occupation, bánh mì are short baguette sandwiches filled with a protein (usually a cold cut medley or grilled meat marinated in lemongrass), mayonnaise, pâté, cucumber, cilantro, pickled daikon, and carrots. Pham learned to make bánh mì from one of the masters of the sandwich. “He's like the best one in Vietnam, so they taught me how to make bread, and then make all the stuff fit inside.”
With a location and an idea of what to serve, Slurp It was born. The cafe also sells fruit slushes and teas, ice cream, matchas, and milk or boba teas—another idea she got during her travels. “We brought my uncle—he's 78 and never goes to a boba shop because he likes beer or coffee,” she says. “Then he drinks a boba tea and he's like, ‘wow, it's good.’” Rather than using powdered milk and taro (a starchy root powder that gives boba tea a sweet and nutty flavour), Pham says they use fresh ingredients.
Since its opening late May, the cafe has been expanding its food menu, which also includes drunken and garlic noodles, and Pham is always looking for feedback on what to include next. “So now I'm asking people what they like first, because you don't want too much on the menu to confuse people,” she says. Whether its current menu items or new ones, Pham’s goal is to offer people a quick and affordable lunch with the possible drink combo.
Keep an eye out on Slurp It’s social media for updates, specials, and new offerings.
Slurp It
200 Red River Road
807-767-7179