Simply Banh Mi started small — a basement spot run by a brother-and-sister team serving their mother's recipes. The sister has since moved on; it's now John and his mom, Diana Tran, who also authored two cookbooks, running the show.
The restaurant has moved around Washington and Arlington over the years, with stints in Georgetown and DC before landing in a Ballston storefront with room for about 22 guests to dine in. The menu has grown from banh mi sandwiches into pho, rice bowls, noodle bowls, and salads, with halal, vegan, and gluten-free options built in.
Bread is made fresh in limited batches each day for the sandwiches — a detail the shop takes seriously even as it keeps everything else loose and unpolished.
The restaurant has moved around Washington and Arlington over the years, with stints in Georgetown and DC before landing in a Ballston storefront with room for about 22 guests to dine in. The menu has grown from banh mi sandwiches into pho, rice bowls, noodle bowls, and salads, with halal, vegan, and gluten-free options built in.
Bread is made fresh in limited batches each day for the sandwiches — a detail the shop takes seriously even as it keeps everything else loose and unpolished.