Tucked away on Lexington Street, across from Star Market, is Banh Mi O’i, a bright, modest cafe serving up tasty Vietnamese fare.
Customers said they visit for that authentic flavor. John Bangs, a construction and property manager in Waltham, said he has been coming to Banh Mi O’i weekly for about a year, often bringing coworkers.
“I had the pork Banh Mi and fell in love with it,” Bangs said.
Banh Mi O’i interior. Photo by Elizabeth Mehler.
Phong Huynh, a new employee at Banh Mi O’i, said he moved to America from Vietnam five years ago and appreciates the restaurant’s authenticity.
“When you work in a restaurant that is run by Vietnamese people, they actually understand how to make food exactly like in Vietnam,” he said.
Ahn Pham, the cafe’s manager, said his cousin Yeanie Bach, who owns Banh Mi O’i, launched the shop to honor her family’s history. She was inspired by her own childhood experiences, when she and her mother ran a Banh Mi cart in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam, Pham said.
Bach opened her first Banh Mi O’i location in West Roxbury in 2020 and the Waltham store on Lexington Street two years ago.
“Banh Mi is about honoring the hands that built a better life, paying tribute to roots, and building a space where culture, memory, and community come together,” Bach wrote on the cafe’s website. It is “more than a restaurant.”
All about communication
Banh Mi O’i extends its welcome to everyone, including people with communication challenges. Because of its efforts in fostering an inclusive space, the restaurant was highlighted in a new short documentary, “We Need to Talk,” which features five individuals who use an AAC device.
In the film Tiny, a 22-year-old with autism, walks up to the counter at Banh Mi O’i and orders lunch using an augmented alternative communication device. The tablet-like device lets Tiny, who is nonverbal, press buttons to give voice to her wishes.
Banh Mi Oi Tiny and mom get their order. Photo by Elizabeth Mehler.
“Can I have a barbeque chicken [and] water, please?” the device says.
The front desk server quickly responds and brings her the order.
“Sandwich,’’ the device says as Tiny begins to enjoy her food.
Tiny first began visiting the restaurant with her mother, who already knew Pham, the manager. Though the staff initially had no training with the AAC device, Pham said they are extra welcoming to Tiny.
“We feel like if we can do something to make her happy, to welcome her more, we just pay a little more attention,” Pham said.
“The [documentary’s] message is that individuals who use AAC are part of our community,” said Corinna Riggs, a senior clinical advisor at the Guild for Human Services, a nonprofit based in Concord. She served as a production consultant on the film to raise awareness about AAC devices.
In the film. Tiny’s mother, Oanh Bui, says Tiny had no means of communicating with anyone, including her family, before getting an AAC. The device has given her a newfound independence and freedom to express herself, Bui adds.
Banh Mi O’i employees are “accepting of [Tiny’s] different communication style,” Bui says. “They really have the patience to be able to wait for her so that she can be able to get her orders in.”
Shop manager Pham honed his communication skills through his immigrant experience. He grew up in Vietnam before moving to America at 19 years old. He attended high school in South Boston and then two years in college before joining the Army. Along the way, he learned how to connect with others in English.
Pham said that meeting customers at the Waltham shop has helped him to better serve people of all backgrounds and abilities.
“It’s a small store,” Pham said. “So they come in, we welcome them [and] let them know they are at home so they can feel relaxed and happy.”
A screening of “We Need to Talk” was held Feb. 2 at Maynard Theatre. The documentary is also available for viewing on YouTube.