$7.00 (satisfying a hunger on a budget)

I wake up in the morning and check my bank balance and like most days it doesn’t shock me to find my funds have been sucked into a black hole, compressed into such an insignificant amount it’s almost beyond comprehension. So like a scavenger I go searching through pockets, in the bottom of the washing machine, under the bed and turn my car upside down. Collecting pieces of silver and gold and counting my precious coins then stuffing them into my already fat wallet full of receipts and useless cards of businesses I will never call and out of date driver’s licences. $7... How far could it go. What #delicious morsel can I find in this town for such little amount of money to satisfy my burgeoning #hunger? A sausage roll, a reheated mystery meat pie maybe? Well let me tell you now, if you are in the know deliciousness awaits all you have to do is look for it.

There are some places that never register on my radar when I’m looking for #quality eats, almost as though they cease to exist in my mind. I can walk by them and if someone were to ask where to find them I would draw a blank. That is until a friend of mine opened my eyes. #Bunbury Boulevard #Bakery Cafe/ Vietnamese Cuisine is such a place and a mouthful to say. A week ago I would never have given it a second thought and now I wish I could go back in time and slap myself upside the head, tell past Adam what he has been missing out on. This place is a hidden gem that is really not that well hidden. I mean you can’t miss it, unless you are me of course.

As you may have guessed from previous reviews I am a little obsessed with bread. Burgers, sandwiches, rolls or wraps, if it’s in bread I want it... NOW! So armed with my pitiful $7.00 I enter the #Bakery and make a concerted effort to look as though I am perusing the menu. I’m not, it almost seems like a natural response whenever I visit any venue, even if I already know what I want, maybe just proving to the other patrons I too can read. The floor space is generous for a bakery and boasts an eclectic collection of #cafe tables and uncomfortable metal chairs, single seat lounges, an occasional plant and a thin side bar covered in out of date magazines and local newspapers. There are plenty of enthusiasts here, some waiting for takeaway, some buying straight out of the heated display cabinet and others lounging around eating a variety of pastries and soups and noodles. And then there’s me, a stupid grin tearing across my face, trying desperately not to salivate on the service bench as I place my order.

“Baaahnn Meeow!”

This is literally what I said. Greeted with a quizzical look of part concern and part humour at this strange ginger-bearded man the young lady prompts me to try again.

“Thicken Bahhn Meeee!”

She takes a moment as I resort to pointing to a convenient picture on the #menu. I have solidified my inability to communicate and now find myself fumbling coins out of my wallet all over the bench, now solidifying my inability to co-ordinate my own hands. Feeling sorry for me she graciously counts the mountain of shrapnel and disappears into the kitchen. A couple of awkward pleasantries with people I barely recognize and mere minutes later have my reward in hand.

#Banh Mi! The #sandwich of the gods in all its glory, all mine as I hightail back to work to devour this perfectly crafted roll in private, locked away where no one can judge. The roll is crusty yet soft, designed to absorb the sauce, infusing flavour throughout. The chicken is juicy and moist with a little spicy char on the outside. The sauce is I don’t know what only that if I had a bucket of it nothing would stop me from jumping in head first. But of all the ingredients, the #Atchar is what sets this apart. That mouth-watering spicy, fermented, sweet and sour gift that awakens my tastebuds to flavours never before experienced.

They make it in-house and I am of the mind to go incognito and steal away that recipe for completely selfish reasons, so no other may enjoy its tangy goodness. But here I am again sharing with you that which I want all to myself.

So if you find yourself scraping around under the driver’s seat of your car and you manage to scrape up $7 then do yourself a favour and head into Bunbury Boulevard Bakery Ca.... BBBC/VC. There that’s better. Yes, go there and wrap your face around the Chicken Banh Mi and never look back. I did and good for me.