Zoe Nguyun starts her mornings early opening her restaurant, GM Banh Mi. She begins by preparing the banh mi sandwich bread, a process that can take up to three hours. Although there are faster alternatives, she surprisingly doesn’t mind the long process — in fact she prefers it. Nguyun enjoys taking her time with every individual bread because it reminds her of her brother — the restaurant’s namesake — and his generosity.
Nguyun opened GM Banh Mi on W Johnson Street in November, making it the first Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Madison. The new quick-eats spot plays soft piano music with little tables along the walls, potted plants and a huge banh mi prep table.
Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich — a crispy baguette filled with various meats —typically pork — and pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and mayonnaise. Their menu also consists of other authentic Vietnamese dishes like spring bowls, spring rolls and pho, a beef broth simmered for 24 hours with noodles, sliced beef and herbs…