Boba Mi in Rochester is exactly that kind of place. Two years into their run, still pushing, still creating, and still putting out food that makes you stop mid-bite and appreciate what just happened.
Eat Local New York Restaurant Week Is Back — And Boba Mi Is In
I stopped out to Boba Mi to shoot a video highlighting them as one of the participants in Eat Local New York Restaurant Week. This is our second year bringing Restaurant Week back, and I couldn’t be more excited about where it’s headed. The dates this year are April 13th through the 26th, and it’s presented by our friends at Summit Federal Credit Union.
That partnership with Summit Federal Credit Union means a lot. Because of their generous sponsorship, I get to spend more time this year actually getting out to the restaurants that are participating and telling their stories properly. Boba Mi is one of those restaurants, and their story is worth telling.
A Family Operation With Real Passion Behind It
Walk into Boba Mi and you feel it immediately. The vibe is fun and light — there’s energy in there — but underneath that energy is a real seriousness about the food. This is a true family operation, and they are pouring their passion into every single thing they serve. They just celebrated their second year in business, and the place feels like it’s hitting its stride.
One of the first things you notice when you walk in is the mural. Halfway down the restaurant, covering a large wall, is a hand-painted tribute to the banh mi sandwich. It breaks down the sandwich layer by layer — a visual love letter to everything that makes a traditional banh mi what it is. And at the bottom of that mural is a quote from the late, great Anthony Bourdain: “That’s a symphony in a sandwich.”
I’ll be honest, that detail told me everything I needed to know. Any restaurant that puts an Anthony Bourdain quote on their wall is carrying something with them. A reverence for food. A standard they’re holding themselves to. That’s not decoration — that’s a statement of intent.
The New Sandwich: What Happens When a Philly Cheesesteak Meets a Banh Mi
On this visit, the team at Boba Mi had me try something brand new — a sandwich they just added to the menu, and one that I think is going to become a signature. It’s a Philly cheesesteak banh mi. A crossover that sounds unexpected on paper and is absolutely incredible in practice.
Here’s how it works:
You start with a Vietnamese baguette — and if you’ve never had one, understand that it is in a class of its own. The exterior is shatteringly crunchy. The interior is pillow-soft. It’s one of the best bread vehicles for a sandwich that exists. Into that goes their house-made mayo, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and their banh mi sauce — all the traditional components done right. And then on top of all of that goes grilled steak, sautéed onions, jalapeños, and melted cheese.
It’s like a chopped cheese met a banh mi and decided to make something better than either of them. If you had told me beforehand that the thing missing from a Philly cheesesteak was mayonnaise and cilantro, I would have told you that was crazy. And yet — that’s kind of exactly what this sandwich proves. The brightness from the pickled vegetables, the richness of the beef and cheese, the heat from the jalapeños, the freshness of the cilantro — every element is doing something. Nothing is in there by accident.
It is a genuinely delicious sandwich. One of those bites where you understand immediately why they put it on the menu.
Go to Boba Mi
Whether you head over before Restaurant Week or use it as the reason to finally make the trip, Boba Mi in Rochester is absolutely worth your time. Two years in, a stunning new menu addition, and a team that clearly loves what they’re doing. That combination doesn’t miss.
📍 Boba Mi — 376 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY
🗓 Eat Local New York Restaurant Week: April 13–26, presented by Summit Federal Credit Union
