After seeing so many good Yelp reviews, I decided to try Ky Duyen for lunch today! As everyone else has said, the sandwich I selected (#1 on the menu) was very tasty with grilled pork, a pork paste and some kind of Vietnamese sausage. I thought it was great but if you are the kind of person who needs to know exactly what you are eating, this is probably not the place for you. Nor is it your kind of place if cigarette smell coming from the back room is going to bother you. The room wasn't smokey but it smelled of smoke. I'm old enough to remember restaurants and airplanes when there was no smoking section so although annoying, didn't stop me from waiting for my sandwich to be made. As Daniel S. said, it is the contrasts of flavors and textures that make the banh mi good and mine was really good! I can't wait to go back to try the other 4 kinds. read more

Run don't walk-into this great place. Six months or so ago we moved into a condo the down the block and around the corner from this place. Having moved from a place of great ethnic foods - we notice this hole in the wall place as we drove back and forth and wondered if it was any good. After reading the other Yelpers' comments we decided to try it. This place is the real thing. Some years back we worked in Boston's Chinatown and tucked into one of the alleys was an Asian grocer with a cart in the back of the store, run by an very old lady everyone called Lucy. We think that she was the mother of one of the owners of the shop. Lucy and her daughter or granddaughter when school was out - made the best Banh Mi ever. After leaving Boston - this is now eight years - I have been longing for a sandwich as good as Lucy's. We found it!!! And we can walk there from home. For our first adventure - we tried #1 Banh Mi Tith -- with moderate spice. Next time I am going to go with hot. The sandwiches were perfect - the woman putting them together apologized for taking about ten minutes to put things together. Which of course is not a problem. Most of that time was spent - getting the bread just right. And it was crispy on the outside and fluffy and light on the inside. The mystery pate and mayo - remain a mystery to me but who cares they were great. The veggies were crisp and refreshing compared to the spice of the meat. We took our sandwiches home, but the room is nice - bright and there are comfortable chairs and stools. The decor is downscale but very clean and welcoming - like your average basement family room. While this is a lunch place - it is open from morning to 5:00 pm - so there is plenty of time to get a sandwich. read more

A really nice lady who bakes a perfect crunchy baguette with tons of fresh meat and veggies inside for $5. Better than most of the bahn mi joints in LA. Its taste brought back all my good memories of crunching street bahn mis in Vietnam, it's just so authentic and absolutely delicious!! I'm glad to see this small city of Syracuse has this hidden gem and Darwins, both of them provide simple but perfect lunch with really nice services, 10/11 would come back. read more

Pretty good sandwich. Even better service. My only complaint is that I wish the sandwich were less dry. Pros: - fresh ingredients - spicy and non-spicy options - delicious BBQ pork (great flavor, not too thick, not too chewy) - super friendly service (the woman we ordered from could not have been nicer) - awesome prices ($5 per sandwich) Cons: - not the best ambience (but clean!) - the bread on the sandwiches was a little thick read more

Had Banh Mi on my list of sandwiches to try and Yelp tells me this is where to go in Syracuse. You want "local" and not some chain? Have I got the place for you. I'm used to visiting genuine immigrant-run stores and restaurants so nothing out of the ordinary here. The restaurant is a former video store filled with locals having lively conversations. If you're expecting a Disney style sandwich shop, you'll be quite disappointed. Five types of sandwiches served up at a counter. If you don't speak Vietnamese, don't expect to overhear much from the other customers while you wait. I got the #1 Banh Mi, spicy. Don't know anything about Banh Mi, but the sandwich translates well into my language as "good!" Forty years after the war ended, you would think Banh Mi would have become more well-known earlier. The place opens up at 8 a.m. and unlike Americanized places, "breakfast" means "same thing as lunch" so you don't have to wait until 10:30 to get one. Banh Mi #1 took a few minutes to make, so you know they're not just microwaving or using shortcuts. Got my hot sandwich and finished it a few blocks away. Add Banh Mi to your cheesesteak/reuben/weck lineup of go-to sandwiches and you'll be very happy. read more

You know what's one of the best things in the world? A good banh mi. You know what Ky Duyen has? Good banh mi! That's about all they have, too. Some of the older reviews mention pool tables, but now it's nothing but a nice lady and freshly made, tasty banh mi. If you've never had one, TRY IT. If you're already hooked, and need your fix, this is your place. read more

We tried two sandwiches: bbq pork and grilled pork. Of them, I would *strongly* recommend the bbq, which had a lot of flavor, over the grilled, which was kinda bland and pretty salty. I also felt that it could've used more vegetables, that their "spicy" could be a bit better planned out - if you ask for it spicy, you get a sandwich with a few bites that are *really* spicy, and most of a sandwich that isn't spicy at all - and most importantly, that they use proper baguette bread instead of the weird bread they currently use, which is really thick and really hard (I felt like I was getting a bit of a jaw workout eating it). I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could - I enjoyed eating their bbq pork, and it was filling enough for $5, and is generally a good to-go place in terms of how fast you can get a sandwich, but I have totally had better bahn mi elsewhere. read more

Amazing sandwiches at a tiny hole in the wall. The price point is fantastic, the options are minimal but I've yet to be disappointed.

Had the best sandwich I have ever eaten at this gem. This was my first bahn mi experience and I can't get enough! It's a thirty minute drive for me, but well worth it! I plan on revisiting on a regular! read more

Nice small location, very authentic bahn mi. I love the #1. Super delicious! Cash only but there is an atm in the store.

I came here years ago--right after this place was highlighted in the local paper. It was 100 times the dive it is now. Shady. It's been fun watching them improve the space. If you think it's sparse or "hole in the wall-ish" now, you should have seen it then! But that sandwich -wow. The banh mi has remained great the whole time. I've tried banh mis all over the country - every big city I visit, I look for one. This one holds up against anything else I've tried including hot spots like Num Pang in NYC. Great bang for your buck. Cash only FYI. read more

I've been looking for a place that has banh mi in the Syracuse area and haven't been able to find one, so when a friend came up to visit, we went to Ky Duyen Cafe. They make the sandwiches right in front of you and they're perfectly toasted. For 5$ a sandwich, we'll definitely be going back read more

Ky Duyen Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Nearly balanced, but not quite. Sweet. Sour (left wanting). Savory (a little light). Spicy (wanted more sliced chiles). Warm. Cold. Crunchy. Soft. All but spot on. It's not the best bahn mi you'll ever eat, but it's good and reasonably priced. Vietnamese bread is warmed in the oven. Crunchy crust, soft inside. Tasted like Japanese mayo (that's a plus). Didn't taste the Maggi Seasoning. Bbq pork was tender and I believe they use red yeast powder... which is cool for Syracuse. Ratio of meat to veg was americanized... happy to have more meat than what would be typical for a bahn mi. Too quick on the pickle though... A little longer and it would've been very well balanced. 3.5 stars read more

Excellent banh mi but the prices have been creeping up. Last time I went in, they were higher than posted online.

Stopped by when in town briefly after reading so many good reviews. The banh mi is undisputably good but more expensive than expected especially for the size. It's $6.50 (early July 2020). Also, I specifically asked for not spicy option but ended receiving super spicy loaves that the kids gave up after a few bites; there was no chilly pepper visible so it must have been the sauce. Take out option only but I could not help but noticing it is somewhat a run down place with exposed sinks and appliances. I understand it's a hold in the wall kinda spot but it can really receive some TLC. read more

Adorable mom and pop shop serving fantastic banh mi sandwiches. They have a couple variations of banh mi's and overall the menu is very small but solid. At $5 their sandwiches are a great value and the owners go out of their way to help you. Definitely stop in and try one if you're in the area around lunch time. read more

Stopped in for Pho. Am sick so was looking for a good Pho place in Syracuse on my way home. Easy from the highway (and I'm familiar with the area). PERFECT food for when you're sick! Have yet to try a banh mi but the pho was delicious and I ate every drop! $10 a bowl. Cash only, but ATM inside. Not the prettiest looking place, but don't let that fool you. Great Vietnamese food!! read more

Born in a city like Los Angeles and going to school in a place like Syracuse, I wasn't expecting anything like the food I was used to. If you're in doubt whether or not to try this place, take a chance and you will be surprised. From the outside the building looks sketchy...open the door and there will be a lady with a food cart (and maybe some old men chain smoking and drinking Heineken and watching euro soccer). To me, this is truly one of the gems of Syracuse. AND at $4 a sandwich, how can you not resist buying more than one. read more

If you're craving a banh mi, this is the place! Crusty roll with soft squishy inside, super fresh cilantro, zippy, crunchy, spicy pickled veg, delicious grilled meat and sublime meat paste...the best I've had in the 'Cuse. read more

Solid 4-Stars! I think I just found my favorite Vietnamese sandwich place! It's not exactly situated in the best place but safe enough in the day time. Definitely a divey feeling to the whole establishment. We got 3 sandwiches for $15 ($5/each), one of the best deals in town. There are five types of sandwiches, all $5. I am especially partial to the BBQ pork sandwich. Definitely would go here again for these sandwiches. read more

Simple, delicious, legit, cheap, tasty, no frills goodness. If you are adventurous eater in Syracuse, you gotta try it. My only suggested improvement would be for them to offer beer or diet soda. read more

The best sandwich in Syracuse. Period. (The only negative review for this place comes from someone complaining that there were no vegan Banh Mis. That person gets zero stars for poor life choices.) read more

My 5 year old and I watch cooking shows together, and our family likes to eat. We think it's so fun to find hidden food gems here in the Syracuse area. I love Vietnamese food and really wanted to try a Banh Mi. We read about this place via yelp and wanted to check it out. So glad we did! It was a fantastic experience. The owner is lovely, and our sandwiches were amazingly good. Very fresh ingredients, great flavor, the bread was delicious and perfectly toasted. My son loved his. He wouldn't even give me one bite! I'm already planning our next visit. The reviewer who said " Run don't walk into this great place." is spot on. read more

I don't agree with many of the reviews that claim this place makes a great Banh Mi sandwich. First and most importantly, the bread is not even close to authentic. The authentic version is very crunchy on the outside and light and pillowly soft on the inside. The Ky Duyen version is crusty on the outside (vs crunchy) and dense and chewy on the inside. As far as the rest of the sandwich goes, the amount of pickled veggies and meat is modest at best. The price was $6 vs $5 reported in some of these reviews. read more

Just down the street from where we live on the Northside with virtually no parking, this place never looks open nor does it seem welcoming. It keeps getting rave reviews but, in my opinion, if you want Vietnamese, head up State St to Mai Lan read more

My favorite sandwich in Syracuse! I don't eat meat, so they make me a version with egg. It is to die for!!

my favorite place to get bahn mi! great for running in and out and the woman is very sweet. there are only 3 sandwiches (all which you can pick how spicy you want it) and sometimes she makes specials for the day. would be wonderful if it was more commercially appealing, but it's very homey. read more

Five styles of banh mi, served out of a push-cart inside a Vietnamese pool hall, for $4.00 apiece? Yes, please.

The outside of this place is not that welcoming, hard to tell if it is even open. And the busy corner makes pulling up in front a challenge, though you can always find a spot within a block. Don't let these inconveniences stop you, or the fact that they are only open for lunch. These sandwiches will blow your mind. There are only 5 choices, try them all, even the sardines (the other 4 are all pork based), make it spicy. And #5 has this funky dehydrated pork on it that looks like frayed rope. Try that one too. And does pork paste sound disgusting? Yes, but wow, when mixed with the other types of pork, the fresh veggies, the perfect bun, it is delicious. I love the perfect fitting brown paper bag as a holder, mighty convenient when road noshing. read more

Went in and asked if they had Pho per the other Yelp reviews I had read. I asked the woman and she said they didn't have any Pho and after telling her Yelp reviews had said they had Pho she didn't reply and gave me a confused look. After this discovery I decided to order 3 sandwiches. Following a delay of about 10-15 mins the cook informed us she had only enough food for 2 sandwiches and if that was ok given that there were 3 of us and I had ordered 3 sandwiches. When I told her no it wasn't ok she didn't reply and just walked away from me without clarifying​ what the situation was. I canceled the order and left. You'd think given the menu of about 4 items they would have enough food to make them. I would avoid this place and look elsewhere. read more

This place is definitely a hidden gem. Although the ambience is not the best, the authentic bahn mi definitely makes up for it. A good take-out lunch spot if you go to school/work around the area. The baguette has a crunchy exterior but warm and soft interior. The meats and veggies were also fresh and tasty. Overall, a seriously underrated spot in Syracuse. read more

I stop here on my way to work 3 times a week. I get the #1 With no cilantro and light spice. It is bar none the best sandwich in Syracuse. The rolls are always fresh daily and the flavor is unique and fresh. They have limited hours, usually from 10 or 11 am until about 2. They keep irregular hours, but going in at lunch time is always a safe bet. They only take cash, there is an atm, and sandwiches are 5$. I can not recommend it enough. Do yourself a favor and go. Be warned, the spicey is SPICEY! read more

Their pho is amazing, and the woman at the counter was very friendly. I'll likely drive the 3 hours back to Syracuse just to eat there again. read more

One of the 2 best sandwich shops in Syracuse. This has been a go to for me for the past 4 or 5 years. It's quick, close to downtown, and most importantly delicious. You'll find me here at least once a week when the weather is nice. Ky Duyen cafe has changed a lot over the past few years. It's very clean and there are plenty of tables to sit at now. They also have 5 sandwiches and sometimes spring rolls and desserts. One thing that hasn't changed is their great bahn mi. So if you were here 3-4 years ago and turned off by the broken window and desolate interior I say give it another shot. You won't be disappointed. read more

Best $5 (cash only!) sandwich in Syracuse. Ate it so fast, I got the hiccups. No frills here so be sure to grab a paper towel if you're grabbing it to go. read more

This place used to be a bar for Vietnamese men who would smoke and watch sports, while occasionally grabbing a banh mi to snack on. People would order banh mi from here (never staying) for lunches. But this was all done by a different person who actually used her name to promote her sandwiches. Now, it's run by someone who's not the real Ky Duyen, so the sandwiches are quite different. Now there's not enough of the butter and paste on the side. the sandwiches are bland. It's an okay place to go to, but if you're not really Viet, you won't notice the difference. If you're still wondering where the real Ky Duyen went, she's now making her delicious banh mi from the comfort of her own home. read more

5 bucks for a awesome sandwich! I will definatly be trying more.

NUMBER #1 you can't find anywhere like KY DUYEN's Banh Mi!!! Sweet old lady with the cutest personality making you bomb sandwich?! And it's cheap! come and get them between 9-5pm well there's still some! Made fresh everyday read more

Ok, this place is the real deal. Crispy toasted bread, Marinaded pork, pate, creamy mayo, pickled vegetables, ordered spicy with firebird chili peppers, topped with a bunch of fresh cilantro. An unrivaled flavor experience for only $5. Very nice lady behind the counter. Also room to eat inside and place looked very clean and comfortable. read more

A hidden gem. Simple, fresh, delicious Banh mi sandwiches. Goes to show what great ingredients and an authentic touch can produce.