ROC - Boba Mi
It’s been a little since my last visit and in that time, one of my best friends told me I HAD to try Boba Mi so off I went for a little lunch date with mom.
LOCATION: 376 JEFFERSON RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623
Now, being Vietnamese, we ARE critical of good or bad Vietnamese food and while my tastes are not as refined and mom is quite a picky eater, we do know good Viet food and this was good Viet food.
Turns out this place is run by a a cute South East Asian family (not Vietnamese) but they nailed the flavors. I ordered one of my favorite dishes, a noodle bowl with grilled pork chop while my mom got her classic rice bowl with grilled pork chop. I know everyone thinks of Vietnamese food and goes “Phở” which is great. I love the representation and phở is no joke when it’s done well so no shade, but ya’ll are sleeping on the pork chops. Bún thịt nướng is my JAM when I got to a restaurant. The one month I waitressed at a family friend’s restaurant post grad, I had it for lunch almost every shift.
Bún thịt nướng/noodle bowl with grilled pork chop comes with rice noodles, your protein of choice (the grilled pork is a classic), cucumbers/lettuce/pickled carrots/daikons, peanuts, and an egg roll. The juices from the meat is enough for me for moisture so I did a little mix-y mix and it’s perfection and makes me feel so nostalgic. A REAL Vietnamese person would tell you you HAVE to drizzle in some fish sauce (Nước mấm) but I’m so sorry, the American-ness gets me sometimes.
Mom and I were so happy. This place is close to my parent’s home, clean, affordable, good portion, casual vibes, and the pork chops were PERFECT. We’re interested in trying other dishes here so I’m looking forward to coming back and she’s already planning future lunch dates here with my younger cousins and/or my brother. I’m happy to introduce her to new places that she can enjoy with my family as well. Very hyped to see more modern Vietnamese restaurants for the cultural exposure. Love love love.