The day was July 4, and I was walking with my family when we noticed a sign announcing a new restaurant serving boba would be arriving in the coming fall. It’s been a few months since the restaurant opened, but I finally got the chance to try it last week. It is called Corner Banh Mi, and is located at 561 Lincoln Ave in Winnetka.
One thing I liked about this place before even visiting it was the location. For me and many other Winnetka residents, it is very convenient. I unfortunately feel that I can’t get boba as often as I would like, since many of the places are farther out of the way. Corner Banh Mi, on the other hand, is just a few minutes from my house, and in an area I frequent quite often. Seeing as it is
right down the street from Hometown Coffee & Juice, a popular spot, I know many other people are in the vicinity regularly as well.
Upon walking in, I was greeted with the lively feel and background noise of a bustling kitchen. The only downside was that there was very limited seating. They did have tables inside and outside, but it may be more advantageous to carry out here anyway—besides, the space itself was fairly small.
What impressed me most about this place has to be the vastness of the menu. For drinks, they offer six types of Vietnamese coffee, six varieties of milk tea, eight flavors of fruit tea, two different soda drinks, and eight kinds of fresh fruit smoothie. You can choose to add regular tapioca or crystal tapioca to the drinks as well. When it comes to food, the menu is broken down into categories: lunch specials, appetizers, Vietnamese baguettes, rice vermicelli noodle dishes, noodle soups, rice dishes, fried egg noodles, lo mein, and special Chinese entrees. Each category has many subsections to choose from. It was quite difficult for me to choose just a few things to try with all these options.
I ended up ordering the strawberry milk tea. I liked that it wasn’t too sweet or overpowering, and it had a smooth flavor. I got the crystal tapioca, which I had never tried before but ended up liking. Also, upon further research, I found out crystal tapioca is healthier than the regular kind due to it having a lower amount of fat and calories. Even though I liked my drink the way it came, it would have been nice to have more customization options that can be found at some other boba shops. There are typically options to customize the sweetness, if you want lighter ice or boba, and to add popping boba. For those who don’t know, popping boba is filled with fruit juice and pops in your mouth, while regular tapioca is a soft sphere that is chewed. I am a big fan of popping boba, so it was a bit disappointing to see that option missing.
After much deliberation, I decided on chicken fried rice and pot stickers. The fried rice was a bit pricey, but it came in a huge portion, so it could basically be two meals—plus it was delicious. The potstickers came with a sauce that added a great flavor. I do feel like many of the potstickers I’ve tried ended up being dry, so I was glad to not run into that problem here.
Overall, I would say my experience was positive, and I would visit again. My personal favorite place to get boba, Koya in Wilmette, would still come out on top—but when it comes to convenience, Corner Banh Mi is the clear winner. I hope to try more of their menu in the future.
