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.
Nguyen named GM Banh Mi in honor of her brother, Gia Minh. Growing up, Nguyun and Gia Minh had a close relationship, describing him as a kind and caring person. The two talked everyday about his dream of owning a restaurant.
“He was always the one who was cooking. That was his favorite thing to do because that’s how he shows that he cares,” Nguyen said. “One time, I remember when my mom got sick, and he would just go to the kitchen and make porridge for her, and we enjoyed it.”
Gia Minh attended culinary school in Toronto and worked as a chef in a couple of Michelin restaurants while in school. However, just a week after graduating in 2022, Gia Minh passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Nguyun was inspired by her brother’s work ethic and generosity and decided to honor his legacy by opening a Vietnamese restaurant to share their love for food with Madison.
Growing up in Vietnam
Nguyen and Gia Minh grew up in the south of Vietnam but moved to Madison when Nguyun was in high school. Before moving to Madison, life in Vietnam was simple. Nyguyn said in Vietnamese culture, food is an expression of love and centers on family.
Despite their mother rushing to work in the mornings, she would always prepare food for the family. When she was too busy, banh mi sandwiches were a go-to breakfast item. She would either prepare the sandwiches or the siblings would order banh mi from a street vendor outside.
These Vietnamese street vendors served as added inspiration behind GM Banh Mi. In Vietnam, Nguyen said street food is very popular, and it is difficult to choose the “best” banh mi vendor because each one has a signature recipe. Nguyen wanted to add to Madison's food diversity with a unique Vietnamese flair.
“I feel that compared to other cities, our [Madison’s] food is kind of diverse,” Nguyen said. “But it’s not really a foodie city like Chicago.”
A restaurant to feel at home
Nguyen tries to make every customer feel comfortable and likes to treat them like family. She encourages her customers to customize their food to their liking. Nguyen said she puts care and love into every order, just like how her brother would.
Nguyen hopes customers will feel comfort in her food. When designing the restaurant’s interior, others recommended her design to have more of a traditional Vietnamese feel or a “younger vibe,” but she wanted her customers to have a quiet space and to feel at home.
“Some people say they like food that awakens them or say ‘Wow, it’s so good!’ but I don't expect that ‘wow,’” Nguyen said. “I expect ‘Oh, you don’t know what to eat or where to go? Come here, a place that you feel warm, a place where you feel comfort, that it’s like home.”
