A banh mi and boba tea shop, Tiên’s Sandwich, is coming to Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel helmed by Vietnamese chef Chau Le. The expected opening date is in November.
Tiên’s will serve its signature Vietnamese-French submarine-style sandwiches with ingredients imported from Vietnam and tea brought in from Taiwan. The sandwiches run from $8.95 for a classic to $10.95 for a premium banh mi. The proprietary flour mixture for the in-house baked baguette is blended for “crunch consistency” and “airy fluff,” owner Tommy Nguyen said by phone Friday.
Different regions of Vietnam have unique ways of processing the flour and protein mixture for the dough. It’s important to have the right blend to get that crunch, but also to make sure the bread isn’t too doughy, he said.
Tommy Nguyen works with his wife and business partner Trang Le. The couple spent time in Vietnam this year learning techniques for making banh mi bread. They compared and contrasted flour blends for the fast-casual spot.
While banh mi is the focus of Tiên’s, the spot will also have a boba tea lounge. Tiên’s seats about 40 patrons. Other menu items include beef pho, vermicelli bowls and spring rolls. The shop is named after the couple’s daughter.
Nguyen and Le live in the neighborhood and the community has been asking for another Vietnamese spot, he said. Community members have voiced concerns to Nguyen that some of the restaurants opening in the area are expensive and primarily chains.
“And then they don’t see many family-owned restaurants, and family-owned restaurants are being closed left and right,” Nguyen said. “We’re able to cater to the community to kind of help customize the menu or customize everything to people’s liking.”
His wife’s family, under the guidance of her chef father, has consulted for multiple Vietnamese restaurants throughout Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay, Nguyen said. They owned and operated the now-shuttered Pho Nhu Trang in what is now Viet Kitchen on West Waters Avenue in the Egypt Lake-Leto neighborhood.
Down the road they plan to add regional specialties to the menu and they already have their eye on opening a full-service restaurant. For Tiên’s, they have gathered the hits from Le’s culinary repertoire under one roof.
2557 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel. tienssandwich.com.
