Tran Chung opens Vietnamese street food shop in Chemainus

Tran Chung, a former tax and accounting professional and educator, has opened a Vietnamese street food shop called Bahn Mi in Chemainus, British Columbia. After spotting a rental sign in the Cowichan Valley, Chung transitioned from a career that included teaching at the University of British Columbia to running the small kiosk on Willow Street.

The business has gained a loyal following, with Chung reporting that the shop frequently sells out of its daily limit of 50 banh mi sandwiches. For Chung, the venture serves as a personal connection to his family history; his parents fled Vietnam by boat after the war, passing through Thailand and Malaysia before being sponsored to settle in Canada in 1980.