Organization
BiddoBanh
BiddoBanh is a Cambodian American-owned Southeast Asian sandwich shop on Main Street in Biddeford, Maine, opened by Sima and Breese Reagle in 2023.[1][2][3] Its small menu centers on banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich that gives the shop its name, along with rice bowls, salads and bubble tea.[4][5] The owners opened it to bring Cambodian flavors to southern Maine.[2]
History
Sima Reagle's family moved from Cambodia to Biddeford in 1995, and she has fond memories of growing up in the city. "This was my first taste of America," she said. "The community has given a lot to me and I want to give back."[4] Her family's life revolved around food. She grew up on Cambodian food and family recipes, and American meals such as pizza or her mother's spaghetti were a treat. When she left for college, she found how much she relied on the food she grew up with, and she called home to learn how to make it. That experience shaped the BiddoBanh menu.[5][4]
The Reagles took over a former antiques store at 299 Main Street, next to Fish & Whistle, pulled up the old carpet and renovated the space.[3] BiddoBanh held its grand opening on October 13, 2023.[4] Sima Reagle has said the couple hopes to expand.[5]
Food
The shop offers five kinds of banh mi: cold cut, crisp pork belly, lemongrass beef, ginger-soy glazed chicken, and a vegetarian ginger-soy glazed tofu.[4][3] The eight-inch rolls, light and flaky with a crisp crust, come several times a week from a Vietnamese bakery near Boston.[3][4] Each sandwich has a house "butter mayo" of oil, egg yolks and a little condensed milk, a thin layer of pâté, pickled carrot and daikon radish, cucumber and cilantro, with fresh jalapeño on request.[3] The pork is Boston pork butt marinated in soy and ginger, and the beef is top sirloin marinated in lemongrass.[3]
Four rice bowls use the same fillings as the sandwiches; the ginger-soy chicken bowl comes with pickled vegetables and cucumber.[3][2] The summer menu has included cha lobster, a lemongrass falafel and Cambodian-style shaved ice.[2] Bubble tea, a Taiwanese drink, comes in flavors such as strawberry and brown sugar.[1][4] Sima Reagle says the menu pairs traditional Cambodian flavors with dishes American diners know.[5]
Community
Sima Reagle calls the couple "just two people who like to cook and share our food." The Reagles work with other downtown merchants, and BiddoBanh has taken part in Biddeford's Juneteenth celebration and the downtown Confetti Bazaar.[2][6] It was one of the restaurants in Biddeford + Saco Restaurant Week, March 15 to 22, 2026.[7] Main Street Maine credits it with adding a missing piece to the revitalized food scene of Biddeford and southern Maine.[1]
Visiting
BiddoBanh is a counter-service shop with two small four-person tables and soft seating around a coffee table.[3] Orders can also be placed online.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Main Street Maine, BiddoBanh (Biddeford, ME)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Biddeford Gazette, Bringing Cambodian Flavor to Biddeford
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Portland Press Herald, Eat & Run: A banh mi shop fit for Biddeford (December 2023)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Saco Bay News, Local Flavor: BiddoBanh (October 2023)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 WGME, The Maine Character: Cambodian flavors find a home in Biddeford (June 2026)
- ↑ Biddeford Gazette, business profiles (community edition)
- ↑ Main Street Maine, Restaurant Week (Biddeford/Saco, ME)
- ↑ BiddoBanh, official website