**** Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe is now Banh Mi Express
My recent visits to Paris Sandwiches had me wondering about Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe. I've actually thought the Banh Mi at Phuong Nga to be pretty good when compared to all those pho (faux) banh mi places these days. I do wish the shop had weekend hours as it would be a decent breakfast stop when doing my "Saturday rounds", but as is, they are only open from 8am to 3pm Monday to Friday. I made some time to visit during a weekday morning to see what was going on here.
I strolled on in and ordered the Dac Biet – #1, $6.99 which is par for banh mi these days. Within minutes, my sandwich was ready and I sauntered on back to the office. It did feel a bit hefty.
And yes, it was quite full of Cha Lua, Thit Nguoi…… What I think banh mi purists' will appreciate, I'm looking at you "Billy" is that Phoung Nga still includes cucumbers in their banh mi, a rarity these days. The bread, as usual is a bit heavily baked (onsite), making it more hard and crusty than having a nice balance of light, crusty-flaky. But these days, this is almost a blessing, as much of what I've had is soft and doughy. There's a good amount of pickled veggies, the jalapenos were present, but not overly spicy on this visit. This was a nice lunch for me.
It is my favorite banh mi in the area.
If you know of something you think is better, and no, it ain't Cali Banh Mi, please let me know!
Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 8am – 3pm
Closed on Saturday and Sundays
nice!
Phuong Nga is close to the office, but their bread isn’t my favorite. I haven’t been to Cali Banh Mi in ages, and now I’m reluctant to give them a try.
It hit the spot Kat!
I do prefer Paris Sandwiches to Phuong Nga Sandy, but other than that…..
We usually hit the food line at Lucky for banh mi’s, but I will try Phuong Nga. That bread looks a little off though.
PN’s banh mi are a bit more “stuffed” Dereck! The bread on my previous visits had been better.
Picked up a banh mi from Phuong Nga (dac biet), and it was a very good sandwich. The bread was a little too crusty for my taste, but the proportions of bread and filling were good.
Oh, that’s great Sandy! Yes, the bread at Phuong Nga tends to be on the overly crusty side, but I think it’s better than the alternatives in the area.