Banh Mi – Page 7

Mira Mesa Banh Mi Tasting: BaLe, Tan Ky Mi Gia, Express Deli (Lucky Seafood), Cali Baguette Express, Corner Sandwich & Cafe, Baguette Up, and Sorrento European Bakery

January 23, 2011 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Memorable Meals, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

A couple of weeks ago, while having my SPAM® and Egg Banh Mi and Baguette Up I suddenly realized that perhaps Mira Mesa had the most Banh Mi shops on one single stretch of road in the greater San Diego area. I could recall at least seven places; which sounded just enough to do a super-duper crawl/comparison.

And my good friends, bless their hearts, are always game and up for something different, and have been with me on different food excursions, crawls, and meals. Since I've done a shorter rendition of this before, I pretty knew what I wanted to do. There would be two cars; we'd meet in the parking lot of Lucky Seafood. We'd order the "special" at every stop, and get it just the way the sandwich is served. We'd hit BaLe, Tan Ky Mi Gia, and Express Deli first since it's in the same parking lot. I handed out pens and sharpies to mark each restaurant with the name and prices. Of course I didn't count on PeterL writing the wrong prices down on a sandwich (it's a darn good thing he's got Angela to keep things straight), but I remembered the prices anyway. There were also some timing glitches since Express Deli seemed to have a thousand sandwich orders and took a while to make our sandwich. We headed off across the street to Cali Baguette Express, while TammyC and MrC headed off to a place I'd seem recently called Corner Sandwich & Cafe, located behind Popeyes in the same mall as Seafood City. We hit Baguette Up, while the other team headed to the finish at the other end of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Sorrento European Bakery. This was our meeting area as the food court is empty on Sundays, giving us ample room to do a tasting.

We had come prepared; disposable cutting mats, paper towels, knives, and water. And PeterL was our "cutter" and displayed great skill in cutting each Banh Mi into six pieces. In order to keep things as fair as possible, we ate the sandwiches in chronological order…. not quite FIFO, more like FIFI – first in, first in. I've been told in emails and some comments that the differences in Banh Mi are so small that it's really not worth mentioning. While I've always believed that I could make out differences in various sandwiches. And this tasting bore that out; and I was very surprised at how significant the differences were.

For the sake of time; I'll spend most of the post on the two favorite, and the two that we thought really weren't to our tastes. Strangely enough, the voting was unanimous on the two best, and the two worst.

The two favorites:

Express Deli:

Even though our sandwich took forever, and what's up with giving us mostly stems of cilantro(?), we really enjoyed Express Deli. The portion seemed on the small side, meat cut into very thin slices, but you make out the flavors of the Jamon and other meat, and the bread was toasted perfectly, making this heck of a good Banh Mi. Proportionally this was our favorite….plus the pickled carrots and daikon tasted good.

At $3.25, it's one of the more affordable sandwiches.

Express Deli
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd (inside Lucky Seafood)
San Diego, CA 92126

Cali Baguette Express:

I like the sandwiches from the El Cajon Boulevard location, but haven't tried the Mira Mesa location until today. Like Express Deli, Cali Baguette Express was either first or second on everyone's list.

At three bucks this was the cheapest sandwich. Cali Express makes their own bread, so even though we noticed that they didn't toast their banh mi, it was still slightly warm when we ate it. The bread is pretty light, and even though it's nothing close to what we had in Vietnam (what is?), the crust was flaky, and the bread to fillings ratio was good.

It was a long, but not huge sandwich, which looked the prettiest of them all when unwrapped……

Cali Baguette Express
9225 Mira Mesa Blvd #106
San Diego, CA 92126

And much like the two favorite, the two we enjoyed the least was also a unanimous vote. Sadly, the second to last was…..

Sorrento European Bakery:

**** Sorrento European Bakery has closed

I've had some pretty good sandwiches here before, but the bread on this day was especially stale……. and having had six sandwiches before this one, everyone noticed right away.

We all oohh's and aaah'd at the chunky pate, but it had no taste. The probably from a can pate on the Express Deli sandwich had more flavor. Actually, the flavor of the cucumber over-powered everything else in the sandwich.

Sorrento European Bakery
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd #117 – in the Sorrento Plaza Shopping Center
San Diego, CA 92121

The unanimous last place, and I do mean for all six of us was…….

Corner Sandwich & Cafe:

Corner Sandwich & Cafe has closed

This was a mystery place, as I've only passed it once. It looked like one of the Viet coffee places with all the older men hanging out outside. The Banh Mi here tied for the most expensive at four bucks.

The sandwich itself looked promising when opened up.

And then it happened, as we each took our first bite of the sandwich. Starting with MrC, then Angela…. an "whoa, this tastes really fishy". And yes indeed, there was fish cake in this one. The bread also seemed a bit old…… but the fishy taste pretty much overwhelmed everything.

TammyC was the last to have a bite…. she was taking notes, not fooling around, was she? We pretty much agreed with her notes on this one.

"Nuoc Mam Taste……fish cakes….bread sucks….." She never finished her slice……

Corner Sandwich & Cafe
9005 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

As for the rest? I'll just keep this short:

BaLe:

Bread was on the mealy side, kind of hard overall. PeterL and Angela said they got an "eggy" taste, probably from the spread that BaLe uses.

Ba Le French Sandwiches
9396 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Tan Ky Mi Gia:

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia has closed

Had the most hefty sandwich of the bunch.

The crust of the banh mi was too hard and chewy….it was also a bit too bready and dry for us along with not being toasted. This Banh Mi was tied at the most expensive at four bucks. We all liked the choices of meat in this sandwich, but there was just too much bread.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Baguette Up:

**** Baguette Up has closed

Even though this sandwich had the nicest looking Thi Ba Chi (roasted pork belly), TammyC in her notes summed it up for us….. "bland". Nothing really there to make this sandwich stand out. I will say, that along with Cali Baguette Express, Baguette Up has the nicest service…..

Baguette Up
8155 Mia Mesa Blvd. Suite #3
San Diego, CA 92126

This was a fun time, and also an eye opening experience, especially for JohnL, PeterL, and TammyC who are Vietnamese and have grown up eating Banh Mi. We never expected such great differences, but each sandwich was very different from the other!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I've been blessed to know folks like JohnL, PeterL, Angela (whose warmth and graciousness always keeps us going), TammyC, and MrC! So what's next guys????

Baguette Up

January 9, 2011 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Baguette Up has closed

A couple months back FOY (Friend of Yoso) Pheth mentioned a new Banh Mi shop opening in the same strip mall as Vinh Hung Market, Luong Hai Ky, et al in Mira Mesa….. I had to chuckle when she mentioned that the name of the place was Baguette Up. How…. umm, well cute isn't the right word, neither is quaint…. witty perhaps? About a week later "Melanie" mentioned this shop in her email about Song Huong. So it was only a matter of time it was "batter up" for Baguette Up (I guess I can almost be as pun-ny).

Baguette Up has its' own doorway, but seems to share space with the Boba shop named Bobalicious (of course…). Actually, the space for the Boba (sorry, I have a limit on how many times I'm willing to type out out Boba-licious) is twice as large.

For some reason I'm reminded of an ice cream shop whenever I walk in. Even though the menu says, "deliciously different"….. funny, but I don't see anything really different about the fourteen Banh Mi, several of which are "gringo specials" from other Banh Mi shops.

As for the prices; well they're pretty much in line with the other Banh Mi shops in the area as well.

So of course I went with the #1, the "special" (aka Banh Mi Dac Biet – $3.50) just to see what their Dac Biet consisted of. There's nary a word in Vietnamese as far as I could see; so it just seemed that this place was trying to distance itself. The sandwich itself seemed pretty small when I got it.

The bread itself was very fresh on this visit…. it had that light flakiness of a decent Vietnamese Baguette. Opening up the sandwich I was also pleasantly surprised to see pate, albeit a very mild pate, but I was glad to see that this little shop was actually trying to make a proper Banh Mi.

The overall portions of meat in the sandwich was on the small side; think Express Deli with lower quality protein. Also the pickled carrot, there was hardly any daikon, was not pickled enough, and hardly had any flavor.

The one interesting thing was the jalapenos. The jalapenos in this sandwich had some kick, which just about killed off everything in the sandwich. On the good side, it was just cilantro leaves, and not all the tough stems, which was nice for a change.

In the end, I thought this sandwich was not a very good value. And usually that would be it for me. Except for two things; first, the young lady manning the counter has got to be one of the nicest, friendliest, and attentive persons I've had the pleasure of coming across in a while.

Second, before walking out to the car to consume my sandwich, I noticed something which I could perhaps call "deliciously different"…. it was lucky #8:

After all, I always say "everything tastes better ina Banh Mi" right? (And I do mean everything.) So I returned for a SPAM® and Egg Sandwich ($3). There was a different young lady this time; but with the same sunny disposition:

I mean really, there are few things in my world better than SPAM® and eggs, and those would be SPAM® musubis, and perhaps Spam® Katsu Curry? This time, the bread wasn't so fresh, but there were two eggs in my Banh Mi, and with two slices of SPAM® this was fairly filling.

And if I wanted to get nit-picky, the eggs were cooked a bit more than I'd prefer, the pickled vegetables were still terrible, and all Banh Mi Trung (egg Banh Mi) should always have a sprinkling of Maggi. Still, this was a decent sandwich. But don't think it was a huge sandwich……

Because it was not….. but it would be a good breakfast. Which gets me to my next point; there are three egg sandwiches on the menu, but the place doesn't open until 11am.

So what can I say? That SPAM® and Egg was okay, the special less so. Service was great, prices are in line, not sure if I'll return, but it's always fun checking out a new place!

Baguette Up
8155 Mia Mesa Blvd. Suite #3
San Diego, CA 92126

Thanks for pointing this place out to me Pheth and Melanie, I'd have never found it otherwise!

Midweek Meanderings

January 5, 2011 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Chinese Restaurants

Just a couple of quick items I keep forgetting to post:

Cali Baguette Express Opening on Convoy:

In the old Boll Weevil spot, across the parking lot from Chin's. This will be their third location. Actually, I prefer the bread at Cali Baguette to what is served at K Sandwich. We'll finally be getting a Banh Mi shop on Convoy proper.

Ba Ren is now closed on Tuesdays:

I keep forgetting to mention this one.

I've been told that this is only temporary, and will only be for a couple of months. Apparently, hte assistant chef is back in China for a few months.

Well, that's it….. I told you it was going to be short and sweet! Be back with more tomorrow!

1 Strip Mall, 3 Banh Mi – Tan Ky Mi Gia, Ba Le, and Express Deli – Mira Mesa

August 23, 2010 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

If there ever was such a thing as Banh Mi weather, it would have been this past weekend….. man has SoCal turned me into a weather sissy. Anything over 85 seems just plain scorching. Not feeling like eating anything real heavy, I decided it was time….. for another Banh Mi post. But not just any other Banh Mi post. Last year, I noticed that Tan Ky Mi Gia had started selling Banh Mi. This brought the number of places selling Banh Mi in the strip mall on the 9300 block of Mira Mesa to an uneven three, something I thought was quite unusual. I know that Cafe Dore and Saigon Sandwiches and Deli coexist a few doors from one another, but I couldn't think of another location that had three places selling Banh Mi within fifty yards from one another.

Curious, I thought I'd check out all three during one visit, and kinda see how they lined up side by side. I decided that even though I have my own favorites at Ba Le and Express Deli, I'd go with the good 'ol #1, what's usually the Dac Biet (special). I started at Express Deli in Lucky Seafood.

Hit up Ba Le, then ended things buying my last sandwich from Tan Ky Mi Gia. One of my assumptions was crushed before I even walked to the car and ate my Banh Mi. I'd thought that prices would be pretty much in line because of competition…. I could not have been more wrong. The sandwiches ranged from $3.25 at Express Deli to $4 (gasp!) at Tan Ky Mi Gia. Ba Le came in at $3.50. So here goes……

Express Deli:

Is the little fast food stand in Lucky Seafood which I last posted on in March of 2006. There was nothing defined as "Dac Biet" here, so I got the Thit Nuong, which they call their "French Sandwich". The Banh Mi here was the least expensive at $3.25, which may not be something to celebrate. Back in 2006 it was $2.25!

Not surprising was the fact that this Banh Mi had the least amount of meat, which are cut in thin slices. What most surprised me was that I enjoyed this Banh Mi the best out of the three. If all remains the same, I believe the bread is from Le Chef Bakery. It was toasted fairly well. Initially, I thought there was too much "spread" on the sandwich, but it was a decent amount. The jalapenos weren't overpowering, and the pickled veggies had a nice crunch in addition to a good sweet-vinegary flavor.

I could have done with a bit more meat(especially since I like Jamon) and even more pate. There's a tendency for the staff to go a bit crazy with the Maggi, but today it was just enough.

Express Deli
9326 Mira Mesa Blvd (inside Lucky Seafood)
San Diego, CA 92126

Ba Le:

Over the last couple of years, I've been pretty disappointed in the Banh Mi from Ba Le. I wasn't very enthusiastic about getting a Banh Mi here. Especially since I went with the Dac Biet instead of Nem Cha Lua. Ba Le has a tendency to toast the bread to death, until it feels like you're eating a giant crouton that rips your mouth to shreds. So I opened my Dac Biet($3.50) with some reservation.

Also, the pickled veggies tend to be very thick and crudely sliced. On this day, the bread(thankfully) wasn't over toasted. It was however, a bit on the stale and dry side. This sandwich had the most amount of meat by far, but that BBQ pork was very bland and terribly dry as well.

The jalapeno peppers in this sandwich were pretty spicy….. which means you played that always fun game; jalapeno roulette.

I'm still not particularly enamored with Ba Le's sandwiches. More filling doesn't mean that much when proportion and texture means much more to me. To me, a Banh Mi isn't a over-stuffed sandwich.

One interesting note; it seems that Ba Le serves up Bun Bo Hue on weekends……

Ba Le French Sandwiches
9396 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Tan My Mi Gia:

**** Tan Ky Mi Gia is no longer

You really couldn't miss the fact that Tan Ky Mi Gia now made Banh Mi…..

I think I've mentioned how much this place loves signs before. One interesting thing…. even though they have a huge Banh Mi sign hanging from the back of the restaurant…. I didn't see any prices listed. So when the always "interestingly" attired and made up young man told me "four dollars" I was a bit surprised. Oh my, Banh Mi has crossed the four dollar mark! I was brought back to planet Earth when the young man snapped his fingers and held out his hand…. I was taking to long to pay I guess….

Honestly, this sandwich had potential. I enjoy the long baguette more than the usual Banh Mi, but this wasn't toasted enough. In fact it was kinda cold, even though I bought this last, and ate it first. It was just not crustly/flakey enough for me.

There was just a scant amount of pate, and the veggies weren't pickled enough. Also, there were almost no jalapenos, but maybe they thought I was not up to the task. The amount of meat in contrast to Ba Le was positively endangered. On the other hand, I enjoyed the choices of meat for the Dac Biet. And you could actually make them out in the sandwich.

Which is why I enjoyed this more than what I had from Ba Le.

Tan Ky Mi Gia
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Perhaps the next time you want a Banh Mi fest, and don't want to make multiple stops……..

Sunday Stuffs (from China edition): Guai Wei Can Dou (strange flavor broad beans 怪味蚕豆), Cumin Powder and an addition to “everything tastes better” in a Banh Mi, and other stuff……

June 20, 2010 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Cooking, yoso-silly

Call me strange….. flavored:

No, those aren't some turds laid on our dining room table by some strange insect…… it's my tri-weekly ration of Guai Wei Can Dou – strange flavored broad beans (or horse beans, or fava beans). For me this stuff is addicting…. the Missus has to lock these away.

On our first day in Nanjing, the Missus rushed to a snack vendor when She saw this……

I had a taste, and it was love at first bite! Guai Wei (strange flavor), is a flavoring unique to Sichuan province. This "strange flavor" is a combination of sweet-spicy-salty, and most of all, courtesy of a good amount of Sichuan Peppercorns; numbing. This version isn't like the package versions we had, it's also a bit chewy and sticky. I think the Missus bought a kilo (or two), and we had these during the rest of our trip.

So naturally, when we hit Chengdu, we went snack shopping. The Missus bought several varieties, two of each, one for us, and one for Her Dad.

So far, we've opened the first and third packages….. I prefer this one.

Of course, we've yet to open this package. While sharing a sample with friends of my MIL, I was asked what made this taste so good…… my reply, "I think it's the crack they add in at the end."

Even though I've seen some pseudo versions of these at the market, they don't look particularly enticing, so I think it'll be a sad day when this is gone. On the bright side, Fuchsia Dunlop has a recipe for Strange Flavor Peanuts in her book Land of Plenty. We may just have to try it out.

Ground Cumin from Sichuan:

To say this package of ground cumin is very fragrant is to say…. well…. let's put it this way: even when wrapped in plastic wrap, given its own ziploc bag, and riding solo in its own pocket…. at no time did I ever say to myself "hmmm, I wonder where that package of ground cumin is???" So naturally one of the first things I made when we got home was my Cumin Lamb (Zi Ran Yang Rou). Man, it came out so good that I've made it three times since.

So the Missus and I were having a light lunch at Cale Baguette Express, and while looking at my Banh Mi…..

And you know I always say "everything tastes better in a Banh Mi", right? So if it's good enough for Uni and Eggs, it'll be good enough for Cumin Lamb…..

So I went back in and bought one of their Baguettes ($1.25). I sauteed some red bell peppers and onions with minced garlic, cumin, soy sauce, and salt, which added sweetness and a mild crunch. I topped it off with cilantro leaves and sriracha. I gotta say, this was pretty darn good. Next up, cumin lamb tacos anyone????

More fun to come:

Along with all the wonderful tea, we brought back quite a few "gifts", like these wonderful dried mushrooms. A post on the dish I made with these is coming up.

And the wonderful, intensely fragrant 5-spice from QingDao.

Among other things……

It's going to be a fun couple of months….

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Banh Mi…. from Cafe Chloe ???

October 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, European Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** Cafe Chloe has closed

I usually don't post on these type of restaurants (there are great food blogs, publications, and of course Chowhound to keep you abreast). But on our last visit to Cafe Chloe, I wasn't able to resist ordering something from the menu that I was itching to for a while…..

Located in East Village, this little Bistro has become a favorite of the Missus, and especially of Her "ladies who do lunch crowd").

And other than some rather normal blips in service(when you spend at least $50/60+ for lunch or$70+ for dinner for two, you tend to be a bit more picky), we have always had nice meals at Cafe Chloe. Most of the offerings seem both rich, and yet light at the same time. And of all the gratines, tartines, and amandines (yes, I know it's just a topping of almonds, but it just sounded right), the Missus adores the Meatloaf when it is offered as a daily special. Sorry to say, no meatloaf today.

Call us predictable, but we always start with basically the same two appetizers, well kinda, sorta, as you'll see. We always get the Charcuterie Du Jour – today it was a wonderfully rich, yet balanced Pork Rillette, a wonderful pork spread, appropriately sealed with a layer of fat on the top.

The mustards and pickles help to cut the richness. We're talking serious good here. No it won't assault your tastebuds with a ton of different flavors going everywhere, but it will make you go "mmmmm".

The Missus enjoys the Tarte Flambe, a classic flatbread, topped with a smear of crème fraîche, caramelized onions, and bacon…….. Need I say more????

Though I find the bread a bit on the thick side for a tarte, this is a nicely balanced offering. The bacon, thick sliced, is a far cry from the sodium loaded stuff you buy in packages. If anything, it was bit too mild for my tastes, but the Missus loves this, and orders it everytime. and of course, there are the mixed greens that seems to be on almost every plate…..

The Missus went with the Tartine du Jour – the open faced sandwich of the day. In this case it was a Curried Chicken Tartine:

Before grabbing a bite of this, I really didn't have my hopes up. It was however, very good, it looked over-dressed in mayo, but was not. A great combination of flavors and textures. And I really thought the bread was perfect for this, slightly nutty, with a mild hint of sweetness. I believe that Cafe Chloe gets their bread from Sadie RoseBaking Company, whose products I love. The pasta salad was dressed with a nice balsamic vinegar based concoction, but the pasta was hard and brittle. I guess I just expected a bit more.

So why am I doing a post on Cafe Chloe? Well there's something on the menu that I've been wanting to try……

Banh Mi??? In a French inspired Bistro….why not? I mean Banh Mi is undoubtedly French inspired, so why not…. it'll be like going "Back to the Future"!!! I love Banh Mi, and have probably eaten my share of them. And at least for me; it's a far cry from a French Baguette Sandwich to a Banh Mi, though I do think most things would taste better in a Banh Mi, even uni….umm oursins.

This was a case of the sum not being equal to its parts, and has probably been the only item I've been totally disappointed with at Cafe Chloe. Each item taken individually was good; I loved the crusty baguette, but it was too hard for a Banh Mi, in which the bread stars by being light, airy, and more flakey than crusty. The pate was nice, but very mild, and was totally lost in the sandwich. The Do Chua, the pickled vegetables which adds a crunch along with a palate cleansing flavor were replaced by a variety of greens. There were too many veggies in this, and the watercress and other greens were too bitter, and with the radishes, overwhelmed the entire sandwich, I couldn't even taste the aioli. There is always a nice savory component to a good Banh Mi which was missing here.

As if to really tell me to order something else next time, the Gaufrettes were burnt and bitter……

There's alot on the menu to enjoy at Cafe Chloe, steak frites, duck confit, the meatloaf the Missus will kill for. I'm sure we'll be back soon; the Missus would eat here a couple of times a week if She could. I won't be ordering the Banh Mi again, though……

Cafe Chloe
721 Ninth Ave
San Diego CA 92101

Everything Tastes Better in a Banh Mi, Right? Sunday Edition – Uni (Sea Urchin) and Egg Banh Mi

June 21, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Cooking, Sandwiches, yoso-silly

If you've read my previous post, you'll recall my testing the limits of that phrase. I can't recall who told me that, but it has stuck in my head. This'll be a short post….'cause you know that you should be spending time with Dad on this Father's Day, not checking out some silly "Everything Tastes Better in a Banh Mi" post!

The Banh Mi itself looks fairly innocuous.

I became a big fan of Banh Mi Trung (Egg Banh Mi) during our visit to Vietnam….and I still crave it from time to time. While looking through the recipes in Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook, I came across a recipe for "Scrambled Eggs with Sea Urchin in Lobster Sauce". It really wasn't the recipe that hit me, but the photo. Along the side of the dish, was a baguette! In the sometimes strange way that my mind works, I thought this to be a great idea. I've had a wonderful "Oeufs Brouillés aux Oursins" (scrambled eggs with sea urchin), and even "Oeufs Brouilles Au Caviar D'Oursin" (scrambled eggs with caviar and sea urchin) a couple of times. Uni, egg, and Banh Mi sounded just wonderful. So why not?

My objective was to not "kill" the wonderful, unique, and delicate flavor of the Uni. I wanted everything to be in harmony, yet not boring. I guess you'd call it "fusion" without "con-fusion".

The bread I picked up from Paris Bakery.

In homage to the Vietnamese Banh Mi Trung, I added some Maggi to the eggs, because as we all know, "Maggi makes everything taste better"! And some sea salt.

For texture, and to balance out the richness, I used the ubiquitous Vietnamese pickled radish and carrots. In addition, instead of cilantro, I added some Kaiware (daikon sprouts). I think a touch of mayo might have been nice, but pate would have killed the sandwich.

There's not much more except for some photos:

Wow, this was "killer", I was amazed at how good this was. The pickles cut the richness, the sprouts added a bit of "spice" and bite, the Maggi added a nice "umami", and you could still taste the wonderful "soul of the ocean"! Not a cheap Banh Mi, but man was it good!

So no Kimchi and Peanut Butter Banh Mi this time around. But the saying still runs true; everything tastes better in a Banh Mi!

Was it hot enough for you today?

April 19, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Chinese Restaurants, Sandwiches

Well was it? Man, I saw the thermometer hit 92 today, and we live in a very moderate part of San Diego! I don't know about you, but sometimes the heat really dampens my appetite. Can you imagine having this steaming bowl of Gyeran Jjim (steamed egg)……

I do know folks who enjoy having a nice hot bowl of soup during a heat wave (and love ice cream during the middle of winter), but I'm not one of them. Neither is the Missus. But the Missus has one thing going for Her….when She finds something She enjoys, She'll have it every day until the woman becomes sick and tired of it. I believe I've documented various obsessions pretty well. But this time, the Missus has got two going on at the same time! What's even more interesting is that both obsessions are sandwiches! And even though sammies originate in different parts of the world, they both happen to be vegetarian sandwiches.

In corner A, we have the Vegetarian Banh Mi from LV Sandwiches in Linda Vista:

I was told they make the faux Cha Lua inhouse. I must say, that unlike most Banh Mi Chay, this one has some flavor to it. And it can almost fool me……..

Unfortunately LV Sandwiches has now closed…..

LV Sandwiches and Restaurant
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

In corner B, is the "Garden Delight" from Sandwich Emporium, our wonderful neighborhood sandwich shop. For some reason the Missus eschews cheese and mayo on this sandwich, but adds pickled jalapenos for a bit of a kick. (A side note, I like the BLAST, which is basically the same sandwich with bacon…)

She has eaten this sandwich on five or the last six days. The Missus has become a bit embarassed about John and Peter ordering the sandwich the minute they see Her. So guess who has to pick up Her sandwiches now???? I mean, I love sandwiches, and the crew at Sandwich Emporium, but 5 times in six days? And I've got a sneaking suspicion the Missus will make it six out of seven tomorrow….I hope they don't run out of sprouts or jalapenos!

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA
619-275-1351

Meanwhile, I've got my own cure for a hot Sunday:

Yep, it's from you know where, and it sure hit the spot. Also, since Ba Ren has lowered prices, this dish is now only $4.59….cheaper than many sandwiches. I think I'll be eating this a lot more often…..

**** Ba Ren has closed

Ba Ren
4957 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Of course this looks pretty good right now as well:

But that's a whole 'nother post(yes, another COMC post I'm sure)…..well, you can read about Cathy's visit here. Let's just say it lives up to it's name on the menu, "Vuelve ala Vida" – Back to life!

We hope everyone managed to keep cool and refreshed this weekend!

LV Sandwiches and Restaurant

January 22, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** LV sandwiches has closed and has been replaced by Toan Ky, you can find a post here.

While I was paying too much attention to the opening of Thuan Phat Market and the soon to open Yum Cha Cafe, LV Sandwiches opened right under my nose last week.

LV Sandwiches has opened in the spot formerly occupied by Le's.

We'd have never noticed except for the grand opening sign….

And buy 2 sandwiches, get 1 free is a great deal in my book!

Other than the sandwich menu, not much has changed.

And the restaurant has kept Le's Vietnamese-Chinese-Thai menu, along with the mediocre food, like this combination Com Tam. Underwhelming and overpriced at $7.95.

I had never been a big fan of Le's, and holding over the old menu items, which seem to number in the hundreds….

But of course we were here for the sandwiches! On our first visit, things were a bit disorganized, but the folks, and especially the woman who looked to be running the place were very nice. We had a seat, and ate our sandwiches inside the restaurant. Of course the Missus ordered the Banh Mi Bi (shredded pork – $2.75):

The Bi was mildly flavored, but on the dry side, I likened it to eating sawdust. The bread on the other hand was good, warm, crusty, but not hard, and airy. Instead of slicing the baguette in half, adding margarine, than toasting, creating what I call the "crouton effect" (I'm sure we all love croutons…but try chewing on a baguette sized crouton and attempt to preserve the skin lining your mouth), LV toasts the whole baguette. Also, as we were to find later, eating in, has its benefits.

Strangely, the Missus ordered the Banh Mi Chay (vegetarian – $2.75):

Turning over a new leaf for the New Year? hmmm… When our sandwiches arrived, they were cut in half for consumption……and I really couldn't figure out what this was. It tasted pretty darn good….with not a hint of the usual deep fried tofu, nor "plastic meat" in sight. There was some nice flavor, the addition of fried shallots and garlic gave the Banh Mi a nice kick. What was the most surprising, and impressive was the quality of the "faux" Cha Lua (defatted pork sausage – think bologna!!!). The texture was pretty good, and it didn't have an artificial flavor. When we inquired about this, we were told that they make their own "mock meat" in house. The Missus had found Her favorite at LV.

We took the Dac Biet (Special – $3.25) home with us.

I was surprised at the amount of meat in this sandwich. The Thịt Nguội (Ham – Jambon) was lean, and the Cha Lua had a mild smokiness to it. I believe they make this inhouse as well. The Pate had a strong livery "funkiness"to it, which ranks up there with BaLe on University, but went well in this sandwich. The bread had gotten chewy, and the crust hard by the time I arrived home. Still, we had gotten 3 sandwiches for a tad over $6. A great deal in these cash-strapped times.

A day later, the Missus wanted another Banh Mi Chay, so in addition to the Dac Biet, I got a Trung Lap Xuong (Egg and Lap Cheong – $3.25):

Not much in the egg front, but a lot of sliced sausage. The sweetness of the sausage, along with the pickled vegetables was a nice combination.

And soon enough, it was another day, another Banh Mi Chay for the Missus. This time we decided to have our sandwiches at the restaurant. And we verified that the sandwiches were much, much better eaten ASAP. The bread for each of the sandwiches were a bit different quality wise. The Missus's was a bit more mealy, close to getting stale.

While the bread for the Banh Mi Xiu Mai (meatball – $2.75), was a bit better, it seemed to have some mileage on it.

The ground pork was very rich, almost oily, and combined with the Pate sent the sandwich into pungent overdrive. It was a bit much for the Missus, and was too rich for me. Even the pickled vegetables, which are cut a bit on the thicker side, and tend toward the sour side of the spectrum, didn't cut the richness.

The bread for the Banh Mi Ba Chi (cured pork belly – $2.75), was about as good as it gets in San Diego. Light, and pulling almost to the flaky, instead of overly crusty, this was some good bread. We still miss the airy baguettes we had in Vietnam. For us, they seem more suited to the Banh Mi, than the dense and heavy baguettes we sometimes encounter.

I didn't enjoy the tough and stringy cilantro in this particular sandwich. T LVSandwich14 he pork belly was very mild in flavor, and it was almost all texture. The Missus though the texture was similar to eating raw bacon. And though I really enjoy some versions of this sandwich, I had to agree with Her.

So what's to like at LV? First off, they aren't heavy handed in the use of Mayo and margarine. Second, I like the Thịt Nguội and Cha Lua. Third, when the bread is right…it is right. Fourth, the folks here are really nice. Fifth, the sandwiches have much more flavor than their "Gringo-ized" brethren. Sixth:

Can you really beat buy 2 get one free?? And it's not like Paris Bakery where you have to get all Dac Biet. So check them out………

LV Sandwiches and Restaurant
6925 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111

Did you think we ate enough Banh Mi????

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Breakfast in Paris……..Ummm Bakery, that is…..

November 11, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Vietnamese Restaurants

Didya bite??? Having a topsy-turvy sleeping schedule, also means pretty messed up eating. Wide awake at 430 am, means my stomach is telling me it's time for some food by 5am. For me, there's just so much eggs-sausage-hash browns I can handle, and many recent mornings I found myself craving for some noodle soup, or something similar. So what is there at 5am? Luckily, Paris Bakery opens at 5am, and I could grab a Banh Mi.

In the winter darkness you can smell the fresh baked baguettes from El Cajon Boulevard, and at this hour the bread is always warm. Paris makes the baguettes for many Banh Mi joints in San Diego, so why not go to the source?

I've found that I like the crust to bread ratio of the "long bread", rather than the regular baguettes for sandwiches at Paris Bakery. It does cost a quarter more, but is worth it. On one recent morning I had the Combination – Banh Mi Dac Biet ($3.50):

Sorry about the 5 (am) o'clock "shadow".

There are several slices of "Jamon", ham which looked fatty and dry, but which had some nice flavor. And some very thin slices of Cha Lua – lean(defatted) pork sausage, which was almost an afterthought.. I was impressed at the amount of pickled veggies in the sandwich. There were a few thin slices of jalapeno were very mild. What I didn't care for was the huge amount of mayo on the sandwich.

I didn't recall the sandwiches here having so much mayonnaise on it, and made a mental note to do without in future visits. I also noticed that this style of bread has a tendency to go "mealy" fairly quickly.

That future visit came up quickly…..like 2 days later, as I was again up and wide awake at 430 am, and had eaten a very mediocre, calorie dense, and artery clogging breakfast the previous day(a future post). Based on my previous experience, I decided to go with the Jamon – Pate (Ham and Pate – $3.25).

First off, there was a pretty generous amount of ham in the sandwich, along with a good amount of Ca Rot(pickled carrots and radish), which had a nice mildly sour flavor, and seemed to be a bit sweeter than on previous visits.

I was disappointed in the trace amount of Pate on the sandwich.

The jalapenos were again very mild. But I enjoyed this sandwich much more than the one I had eaten previously.

All in all, Paris makes a pretty good Banh Mi. The bread is pretty crusty, but not as light and flakey as I would like. I wish they made Banh Mi Trung (Egg Banh Mi) which would really hit the spot for breakfast. There are many worse options with regards to Banh Mi, and even more lousy options at 5am than Paris Bakery. Plus, I recently had a pretty good cup of Cafe Den Da (Black Iced Coffee), strong enough to keep me wide awake until the afternoon.

After all, you can do much worse than breakfast in Paris, no???

Paris Bakery
4481 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

A previous really silly post on Paris Bakery can be found here.

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