Sandwiches – Page 37

K sandwiches for a quick dinner

May 2, 2009 Cathy Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food. Kirk is somewhere between San Diego and Guatemala, ed (from Yuma) is somewhere between San Diego and Yuma and Cathy is here now.

Hello again. The Mister had to work late the other night. I was hungry and did not want to cook. I told him to meet me at K Sandwich for dinner. I have posted about K and breakfast . Kirk has blogged aboutK sandwich as its own post as well as when He compares banh mi around town. It is on Linda Vista Road at Mesa College Drive.

So anyhow. The usual. We have to get a pate chaud ($1)

Crisp, light pastry surrounding ground pork, lightly seasoned. Never greasy, always good. It is sold in the lighted shelves next to the cash register.

I have to get hot milk coffee(cafe su da)(sua nong) $2.50. The Mister decided to try a lychee slushie ($2.45) .

I got my usual #24, the roast beef sandwich. ($3.89) On a fresh made croissant. The croissant is HUGE.

The roast beef is plentiful, but not too flavorful. There is white cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and pickled jalapenos on the sandwich.

The Mister got the #12, BBQ Meat banh mi. ($2.75)

I don't know what this BBQ meat is, but we like to call it "Vietnamese Kielbasa" and let it go at that. it is good, sliced thick, has a slight garlic undertone and is served on the fresh bread with daikon, sliced carrot, cilantro and sliced fresh jalapeno.

A lot of food and beverage, $13.67 with tax. Good, fresh food.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

K Sandwiches 7604 Linda Vista Road (at Mesa College Drive) SD 92111 (858)278-8961

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!

The Torta Factory

April 1, 2009 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

*** The Torta Factory has closed.

This little shop on El Cajon Boulevard opened up about three weeks ago. The balloons, and "Grand Opening Banner" beckoned me in.

The menu is simple, but growing everyday. On my first visit it had Tortas, Quesadillas, breakfast items, and Cemitas. They have now added tacos and huaraches, and I watch with glee as the ball of masa is formed and a tortilla is pressed out for its destiny as a huarache (huarache = "slipper", and is a slipper sized "tortilla" of sorts, topped with any number of items). The restaurant is pretty clean, and simply attired.

The salsa bar is standard, with all of the usual suspects.

My first visit was fun, the gentleman, who I believe is the owner is very friendly, and is eager to please. The prices are a bit higher than your regular taco shop, and watching the tortas being assembled, I knew this wasn't "just another taco shop."

I had Torta Milanesa de Res (breaded beef torta – $5.29):

What struck me about this torta was the bolillo (bread), it was light and airy, the crust was, well crusty, without being hard, and it was not overtoasted.

The milanesa was light and moist, but very mild in flavor. The smear of beans was just right, and most of all, this wasn't dredged in mayo.

It was a very balanced sandwich, one in which the sum of the parts worked together well. I can't say if it was the best Torta I've ever had, but I really enjoyed it. I left feeling satisfied, not like I'd been weighed down by a ton of grease and saturated fat, which has it's own rightful place in (and around) my heart, but this was very pleasant.

Which meant that I had to bring the Missus along on my next trip. The Missus wasn't very hungry, and is a bit picky about the amount of cheese (minimal) and sour cream (none) on Her Mexican food. She decided on the Quesadilla de Flour de Calabasa (zucchini blossom quesadilla – $3.99), and requested it light on the cheese, and with no sour cream. I watched as the tortilla was again formed by hand. It was a simple, but delicious looking dish:

And it was a good idea to get this easy on the cheese…since it was mozzarella cheese. The Missus loved the Guacamole, and told me She could really taste every ingredient in the Quesadilla clearly.

This time I went for the Torta de Bistec Ranchero ($5.29):

Thin sliced beef (a la Carne Asada) browned, than simmered in a mild tomato based sauce. the flavor of the onions and garlic came through. And the beef was very tender. As you can see this was dressed a bit differently from my previous Torta:

No chredded lettuce this time, and the cheese was pretty much an afterthought and added nothing to the sandwich. Again the bolillo was light and airy. In fact, I enjoyed this more than the Torta Milanesa. It could be because the gentleman told me to try some of his "chili paste", which is not on the salsa bar. He gave us a small container of what I believe is a Chipotle based paste.

It was smokey with a nice slow burn…….

On my last visit, I was determined to try something different, and went with the Cemita de Pata ($7.99). Cemitas are a type of sandwich which differentiates itself from Tortas mainly by the type of roll used. It is a round sesame seed crusted roll. The cemita I had previously was toasted, but nice and fluffy. This one was toasted, and on the crumbly side. It was pretty big……

The roll was also fairly dry, I prefer the bolillos here. If you read the menu, and think this is beef shank…be aware…..this is gelatinous, tendon like material from cows feet.

It had been cooked low and slow in a very potent vinegar and citrus mixture, making it very puckery and sour. There was a good deal of bitterness going on as well. On this day, all the customers were Hispanic, and one of them took an interest in what I had ordered. when my Cemita arrived, he asked me what I ordered. when I informed him that it was the Cemita de Pata, he laughed and told me that he is from Puebla, where Cemitas originated. He loves his Cemitas, but even he won't eat this. He did tell me that, "this place makes good stuff." So I'll take his word for it.

To me, The Torta Factory is not the place to revive yourself with a greasebomb from an all day drinking binge, or to kill your hang-over with protein overload. It does a nice job with light and well prepared food. For the other stuff, perhaps you'll do best grabbing your California Burrito from one of those 'Berto places.

The Torta Factory
4595 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
Open Daily – 7am – 8pm

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Which Wich ? – Hillcrest

March 26, 2009 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

**** This location of Wich Wich has closed

After reading this post by Paul Jamason of SD Urban, I've been following the progress of a new Sandwich Chain setting up shop in San Diego. But apparently, I hadn't been following close enough, because I didn't know the place had opened until I read another post by Paul in late February. Located on Fifth Avenue, in the Guild Theatre location, this chain asks the eternal question, "Which 'Wich?"

And even though the "sandwich assembly line" looks pretty generic….

But the concept is a bit different. Only sandwiches are served, and all sandwiches are priced the same, $5.25. There are 10 categories of sandwiches, ranging from "Turkey" to "Seafood" to a "Comfort" category(more on that one later). Doing the math that's 50 basic sandwiches. And there are only two types of bread available, white or wheat, and 8 different types of "cheese".

From there it can get a bit crazy…..there are what seems to be an endless combination of spreads, veggies, spices, and oils. All of which (or 'wich) you fill out on a brown paper sack. Once you've designed your 'wich, you hanedthe bag to the person at the register who clips it to a line and it makes its way down the assemble station. When your name is called, your 'wich is ready.

Pretty neat concept, huh? Kinda fun, maybe a bit entertaining…. Which 'wich says it creates "Superior Sandwiches", which (or 'wich) leads to the question, what is a superior sandwich? All I could get from the Which Wich website is a bunch of marketing babble, about being superior because of the innovative ordering "system", and employees commitment to 100% satisfaction.

On this day, I got a BLT on white with provolone, and just for kicks horseradish mayo. All the sandwiches come in one size, and is toasted. In fact, it does look a lot like a Quizno's sandwich, in shape and size:

So what's to like? It's a decent sized sandwich, and I like the hot pepper mix, and the horsradish mayo had some kick. I'm glad the nice gal who made my 'wich cut it in half because it was pretty messy.

The bread was meh, the turkey was pretty much the same semi processed stuff as Quizno's and Blimpies, and the bacon was chopped into bits that fell all over the place. They had also slathered a bit too much mayo over everything. It was better than Subway, perhaps a bit better than Quizno's…but not by much. In the end, it seemed more a nice concept than anything else.

But oh what a concept it is…….. There's a whole section of 'wiches called "Comforts".

And you can see what I saw, right? It's right there……not just Spam, but in case you're worried that you're getting some inferior canned meat product like Treet (you should never name your canned meat product something that rhymes with 'feet'), or even, god forbid, gasp… SPAM® Lite, you can take comfort in knowing you can get the one and only, SPAM® Classic.

The question remains, how do I complete this superior sandwich masterpiece? Feeling a bit of guilt, I checked off the "wheat" column. But when faced with the selection of cheeses, I just couldn't resist….. what do you do when the world is your oyster?

After all what could possibly be a more perfect partner for a canned meat product, than a processed cheese spread? I finished off the sandwich in a likewise schizoid manner, partnering the "crispy onion strings"(deep fried onions) with "fat free mayo", and finished the sandwich off with lettuce, tomato, and pepper mix. To her credit, the gal on the register didn't bat an eye when she saw what I ordered. There was a bit of a confusion finding the SPAM® Classic from the guys in the assembly line. But I did receive my sandwich.

I'm not going to go into detail about this "superior sandwich", other than to say that it was a mess, and made a mess because it wasn't cut in half, and the 5 slices (!) of SPAM® Classic(I'm thinking they had some canned meat they needed to "Spam-off") didn't look nor feel like it was heated.

Some Whiz on my Spam….a truly superior sandwich indeed!

All kidding aside, Which Wich may not be a bad choice if you're looking for a quick, inexpensive sandwich. Just remember it is a "chain sandwich". The concept is fun, and as you see you can be pretty creative (or a knucklehead), and get whichever 'wich your heart desires.

Which Wich
3825 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92105

(619) 574-9424

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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Kien Giang

November 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Kien Giang has closed

OK, I'm still suffering from major jet lag…yesterday, I got up at 4am, did chores, blah, blah, blah…..had an early breakfast/lunch at 10am, and decided to take a "short" nap which didn't quite turn out that way……my watch alarm went off at 330 pm…it was still set for 530 am Lao time. Boy is my butt dragging…..I must be making slug trails all over the house! Well enough about my jet lag. Here's one that's been on the back-burner for a while…..

Kien Giang is a small shop tucked away in the back of the same strip mall on the corner of 54th street and University that houses Vien Dong Market and Van Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant among others. It's easy to miss….

I had made a previous aborted attempt to grab a Banh Mi here about a year ago, but was dissuaded by the somewhat dilapidated shape the shop was in, and the huge swarm of winged beasts who would have devoured my Banh Mi faster than I could. And then there was the story from a good FOY (friend of Yoso) who once bit into her Banh Mi, only to crunch into a staple. Now I believe that women do need more iron in their diet….just not quite in that manner.

And yet, I like to believe that I'm a pretty open-minded individual, and it wo KienGiang03 uldn't be right for me to just write off Kien Giang just because of its appearance. Which of course led me to Kien Giang one cool weekend morning.

I arrived shortly after opening, and the gentleman manning the counter was quite nice. After perusing the menu, I decided to go with the Banh Mi Dac Biet (special – $3) just to get a feel for the style of sandwich the place made.

My sandwich was wrapped, and when opened looked to be in fine shape.

I found the bread to be a bit on the stale and crumbly side. There was good amount of pickled veggies, but the Cha Lua was cut very thin, and the Pate was tasteless. The Jam Bon (ham) was on the dry side, but had good flavor. Overall a very mediocre sandwich……and yet, a few weeks later I decided to return.

And got a Xiu Mai Banh Mi (meatball – $3). Now I don't know why I keep trying Xiu Mai Banh Mi…perhaps it's to find one that I enjoy as the version at Saigon Sandwiches.

This however, was another one of those fish sauce – tomato sauce versions. Not among my favorite things. The bread was again on the dry, slightly aged, side, and this was again a fairly mediocre sandwich. Which had me wondering; with all of the competition in the area, this place has been here for a while. So they must do something right. Can anyone shed some light?

Giang Kien Sandwich & Deli
5296 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

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Pete’s Meats- Italian Sandwiches on India Street

October 27, 2008 Cathy Italian Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog. About food. Written mostly by Kirk with the help of ed (from Yuma) and Cathy. Kirk is in Thailand. Still. ed is in Yuma. Still. Read about Cathy's adventures.

Hi. Pete's Meats is -and has been- located in this nondescript storefront in Little Italy across from Filippi's. In this area of town with all the fancy Italian themed restaurants, Pete's is one of very few places I consider not pretentious and just good.

It used to be a butcher shop and a lot of the original shop paraphernalia is still inside-more to the back of the store.

There are usually two tables out in front.

Inside, pretty much as nondescript, as you can see from this view from one of the back tables.

The simple menu is right there-above the grill, in front of the barstools. Sandwiches- hot or mild sausage, meatball, steak, eggplant. Each $6.95. You can ask for half and half if you would like.

(There used to be a Spitini sandwich which is now covered over on the menu- veal and prosciutto, rolled around a mix of cheese, parsley, onions, tomatoes, pine nuts and currants: heaven. It always cost about $2 more than the other sandwiches, could not be gotten as a half sandwich and was wonderful…)

ANYHOW…This is a photo of half of an eggplant sandwich-grilled, thin sliced pieces of eggplant with grilled onions and peppers, some marinara and topped with Parmesan. Pete's Meats 002

This is a photo of half of a mild Italian sausage sandwich. The same fresh roll and toppings. The sausage is made in house and is *excellent* with the wonderful fennel that compliments the pork.

You can buy canned regular or diet Coke and bottled water as your beverage. That's it.

Limited menu. Done perfectly every time. A San Diego Institution.

Pete's Meats 1742 1/2 India Street San Diego 92101 (619)234-1684 Hours Mon-Sat 10-5, closed Sunday.

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K Sandwich- Breakfast goodies.

October 19, 2008 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is here, a blog about stuff we eat. Kirk is in Thailand and ed is galavanting in Yuma…and both are preparing to blog about more of their meals. Today, it’s Cathy talking about something she ate.

Hi. Here I am again and there you are, reading and thinking about what you want to eat today or tomorrow. Kirk has blogged about K Sandwich numerous times, mostly in posts about various banh mi.

This post is just about breakfast items at K. There is a steam tray area and some prepared items to grab and go also…which I will talk about in another post.

Fresh squeezed Orange juice ($1.95). Very sweet (in a good way) and pulpy; the way I like it. Coffee with milk (sweetened condensed milk) $1.95. You can get the coffee hot or cold.

The bacon and egg croissant ($2.25). The croissant is lightly toasted, the eggs are whipped and slightly scrambled, the bacon is thin and not overly flavorful. There are two strips on the sandwich. An "inside view’ of the ham and egg croissant ($2.25). Same, fresh croissant with the same two lightly scrambled eggs and two slices of ham.

The pate chaud are always on display in the glass case next to the register, keeping warm. Only $1 and *so* worth it. I hope this cross section view (taken after a bite or two) (sorry it isn’t a clear photo) portrays the light airiness of the pate/pastry and the ground pork filling. You can see it isn’t greasy, or the bottom would be soaked and falling out; it never is.

If you really can’t decide, you can get a Super Breakfast Sandwich, on a croissant or baguette -a baguette as long as an old iBook computer- for only $3.35. Two slightly scrambled, fresh cooked eggs, ham, bacon and cheese in a fresh, warmed baguette.

Near the back of the store, the fresh bread is available for $1.25 or three smaller sandwich size rolls for $1 and croissants are also $1 for the plain and the filled (chocolate, chocolate with cream cheese, strawberry with cream cheese, pineapple with cream cheese and sometimes blueberry with cream cheese).

The ham and cheese baked croissant, also sold in the bakery area, ($1.25) looks like this on cross section. An excellent, fresh and flaky grab and go snack.

There you go. Breakfast. Have a good week.

K Sandwich corner of Convoy/Linda Vista at Mesa College Drive Open at 6 a.m. Mon-Sat, 8 a.m. Sunday.

BaLe Linda Vista Reopens

July 30, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Markets & Grocers, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

*** Bale has closed and is now Farm Sandwiches and Market.

So finally, Ba Le on Linda Vista resurfaces. The sign on the "old location" said the end of May, but when I took that photo it was already June! And when I shopped a Vien Dong Market a few days later, that sign was gone. This past weekend, I noticed that Ba Le had indeed taken the place of the old Dai Tan Supermarket, which had been there for quite a while.

In spite of the looks, there is quite a bit of parking further down the lot, where you're not packed in, and people aren't backing into you(I saw a little Vietnamese Lady driving a BIG SUV, hit another parked, BIG SUV, and she just kept on going…). As I walked in, I wondered what the heck Ba Le was doing with a market….but I guess that's the plan.

Seeing that the sandwich counter is not yet completed, I inquired about Banh Mi, and was told, that even though the counter, and seating area wasn't finished yet they were serving Banh Mi. And the current special is; buy 2 get 1 free. So I placed my order, and seeing the chaotic situation; a line of grocery customers, I took a walk around the market.

Dai Tan never struck me as being the cleanest looking market, but the place has been cleaned up a bit, and the lighting is much better. The produce looked fresh, and there was quite a steady flow of customers.

Which meant I'd probably be waiting a while, so I took a seat. Surprisingly, a few minutes later one of the Gentlemen comes walking out of the back of the market with 3 Banh Mi. Which I paid for, than proceeded to hightail it out of the parking lot, before a little lady in a BIG SUV had a chance to hit my car.

So, what did I get? Well let's start with the Dac Biet (special – $3.50):

In my visits after my post on the old BaLe location, I found the sandwiches to be inconsistent. There was a tendency to over-margarine, than over toast the baguette, making the bread crouton-hard…the stuff that rips up the roof of your mouth. This would obviously distract from the decent crust-to-bread ratio. Today, the baguette was okay, slightly crusty, but nothing special. The meats were piled to each side of the baguette…the ham on one side, the Cha Lua on the other…kind of strange. All of the meats, and the pate were very mild in flavor, if not down-right bland. The jalapenos were quite mild on this day. All in all, nothing special….

The Xiu Mai(meatball sandwich – $3.00):

The crumbled Xiu Mai(meatball) had a very mild flavor…sort of like what could be described as a "pork meatloaf". Not bad, even though I enjoy a more assertive flavor. Because of the juicy meatballs, this Banh Mi got soggy pretty quickly, but at least it wasn't dry.

As for the Banh Mi Bi, the Missus didn't feel like eating it, so I took it for lunch, well, breakfast the next day. I won't go into that, "Bi-cause" I wouldn't want to wish that decomposed sandwich on anyone. It just is not a fair assessment of the Banh Mi.

With regards to the Banh Mi, not much has changed at BaLe. If you enjoyed the sandwiches at the former location, you'll enjoy them here. But at least now you can catch up on some shopping while waiting for your sandwiches. All sandwiches run from $3 to $3.50.

BaLe Supermarket and Sandwiches(In the former Dai Tan Market location)
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA

Ba Le – University Avenue

June 17, 2008 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

I really had no good reason for not trying Bale on University, I've passed it many, many times. But for some reason I just never felt compelled. I think it had something to do with the parking lot.

I think it had something to do with the parking lot, what little there is of it. Many times I've driven past, and alas, no parking. Sometimes Cabs are double and triple parked, blocking the sidewalk. The Somali Coffee Shop next door does some bang up business.

However, things changed a few months ago. During a conversation about Pate, FOY TammyC told me that Bale on University had a nice version made in house. For some reason I had thought that a trip to this location of Bale would be a redundant exercise. Boy was I wrong. The menu was different from the other location(s) of Bale in San Diego.(I still haven't tracked down the "relocated" Linda Vista Bale).

Well, I should say "menus". There are 2 menus here. The one above the counter has sandwiches and other items listed by number. The one on the back wall has the same sandwiches listed, but with different numbers! Ha, sandwich roulette anyone? Banh Mi Ga(chicken) over the counter is #9, on the back wall it's #8. If you did it by number you could get Banh Mi Bi! Thinking you ordered Banh Mi Chay(vegetarian Banh Mi – usually tofu), you get Banh Mi Pate Cha. Now that would be a nice surprise.

Also, Tammy warned me about the "funky smell", and yes, once when I visited, there was a strange dank-medicinal smell. Other times, it was just like a worn, slightly seedy little sandwich shop should be.

But of course I was here for the sandwiches. And I ordered the Banh Mi Pate Cha($2.75):

And Tammy was right, this was a good Pate, slightly "livery", but quite smooth, and without the "grainy" bits. It was mildly fatty, but not much so. The Cha Lua was interesting for me, not as dense as other versions, with a slightly spongy initial bite. In retrospect, this version of the defatted pork sausage was very close to what we had in Vietnam.

There were 2 things I really didn't care for in this sandwich. First, the bread was pretty lousy, barely toasted, with a texture almost like that of stale bread(Tammy had warned me about the bread). Second, the pickled vegetables were on the sweet side. I prefer mine with a nice refreshing "bite", these stood out too much, and detracted from the overall flavor.

Of course I bought the Missus a Banh Mi Bi(shredded pork – $3.00):

Man was this a "load of Bi". The Missus didn't care for it. She found the Bi dry and tasteless. And didn't like the bread at all.

A few weeks later I found myself in the neighborhood, and tried out the Dac Biet(special – $3.25).

Bale's version was pretty filling. The sandwich had 3 different cured meats; a the Cha Lua, Pork Belly(Ba Chi), and some nicely flavored "Ham", to go along with a generous smear of the savory Pate.

Just as before, the pickled vegetables were on the sweet side, and the bread was not to my liking.

The thick stems of cilantro did not do much for me either.

Funny thing, the photos for this post have been sitting around for a while. And after returning from Hanoi, I was a bit curious to see if my tastes had changed substantially. So recently I made another drive up University, made a perilous U-Turn, and managed to find parking(though backing out of the parking lot was another story). This time, the gentleman who I'm assuming is the Owner actually understood me when I ordered my sandwich. I also noticed the huge block of Pate in the deli case, which I inquired about. He told me with some pride, "we make it here….$4.50 a pound. We make almost everything here."

Thoughts of purchasing half a pound, and getting some Gio Lua from Da Nang danced in my head. But first, I need to find some good bread. After getting home, I bit into my Banh Mi, and my original opinion of the sandwich stood. You gotta love consistency!

Ba Le French Sandwich Shop
4879 University Ave # A
San Diego, CA 92105

Open 6am-6pm Monday-Saturday
7am-4pm Sunday

BTW, the White on Rice Couple have a very nice post on Banh Mi. You can find it here.

Thanks for all the great recommendations TammyC!