One mornin’ at breakfast, I said to my wife,
We been everywhere once and some places twice,
As I had another helping of country ham,
She said “We ain’t never been to Vietnam,
And there’s a bunch of our boys over there.”
So we went to the Orient: Saigon.
“Singin’ in Vietnam Talkin’ Blues” by Johnny Cash
Bánh mì for me (pun alert), was love at first bite (seriously???). For those of you that are unfamiliar, it is a Vietnamese sandwich made with a baguette, pickled vegetables, jalapenos, cilantro and most importantly, usually a pork product like sliced pork or head cheese. While I would not consider myself a bánh mì expert, I do know my way around a sandwich. I will be reviewing Bay Area bánh mì with the assistance of my culinary research team: Elissa, Kevin, Dena, and Arjun.
My bánh mì posts will review only pork bánh mì with whatever are the standard accoutrements of the particular establishment I am reviewing. My criteria are as follows: a crunchy yet chewy baguette, flavorful condiments, a little heat and some wonderful pork. Last but not least, the bánh mì must be cheap (most are usually around three bucks).
Name: Latte Express
Location: 48 5th St San Francisco, CA (Near Powell Street BART)
Out of five Saigon Stars
Bread: 4
Pork: 4
Condiments: 4
Price: 2 ($4.20)
Overall: 3.5 Saigon Stars
just wait till we experience the namesake, saigon sandwiches, on larkin street…this weekend?
I am honored to be on your team and I promise to give 110%.
The boys in Apt 19 may know some ladies who can be of assistance on the search for eggcellent Banh Mi, next time you’re down we’ll go to Garden Grove and get all the Vietnamese you can eat
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