After a work lunch of unplanned leisure, I like to offer my services for a banh mi run. Vietnamese sandwiches are easy on wallet and the coders can work through their lunch and free themselves from any guilt remaining from yesterday's two hour excursion.
There is a perfectly serviceable Vietnamese restaurant less than ten minutes walk away but they charge the outrageous price of $3.25 for their sandwiches. Fewer than ten years ago I was purchasing these sandwiches for less than half that price at a small shop in my parents' neighborhood so naturally I can not bring myself to pay such an exorbitant amount even taking inflation in to account. Instead I hop on the bus for a 45 minute round trip visit to the Little Saigon neighborhood. There are a number of shops within a two block radius all offering near identical versions of my beloved BBQ pork banh mi.
Which brings me to my provider of choice - Banh Cuon Tan Dinh. There isn't much that banh mi dealers can do to distinguish themselves. They tend to have the atmosphere of a convenience store with a large display of unfamiliar ready-made food items for a quickie lunch stop. Banh Cuon has yet to serve me a stale loaf, they accept credit cards, the counter guy is friendly and helpful, and the menu is entirely in Vietnamese. The sandwiches are $2.25 and it's located on a side street so it doesn't get the traffic of its competitors. I've chosen it as my favorite and you should eat there too.
There is a perfectly serviceable Vietnamese restaurant less than ten minutes walk away but they charge the outrageous price of $3.25 for their sandwiches. Fewer than ten years ago I was purchasing these sandwiches for less than half that price at a small shop in my parents' neighborhood so naturally I can not bring myself to pay such an exorbitant amount even taking inflation in to account. Instead I hop on the bus for a 45 minute round trip visit to the Little Saigon neighborhood. There are a number of shops within a two block radius all offering near identical versions of my beloved BBQ pork banh mi.
Which brings me to my provider of choice - Banh Cuon Tan Dinh. There isn't much that banh mi dealers can do to distinguish themselves. They tend to have the atmosphere of a convenience store with a large display of unfamiliar ready-made food items for a quickie lunch stop. Banh Cuon has yet to serve me a stale loaf, they accept credit cards, the counter guy is friendly and helpful, and the menu is entirely in Vietnamese. The sandwiches are $2.25 and it's located on a side street so it doesn't get the traffic of its competitors. I've chosen it as my favorite and you should eat there too.
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