Banh Mi - One Seriously Delicious Sandwich
Written: Jun 15 '01 (Updated Jun 15 '01)
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Pros: Vietnamese Sandwiches are tasty, addictive, and cheap.
Cons: The banh mi here isn't anything to write home about.
The Bottom Line: Unless you're in the neighborhood, pass this place up.
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| megugrrrl's Full Review: Irving Cafe and Deli |
I found this hole-in-the-wall completely by accident – it’s not in the heart of San Francisco and serves as a neighborhood haunt. Ultra casual, cash only, and the service is a little slow but they serve Vietnamese sandwiches and it’s near Golden Gate Park. Don’t let the name on the vinyl awning mislead you however – Irving Little Café & Deli is not your typical café nor deli. (And not to be confused with the Irving Street Cafe.)
Yes, they offer brewed coffee and serve little snacks but everything is served with a Vietnamese/Chinese influence. The menu is crowded with typical Chinese and Vietnamese dishes like cold spring rolls stuffed with glass noodles, shredded chicken and lettuce as well as the assorted steamed noodle and rice dishes topped with the ubiquitous barbecued pork (amazingly everything manages to be under $5).
They also have an extensive drink and dessert menu, with exotic sounding bits and pieces like red bean, mango pudding and black jello, and drinks like Ovaltine and Horlicks. And yet, despite these temptations, the focal reason (dare I say the only reason?) to come the Irving Café is the Vietnamese sandwiches. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying a Vietnamese sandwich, then it’s hard to even begin to convey my fascination (read: obsession) with these unbelievably delish creations. (And if you have had these, then you understand why I absolutely have to have one every Thursday.) I’ve also become quite a critic of these sanwiches.
The Details
To the inexperienced person, a banh mi is the wonderful union of a crunchy French baguette and the complexities of Vietnamese cuisine. Picture a chewy French baguette with crispy crust sliced down the middle (like a sub sandwich) stuffed with your choice of Vietnamese-style sandwich meat (like barbecued chicken or shredded pork), crunchy cucumbers, sprigs of cilantro, and a sweet and tangy combination of pickled daikon (at other places, jicama), carrots, and onions -- and for that extra kick, slivers of fresh spicy jalapeno. To top it off, a sinfully savory seasoned mayo sauce is used to bring all these wonderful flavors and textures together. Some places use added touches like sweet lime fish sauce or a soy/lime/garlic mixture sprinkled on the meat. The sandwich is about a foot long and bursting with sharp flavors that are perfect together.
The Irving Café & Deli banh mi had all these ingredients but for some reason couldn’t manage to pull it off. The bread had the right chewy consistency but lacked flavor. And the filling, while flavorful, was on the dry side. I also suspect that their cilantro wasn’t fresh and their sauce weak.
Types of Banh Mi
Most places that serve banh mi have a mind-boggling variety to choose from, like the more tame barbecued chicken and grilled pork to pretty interesting selections like pâté, Chinese ham, or Vietnamese meatballs. The Irving Café & Deli, while limited, serves up a good variety… fancy pork, BBQ pork, or combination pork! Oh boy! They also have sardines and Chinese meatballs, which I haven’t mustered enough strength to try.
My only complaint with the sandwich menu here is the lack of the vegetarian sandwich, not because I am one but because depending on the place, the vegetarian banh mi which features sweet, deep-fried tofu with fish sauce, oil and vinegar (in lieu of mayo) can be the best sandwich there!
Where To Find Them:
Your best chances for scoring a banh mi would naturally be at a Vietnamese or Chinese/Vietnamese deli or coffee shop but I wouldn't recommend the Irving Cafe & Deli for banh mi. (You can do a web search for banh mi and your city.) These places are usually small holes-in-the-wall with a counter with food warmers and ceiling fans, and at any given time of the day have customers standing around ordering sandwiches. These places usually serve other things to eat like noodles or chicken, but you must ignore these and go straight for the sandwiches.
And Another Thing…
Did I mention they are cheap? All this sandwich goodness for under $2.50.
Recommended:
No
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
megugrrrl
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Oakland
Reviews written: 147
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