Ba Le – Oakland or El Cerrito. Splurge – add an egg.
Not to nitpick, but Mom’s Bun Mi is not exactly new, but a makeover of Simpy Delight by the same owner. It appears that the image polishing is working.
You’re not nitpicking cause the topic isn’t about new!
Didn’t finish them all at once though. I’d rather have leftovers than get stuck with theme park food. With that said, leftover banh mis are kinda soggy.
Have you tried any of the sandwiches, and if so, which ones are good?
Kim’s Cafe, discussed here
They use Acme baguettes, which I guess would put them in the Oberlin College cultural appropriation blacklist if it weren’t run by Vietnamese people.
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Speaking of, what is “theme park food”?
I think that refers to food at Gilroy Gardens. That’s the only theme park I can think of in Gilroy and it looks like the person who posted was headed there.
Thanks. Kinda makes me chuckle thinking about a theme park in Gilroy. How many different garlic rides can one come up with?!? 
The Bakers of Paris roll at Mom’s Bun Mi would too, if Mom’s isn’t in the Tenderloin…!
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When in the area I used to like Irving Cafe & Deli but found out they had closed when I stopped by last week (looks like they changed ownership over a year ago). Since I had parking I decided to try their replacement - Que Huong Vietnamese Deli. Roast pork banh mi was fully of fatty pork, no noticeable jalapenos and the carrots and cukes did not have much flavor so nothing to contrast the fat. Spring rolls were similarly flavorless. So I guess I’m posting as a warning rather than a recommendation.
Recently again had Cafe Bunn Mi on Clement and Saigon Sandwich, which remain my top two in the city.
I really enjoy the ones at Cherimoya in Burlingame, they use regular French bread, perhaps Semifreddi, and the sandwich is moist. I find that the lighter bread is a bit dry without enough mayo.
My go-to lunch banh mi used to be a cart at the corner of Main & Market, but I haven’t seen them there for quite a while. They typically don’t set up in the winter, but they stopped appearing there sometime in late summer this year, so they may actually be gone. Anybody else familiar with this one, and anybody know if they’ll be coming back?
I have recently become a fan of Ty Sandwich, on Mission Street in the Excelsior (San Francisco), which I discovered because I work nearby. I am particularly fond of the grilled pork banh mi, which is packed with freshly grilled and marinated pork. I have tried most of the menu and keep returning to the grilled pork, but everything is good. The rolls are a bit more substantial than traditional rice flour only, but still light and crackly with a soft interior. The marinated vegetables sometimes seem to include onion, which I really like. I highly recommend the store, and if you want to have something other than a sandwich, their chicken wings bring the fish sauce funk in the best way.
The last Yelp review is dated December 10 of this year, so they can’t have been gone for long.
Here’s a piece I did 3 years ago. They had a second stand at California and Sansome; have you looked there? The’s also a phone number on the sign you could try.
Thanks! I had never caught the name before. Good to know that they were there recently–I must have just gone by there on the wrong days.
I’m a fan of TY too, but their sandwiches are always a little dry. But they put a nice amount of meat and vegetables and the people are nice as can be. I will put a shout out to my new favorite Banh mi on this side of town, Golden Saigon on San Bruno Ave. Awesome, crisp yet tender bread. Good amount of meat and veg and enough mayo and Maggi secret sauce so that it’s not dry. I live in the Portola and have gotten pho there pretty often since it’s close. We recently ordered sandwiches (which were terrible under the previous ownership) and they were great. We’ve been back often.
Thanks Srr-I look forward to checking it out in the new year. I agree that some mayo/magi would help with the Ty sandwiches.
We have patronized Little Vietnam Cafe on 6th Avenue (SF) since it opened. Excellent product, totally family run, adorable service. What we consider “right” flavors and ingredients. I order grilled chicken or grilled pork, husband frequently has the fried fish.
(IMHO, much more pleasant service than Banh Mi Cafe around the corner.)
