[Boston, Dorchester]
OK, I’m a virtual bánh mì neophyte, have eaten maybe 1 or 2 in my entire life so I don’t have any real opinion of them.
So I found myself in the Fields Corner section of Boston yesterday around noon, somewhere I don’t think that I’ve ever made it to over the years. Realizing that I was quite close to the bakery that is regarded by many as the best producer of the bánh mì sandwich, how could I not order one?
The store is super no-frills, lots of random groceries containing mostly unknown (to me) foods, multiple beverages stored in non-working refrigerators, a juice/smoothie bar, and a long hot/prepared food counter with a sandwich prep area at one end. Get in line, place your order when you get to the front, and wait about 2 minutes for your sandwich to get assembled before your eyes, packaged, and rung up for payment. Fast!
About a dozen bánh mì variations, I went with the classic bánh mì dac biet which contained slices of multiple pork meats, pate, mayo, soy sauce, scallion oil, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, sliced jalapeño pepper, served in a warm and crusty baguette and presented in a bag with a paper wrapping that was open on one end for easy eating. Not a huge sandwich but certainly enough for me for lunch all for only $7 including tax!
NO place to eat in this establishment so I grabbed a freshly made passion fruit juice, hoofed it outside, and found a nearby place to sit and eat.
Really enjoyed my sandwich. Loads of different flavors and textures - savory from the pate, mayo, and soy sauce. Sour and sweet from the pickled daikon and carrot. Heat from the jalapeño. Herbaceousness from the cilantro. And excellent crunchiness from the bread as well as the vegetables. Somehow the balance of all of those ingredients just worked and scarfed the sandwich down!
Best bahn mi in Boston? Who knows? But I really really liked it. I see that they have multiple locations, the one in Malden is closer to me, so I’ll have to visit it soon.
