Firebrand opened up their shop yesterday in Uptown Oakland, and along with it, a wonderful sandwich shop formerly in the mission district, Pal’s Takeaway.
I stopped in today and the elusive (to me anyway) Lao sausage sandwich was on the menu. Really good, and the moistest Thai or Lao sausage I’ve had, there are some chowhound posts detailing to origin of the sausage. I’m not sure I could bring myself to order something else if the sausage sandwich is on the menu. The menu also included two salads, a salmon sandwich, and some other items. Husband got the roast beef sandwich which was also yummy based on the one bite I had. I am so happy Pals’s moved east!
Thank you for the tip- what kind of bread do they use for the Lao sausage sandwich? I understand they use Firebrand but curious which type goes along with the sausage.
My friend who lives nearby will be happy.
How’s their sandwich quality compared to, say, Grégoire?
The bread is a light brown rectangular roll with medium size air pockets. He removes some of the middle part of the bread for a better bread:sausage ratio, and the sausage is cut in half and splayed flat.
I’ve now had the curry chicken and the salmon sandwiches too and they are both excellent. The salmon has a nice wasabi kick.
The sandwich style at Pal’s is different than at Gregoire, Pal’s is more creative and relies less on salt and fat for flavor. While both places make satisfying sandwiches, I prefer and appreciate the subtleties and surprises of the Pal’s sandwich.
Whoa. Pal’s is open seven days a week from 11-3pm. When he was in SF, the menu rotated daily. Now, there’s one daily special, but otherwise the menu is the same every day of the week. Are his more popular sandwiches, including the Lao sausage sandwich, on the menu every week?
The special I ate was great— lamb and sauteed rapini on a roll. I wonder how the switch from Josey Baker, Firebrand, and Acme Breads to 100% Firebrand affects the other sandwiches?
Even if you can’t make the lunch hours, Firebrand is great stop. Lots of interesting breads, and of course their pretzel-products can’t be beat. They also have pastries, including a delicious lemon meringue & blueberry eclair.
I’ve been by twice now, once within a couple days of opening and once later. Both times a Lao sausage sandwich has been on the menu, and both times the menu has been slightly different. What is now trout was once salmon, (with dill and other very well-balanced toppings, that share only “mei choy” from the posted menu) there wasn’t a bacon sandwich, and likely other things I didn’t notice. The menu currently online has a “Lamb Sloppy Joseph” I’ve never seen before, Looks like I’ll have to go a frequently to figure it out! I agree with felice that it is really the balance of ingredients that makek these sandwihes amazing.
I’ve also really enjoyed the croissant and the breads I’ve gotten. I’ve been enjoying their standard batard for a while, available at Whole Foods, but also really like the rye.
Yes, the Lao sausage sandwich has been on the menu all the time, and there are so many sandwiches on the menu compared to SF. I find they change variations occasionally. The lamb sloppy Joseph was tasty, a flavorful combination of spices, with pickled onions to cut through the savory lamb. There aren’t any other veggies on the lamb, for what it’s worth.
I haven’t loved the firebrand desserts though, a little too sweet for my taste and the eclair I tried had kinda lumpy filling.
Tried Aunt Malai’s deep fried Lao sausage sandwich at Pal’s ($11) last weekend and enjoyed it. The torpedo roll it comes in was slightly warmed, soft and a little dense inside with a crisp crunchy crust. Good bread, but the kind that leaves a few scratches on the top of your mouth if you’re not careful. Never got to try Pal’s in its previous incarnation so can’t compare. I liked the sausage inside as well. Lots of lemongrass and herb flavor. Couldn’t really tell that it was deep fried, although the outside skin was a little crispy. Light on mayo and relish. Not a huge sandwich but not too small either. Pastries and bread on display from Firebrand looked nice.
They are open!!! Picked up a tuna sandwich earlier this week and it was as good as ever. The Josey Baker bread they used was fantastic, sandwich comes with some housemade pickles, menu includes more salad options and some sides.
