Saigon Sandwich quick snacks

[pluziam]

I had to eat on the run last night and went into Saigon Sandwich intending to get Bahn Mi and a tea. I was overcome with choices of premade portable food.
There were containers of various spring rolls with dipping sauces, noodles with veggies and various barbequed and marinated toppings.
Everything looked fresh and appealing, but I needed finger food so I got a meat egg roll; fist sized, crispy wrapper, stuffed with flavorful ground pork mixture, also available was a vegetable egg roll, these were on a bakers tray on the counter still warm. oh yeah...$1 or 6/$5.

[9lives]

After reading this, I had to try one of the eggrolls. They're great. I was fortunate to get one because a certain chowhound was on line ahead of me and I was afraid she was going to buy them all..:)

I was so distraught after reading about a bad experience at Dok Bua, thatI was unable to make up my mind as to what to have for lunch..:) So to wash down my eggroll I picked up Eggplant with basil from Taiwan Cafe and Pad Ki Mow from Montien..pet ma; of course.

[MC Slim JB]

I was a big fan of the banh mi here, and then got Chowhound-steered to the two places nearby. Yesterday I went to Mix Bakery, and got a hand-crafted chicken sandwich that was a good five minutes in the making, with individually hand-carved vegetables and all. I felt very well cared for, and it was delicious.

Today I tried Thai Binh, an astonishingly different experience. Someone in front of me had just ordered 12 sandwiches, which I had the privilege of seeing assembled by the two-woman team in about, oh, five minutes. I stepped up and ordered my barbecue pork sandwich: none today, beef okay? Indeed it is, I said, and spicy, please. My order was assembled in what looked like Koyaanisqatsi-style fast-forward motion, a barely perceptible blur that produced my sandwich in about 20 seconds. It was even better than the Mix version.

I still think I need to alternate between these two places about 50 times or so -- a few tofus here, some pate there, some barbecue pork when it's on -- before I give one or the other the nod. Both produce great results in jaw-droppingly different ways.

[galleygirl]

Now, if we could only convince Thai Binh to make a tofu version, I could really compare bread-to-bread..(g)...Or sardines, or that peppery fish cake....After all this banh mi talk, I *had* to go get one yesterday (Mix)...

I've also developed a new, and dangerous addiction...Those shrimp-chips, fried puffs of lightly salted, melt-in-your-mouth rice crackers...Ostensibly, I bought them to use for scooping Vietnamese and Thai salads...The truth of the matter was, they lasted two days, and that was pushing it, because I lost all control, in the sensual glee of dissolving one after another against the roof of my mouth..And I don't even know if these are the best ones, because I've seen them in all the bakeries down there, and never got around to buying any before...

[MichaelB]

Wow, this is making me hungry! Two questions: what's the chicken banh mi like at Mix Bakery? Like the BBQ beef but with chicken? Or more of a pate treatment??

Also, they do sometimes have bbq pork (not just beef) at Thai Binh?? Do they just run out early, or is there a pattern to when they have it?

I may have to get a bag of sandwiches soon. It's been too long.

[lel]

Where is Saigon Sandwich located?

[DodinBouffant]

Washington Street between Kneeland and Beach or is it on the ride hand side heading in the direction the traffic flows.