The Bahn Mi Taste Test

[heWho]

NOTE: this post is very long so I've added a Cliff Notes version in a post below!

Having recently moved within walking distance of Chinatown, I have become addicted to weekend walks for Bahn Mi sandwiches. So, I decided I should start working my way through the neighborhood, trying as many as possible to decide which are the best of the bunch. A few weeks into my quest, this is what I've found.

163 Vietnamese Sandwiches
Overall Impression - So far this has been the worst of the bunch. The roll they serve is so large the filling is completely lost. If they increased the amount of filling, it'd at least be the best value of all the Bahn Mi's. The sandwiches have too many onion and a huge, overpowering slice of cucumber. There wasn't enough cilantro to balance things out for my liking.

Specific sandwiches
BBQ Beef - great beef here, tender and full of flavor. I just with there were more of it!
Tofu - not good at all. The tofu was completely bland and made for a poor taste in the sandwich. You'd have done better taking the tofu out, it needs to be seasoned, tofu can't really stand on its own

Mei Sum Bakery
Overall Impression - good little sandwiches, nice flavor, good toppings. The rolls are fairly small, but they're stuffed with whatever filling you choose. They have a good ratio of carrots/onion/cucumber/cilantro. It's also nice to be able to get a desert, or better yet a pork bun with your bahn mi

Specific Sandiwches -
BBQ Beef - pretty good, but I had a few tough/inedible pieces. A nice flavor, but I liked 163's BBQ beef more.
Pork - This is actually served with two different (though tough to identify) types of pork. One I'd call pork loaf, but a more proper term might be pate. The other looks like a type of salami. Either way it's tasty if not a little disconcerning.

Lu's Sandwich Shop
Overall Impression - you have to love getting food in a place that's connected to a jewelery shop, served by someone who could be your neighbor. This place has been my hands-down favorite thus far. Good size roll, lovingly toasted twice (first time just the bread, the second with the fillings included). She also uses two types of sauce that taste delicious. I prefer the very thin slices of cucumber, along with lots of carrots and more cilantro than any of the others I've tried. The sandwich just hits on all cylindars, it's hard to believe you're paying $2.50 for something that tastes so good and is so substantial.

Specific Sandwiches -
BBQ Beef - nice little slices of beef, though not quite as heavy on the BBQ flavor as I'd like. There could be a few more slices in here and I'd have been happier, but given the other factors, it'd still pick it over the first two shops' BBQ Beef

Ground Pork - hands down the best bahn mi I've tried, this one is a true gem. Great little meatballs of pork, dripping with a tomato-y sauce. The sauce just puts it over the top, it brings the whole sandwich together and makes me want to order another as soon as I've finished. It's been very hard for me to avoid this sandwich to try any others!

I'll keep posting more as I work my way through more of the neighborhood. I also plan on taking some trips outside of Chinatown when I find myself in certain neighborhoods. The Super 88 Chicken Curry bahn mi has been getting rave reviews and I look forward to trying it, but it's tough to make a destination-trip anywhere for a $2.50 sandwich!

Please feel free to point out any bahn mi experiences you've had, and let me know which sandwiches I need to try for myself!

[Bob Dobalina]

Just wanted to update my post on this thread - tried Lu's today - it was better than New Saigon - the role was much nicer and there was more filling - I tried the cold cut spicy and it was great. Def. recommend Lu's. Man, I would live off these things - at $2.50 a sandwich, it's such a deal.

[heWho]

I've been meaning to write an update myself. I tried Saigon Sandwich for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was not impressed. They barely toasted the bread, the bread to filling ratio was way off (way too much bread, not enough filling), the shreded pork in the sandwich was good,there just wasn't enough of it. It was almost impossible to get a bite with pork and all of the veggies together.

I'm glad to hear you liked Lu's Bob. Lu's remains my favorite with Mei Sum running just behind. Definitely try to pork meatball bahn mi there sometime, I don't see how you could be disappointed.

[nightsky]

How does Pho Viet compare to Lu's? Longtime Lu's fan here and never had Pho Viet. Another Lu's bonus: they had a buy 10, get 1 free card. I never got one since they are so cheap to begin with. I always get the bbq beef at lu's, now I'll have to try the ground pork.

[MC Slim JB]

I used to be a fan of Lu's, but have found the quality to be highly variable, depending on who's working there, and the bread has gone downhill. In any event, the sandwiches don't hold a candle to Pho Viet's on any score. If I'm in Chinatown, I'll go to Mei Sum first. The only thing Lu's has going for it is that pork meatball banh mi, which is very good and I don't see much of anywhere else.

[limster]

re: meatball/xiu mai banh mi, 163 had it on their menu back; iirc New Saigon has it too.

[bostongal]

You hounds are never wrong...I tried the bahn mi at Pho Viet in Super 88 food court in Allston and holy cow! it was as good as everyone raves about. I have been getting these in Quincy at Saigon Kitchen but they are about half the size and not nearly as great. Pho Viet stuffs theirs with filling...and everything is very fresh....it is worth the drive all the way over there (and fighting the crowds on a Saturday in the parking lot). I also got a limeade with soda that was terrific...I wish I lived closer!

[MrsCheese]

The bbq pork banh mi at Pho Viet is addictive. Every time I go there I find myself craving it again the next day!

[autopi]

"craving it again the next day"--um...what are you talking about? i find myself craving another bbq pork pho viet banh mi approximately 38 seconds after i finish the previous one. (i find it hard to leave the super 88 food court sometimes.)

[bostongal]

What else is good to order at Pho Viet? I had the BBQ pork banh mi but how is the BBQ beef? Just as good? They have lemongrass pork on rice that looked yummy also. My sister had the grilled chicken banh mi but it wasn't as tasty - she loved it but I liked the pork better.

[MrsCheese]

Bostongal, I haven't tried any of the other types of bahn mi at Pho Viet because I'm hooked on the bbq pork. The pho there is decent if you're in the mood for that. I had a bun dish there once that was pretty bad. Now I pretty much just stick to the bahn mi.

[autopi]

i agree, i've had a couple of the other varieties, but i keep coming back to the bbq pork. but try for yourself: at $3 (or so) a pop, it's not a major investment. i've also gotten their bun, which i liked a lot. but others on the board have much more extensive experience at pho viet and can comment.

[sheila]

After the closing of the small stall under Dai Pai Dong, I tried a couple places in Chinatown and Dorchester. However, I found all of them disappointing.

I do not have Bahn Mi for at least six mouths now.

[FoolForFood]

I tried to describe banh mi to my mother in law yesterday. I told her that I don't ever question the ingredients - I just gobble everything down and bask in my ignorance.

I only order the traditional banh mi - which is what I've always considered spam-like pork. Am I wrong? What are the other pates/mayonaise ingredients?

[MC Slim JB]

From my bahn mi survey article for The Dig from November 2006:

"You’ll get a lightly-toasted baguette-like roll filled with pickled shredded carrots and daikon, fresh cilantro, and if you say “spicy”, sliced fresh chilis. Variations take the form of condiments – perhaps some garlicky mayo or butter, maybe a squirt of nuoc chom (a hot/sweet/sour dressing based on fish sauce), occasionally a schmear of pâté -- and a few slices of roast meat, cold cuts, or seasoned tofu. It’s essentially a fresh, piquantly-dressed salad with a bit of protein on top, packaged in crusty bread for dining al fresco or a la oficina. And in the hands of our best local purveyors, this healthy snack can afford something like gustatory transcendence for under three bucks. Take that, Aujourd’hui!"

The more exotic ingredients can include a kind of head cheese (that funky-looking cold cut), pork rind (bi), pork meatballs, that pâté by itself (a kind of pork liverwurst, I believe), Vietnamese sour sausage, and mock-meat tofu, though less-scary options like chicken, "BBQ" (actually roast) beef, and fried tofu are as common. I've also seen mint and other herbs on some sandwiches. Proper banh mi bread has some rice flour in it, which makes it toast up nice and crisp.

[gini]

This post is great! looking forward to reading the rest of your finds. I'm fond of the one at Mei Sum myself, but haven't had the one at the Super88 yet.

[autopi]

i just tried the pork banh mi at mei sum, and i definitely prefer the one at super 88. seems fresher w/higher quality meat. but that's only based on one visit to mei sum.

[fredid]

I had an almost inedible pork banh mi at Mei Sum - was hoping it was a fluke...

[MC Slim JB]

Mei Sum had my favorite until I tried Pho Viet in the Allston Super 88 food court, which does four or five great versions, with awesome bread and more generous meat fillings than most.

Ba Le Bakery in Dorchester also does a good one, including a less-often-seen set of imitation-meat versions on weekends.

I understand that the place on Washington St. in Chinatown called Saigon Sandwich, which was good and then bad for a long time is good again, and now called New Saigon. I keep meaning to try that one.

[chowfamily]

I'm always looking for good tofu or imitation meat versions. Would Ban Le Bakery fit the bill?

[galleygirl]

Yes, make sure you ask for the vegetarian. If Mom is there, she will let you open a container of one of their various faux meats. On weekends, there is often a faux meat version avaiable for asking, behind the counter. Weekends are a much better shot.

Ba Le Cafe, at Fields Corner, in Dorchester, usually has a vegetarian (faux meat ) option available most days of the week. Also, check out their prepared deli items; there's usually a few interesting veggie items among them.

[MC Slim JB]

I'm no connoisseur of imitation meat, but I thought the tofu-teriyaki-chicken and tofu-BBQ-duck at Ba Le were pretty good.

[galleygirl]

They are EXCELLENT!
But, they will only offer them as banh mi, if you make a special request, on weekends. Ba Le Cafe has a few more options during the week. Ba Le Bakery is my favorite, but there's a better chance of getting faux meat at Ba Le Cafe during the week.

[chowfamily]

Thanks for both for your recommendations. As soon as the temperature rises above ten degrees, I will check them out!

[Bob Dobalina]

I just went to the New Saigon Sandwich for a couple of banh mi for $2.50 each. Got the curry chicken which I enjoyed a lot. An ok amount of chicken - crusty roll - ok amount of carrots, cilantro (w/ stems), cuke, jalapenos, etc. Tastes fine to good. My mid-afternoon snack will be the shredded pork.

On pure food weight scale, the 2 sandwiches are roughly the same weight as one small sub from Al's State Street. But they seem SO much healthier than my other lunch options. I can't compare to the other places on this post - I have not been - and while I would not say it is in the abstract a great sandwich, at 2 for $5, it's hard to deny it's a deal.

[MC Slim JB]

The main thing I'm glad to hear about is a quality roll. The bread was pretty bad, like a supermarket sub roll, when I gave up on the place a few years ago. I've since read here that new owners have made it good again, and this is another useful confirmation.

[Bob Dobalina]

I am not sure if I like the roll. Just had the second sub with the shredded pork. (Ok, I could only wait an hour with it in my desk before I gave in....yeeaaaAAA...WILL POWER!) - The pork for the record was funkarific including some tendon and other doodads.

When you say supermarket sub, I think soft. This is super crusty - I have to clear my workspace when I eat and hunch over the area when I chew because of all the crumbs flying off. This might be a good thing - like a crunchy baguette - or it might just be day old bread, you know? It's not stale, that much I know, but it's also not my favorite. Maybe it's day old crusty bread. lol

[MC Slim JB]

That's exactly what I meant by supermarket sub rolls. I think a banh mi roll should be very crusty, like a well-made baguette (on which it's based, after all). Authentic banh mi rolls are made with a bit of rice flour to give it that extra crispness.

[yumyum]

The thing I liked most about the bahn mi at the Super88 stall was the bread. I missed the bird chili's and it was too sweet for my taste (lots of kewpie mayonnaise). But the bread was awesome.

[Bob Dobalina]

Ah...*headslap*
Extra crispy for sure.

[kweesee]

when i get the bahn mi (bbq beef) from new siagon for lunch and eat it at my desk, i literally have crumbs all over the keyboard, desk, and all over my body. a mess but well worth it

[StriperGuy]

'course if you really want to win points in the full contact sport of competitive hounding you really need to hit the places in Dot and the one in the Super88. Also I lean more to the Vietnamese coldcut and the chicken Bahn mi so...

Interested to hear that LuLus was your fave. Might have to try the ground pork there which I have never had.

[heWho]

I most definitely need to broaden my search area. I do find it funny that my transportation cost to hunt down Bahn Mi (2 trips on the T) will cost as much as the food itself!

Here's another funny point. At each of the three shops reviewed, at one point in time I tried to order 2 sandwiches: one "spicy" (for me) and one "not spicy" (for my wife). Every single time both sandwiches came back spicy! I need to change my ordering approach. In the meantime my wife has gotten good at spotting and removing pepper seeds, and I've had the benefit of finishing her sandwich when she finally gives up!

Also, I believe Mei Sum and 163 use small, red Thai chilis for the "spicy" in their sandwiches. LuLu uses jalepenos. Both are good, but I prefer the heat from the smaller red chilis. The pieces are also smaller so as to not overpower a bite.

[galleygirl]

I've found the best way to get one spicy, and one not, is to order them seperately. Order the pork,(or whatever), not spicy.
THEN, order the pork, or whatever, SPICY, for yourself.

[StriperGuy]

Totally agree that Mei Sum does the best spicy. Love those bird chilis. The Super88 place just does some chili sauce.

[galleygirl]

Not all the time; usually they have chilis... The one awful banh mi I got there had tons of salt, instead of maggi seasoning...Ugh! Almost couldn't get TC to go back...

[Dax]

The green and the red are basically the same and can be found at most Asian markets. I pick up a few regularly to spice up about anything.

[galleygirl]

Yeah, but Lu's uses green jalapenos, instead of green Thai bird chilis...Loses subtlety

[Dax]

I agree. Saigon Sandwich used to do the same I believe. Bird chilies are definitely better.

[galleygirl]

YES!

[heWho]

Cliff Notes Version:

Lu's Sandwich Shop is the hands-down favorite, especially for her ground pork Bahn Mi.

Mei Sum is very good, though the sandwiches are the smallest I've tried so far. Also, the flavors and ratio of toppings weren't as good as Lu's, though they had a ton of Pork/BBQ Beef in their bahn mi.

183 Vietnamese Sandwiches is the worst in a landslide. Huge (too large) rolls make it hard to find your toppings. Too much onion and cucumber for my taste, though the BBQ beef is very tasty. I just wish there were more of it!

[Infomaniac]

Thanks for this post and the contributions from others. I really enjoy topics like this with the breakdown of comparisons. It's a tremendous help for me when coming into town on a mission for a specific indulgence.