Wrap Delight vs. Out the Door
I probably go to Wrap Delight once a week. It's right across the street from work, and what's not to love?
But today I found myself in the Westfield Center heading for Muni and thought, well, what can Charles Phan do with a bahn mi to justify that price? Now I know.
WD: Fresh, hot, super crispy roll with some of the insides taken out.
OTD: Bready, chewy roll
WD: A hefty pile of pickled carrots and daikon, generous cilantro and jalapenos, and yummy meat
OTD: Very tasty pork that completely overwhelmed the sparse vegetables
WD: Big, fiery slices of jalapeno stuffed into the sandwich
OTD: A couple of tiny thin slices of jalapeno wrapped separately so I had to handle it and thus go wash my hands before proceeding.
WD: Happy woman who calls my order to me before I get to the counter and gets me my sandwich in about a minute
OTD: A buzzer to let me know when my order is ready
WD: mysterious brown umami-ful sauce
OTD: tons of mayo, nothing else
WD: $3
OTD: $9.31
Nope, won't get fooled again.
By Pistou
on Sep 4, 2009 01:53 PM
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thanks for an interesting comparison ....... unlike the mayo, maybe somebody is spreading himself too thin? And I mean that with the utmost respect for all the success that he's achieved.
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Nice point-by-point comparison. Thanks! Sounds like one version is dumbed down to mollify (get it? At the mall? Sorry, it's early).
But that's kind of the point of mall food, even a mall with as nice a food court as the Westfield. Sorabol isn't real Korean, Buckhorn isn't real tri-tip, and the Soup Company certainly isn't making homemade chowder. But they make somewhat recognizeable versions of popular foods accessible to mass markets, at a high price. And for those people who would never step foot into the Tenderloin, a OTC sandwich is probably a bargain compared to something from 'wichcraft.
Thank goodness we know better :)
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Nice write up. At one time Silks in the Mandarin Oriental had a $15 bahn mi. Didn't try it though.
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Wrap Delight
426 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Out the Door
845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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I had a nice sitdown lunch at that Out the Door, but I got the green beans with mushrooms and one of the noodle dishes. The prices were reasonable for the atmosphere and they have a great wine list.
I find it hard to pay more than $3.50 for a bánh mì.
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Like Slanted Door, I think Out the Door does new "Cal-Vietnamese" dishes much better than they do old classics. Their pho is also not very good.
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Nice tip on Wrap Delight. I'll be checking that out soon!
At Out the Door, I've had summer rolls (bland, served with extra bland peanut butter sauce) and a noodle (bun) with grilled chicken (very bland, sparse vegetables, served with bland fish sauce/no peanuts, no chilies, nothing -- both disappointing, especially given the high price tag. While I am not an expert on Vietnamese food and can appreciate the Cali-fusion tone, I still expect some flavor and value!
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I don't like Wrap Delight at all. They've never included daikon in the vegetable mix for the sandwiches I've tried and my last banh mi was terrible. I won't bother to go there again with Saigon Sandwich nearby.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/635085
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I'm so glad you proved my theory right!
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