In Search of Banh Mi: An Adventure For The Ages

My old friend IndianJones came into town this past weekend, and on Friday night, he announced that he wanted to try some of Los Angelee’s banh mi offerings. For those who are unaware, banh mi are Vietnamese sandwiches that are revered for their bold flavors and simple ingredients. Best of all: the sandwiches can usually be purchased for not much more than $2. Cheap? Flavorful? Asian? I’m so there.
I’m something of a banh mi novice; so I turned to my foodie/Vietnamese friends for some recommendations. Pam (a.k.a. Daily Gluttony) at Rants and Craves suggested Banh Mi My Tho (which had strong reviews at Yelp), Cathy from gas•tron•o•my recommended Saigon’s Sandwich and Bakery, and Jenny from, well, this blog insisted that we go to Lee’s Sandwiches.
Ultimately, we decided on Banh Mi My Tho — mostly because it was closest, and it had the highest Yelp score. I do plan, however, on trying the other two banh mi spots at some time in the future. In the meantime, check out the exciting trip IndianJones and I took in search of this mystical sandwich after the jump…

Here’s me feeling extremely excited about our impending trip. Note the new house plant in the background.

IndianJones adopts the classic peace sign pose, one he claims is a favorite amongst Asian tourists around the globe. Since I’m not racist like that, I just smile and nod politely.

With a distinct craving for Vietnamese sandwiches on our minds, we summon THE LIFT.

I don’t think IndianJones has ever been so excited to board an elevator.

Unfortunately, traffic is a nightmare; so I must reroute from the 10 freeway to the 110, as seen in the background.

We hit a minor setback when I take a wrong turn and wind up crawling towards Chinatown.

Disaster is averted, however, when I execute a u-turn and right our course.

A scenic tunnel on the 110 freeway.

A rare artistic moment from the usually corporate-minded IndianJones. He snapped this picture and then informed me excitedly that one could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It was a big moment for him.

Eventually, we find ourselves in South Pasadena, which means we’re almost at our destination.

Before we get to the banh mi, I insist on stopping off at one of my favorite suburban haunts: Costco.

IndianJones again pretends to be a tourist.

Happiness.

45 minutes later, I emerge with vodka, among other things, and am ready to hit the road.

At last we arrive at Banh Mi My Tho, home to what has been hailed by yelp as some of the best banh mi out there.

IndianJones at this point has become ravenous and by extension, a bit prickly. It’s essential that we order our food as soon as possible.

The sandwich menu. As you can see, the prices are a bit outrageous (in a good way). Very recession friendly. We both opt for the charbroiled pork sandwich.

While we wait for our banh mi, I take pictures of random Vietnamese treats around the store.

At last, our food is ready. We take a seat on a little bench outdoors and peak into the bag. Anticipation is very high.

Banh mi, sheathed.

Voìla!

The glorious innards: cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, jalapeño peppers, and the marinated pork. I think there’s some sort of mayo too, but being that I’m a neophyte with this stuff, I have no idea what it is.

Commencing banh mi experience.

Nom nom nom.

I can assure you that this sandwich was supremely tasty. The warm, savory elements mixed with the cold, tart veggies were a wonderful combo. The bread was also firm and crusty, and while that’s not always my favorite way to enjoy a sandwich, it worked just fine here.

I attempt to photograph IndianJones’s mess, but of course he moves his hands in the way just as I snap the picture.

A better angle.

All in all, a successful trip.

And in the end, all that remained were the crumbly memories of IndianJones’s sandwich.