Best of SF Eats: Banh Mi edition
#1: Banh Mi Ba Le (Oakland)
Unfortunately this Banh Mi is a bit far from me, being located by the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. But it is the best I've had. Juicy meats. Fresh pickles. Bread that shatters with every bite. And only $2.75 - a winner!
Plus, they have fresh soy milk!
#2: Saigon Sandwich (San Francisco)
Thankfully, this one's a lot closer - near the SF Public Library main branch in fact, so I can stop by whenever I go to the library. A compact torpedo, it's a perfect balance of flavors and textures. $3.50
#4: Dinosaurs
I was pleasantly surprised, since this sandwich shop is in the Castro/Mission Dolores area close to Ike's Place. Not a place I would expect great banh mi. But the bread was great, and the pickles were flavorful and so plentiful. The only miss was the roast pork, which was a bit too sweet; more similar to char siu. $4.75
#5: Little Vietnam
Even though SF Weekly proclaimed this as the #1 banh mi of San Francisco, I disagree. I got there at 9:30am, yet the bread was stale. And the vegetables were too sweet, as if they were candied. And the $4.50
Last: Little Green Cyclo
Given the data, it's not a surprise this was last: a hipster food truck, with the most expensive banh mi of all at $5. Why is it that standards often go down and prices go up with these new wave food trucks? Just look at those pitch black grill marks, trying to make the best of the lackluster bread, raw vegetables with no flavor, and not enough filling. And operating out of a food truck is no excuse - I've had awesome banh mi in Vietnam made from carts half the size of an airline food cart!
