Vietnamese banh mi is one of my favorite sandwiches. Prepared well, they are heavenly. The baguette has to be fresh, preferably baked in-house. Proteins can vary widely, but the constant is the pickled daikon and carrot mix. My favorite banh mi shop is Tan Hoang Huong and I’m curious if I’ll ever find one that tops it. Last weekend, I tried one relatively new entrant, Pickle Banh Mi.
Vietnamese pho has become ubiquitous in LA. Pickle Banh Mi hopes to do the same for the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. In fact, they doubled down on that bet by opening two brick and mortar restaurants almost at the same time. One is located in Garden Grove, the other is in nearby Fountain Valley.
Pâté Chaud, is a flaky, buttery, savory meat pie made with puff pastry. That day they only had pork which is my favorite anyway. The pastry is soft and flaky; inside is a pork meatball. It is similar to an Australian hand pies.
Spring Rolls is another popular appetizer. Shredded lettuce, rice noodles, fresh mint, cilantro and shrimp are wrapped with rice paper. Included is a thick peanut sauce that is slightly spicy. Pickle Banh Mi’s Spring Rolls are made fresh with quality ingredients and are among the best that I’ve experienced.
One of their most popular sandwiches is the Beef with Lemongrass Banh Mi. The beef is marinated with lemongrass and other seasonings along with the standard pickled carrot and daikon mix. The beef slices are tender which makes this sandwich a joy to eat.
It may have been due to the long car-ride home that my meatball banh mi looked more like a ground pork sandwich. Nevertheless, I found the combination of flavors quite pleasing, and the fresh baguette elevated the experience.
I found it interesting that they feature a section of their menu titled “Premium Banh Mi”. While I’ve never visited Vietnam, Crispy Pork Belly and the Grilled Chicken Patty banh mi sandwiches don’t seem like something that you would experience on the streets in Vietnam. I suspect that these offerings appeal to customers that aren’t familiar with Vietnamese cuisine.
While Pickle Banh Mi’s specializes in banh mi, they also feature porridges, noodles, soups, stews and rice dishes. Most people seem to order their banh mi and based on my experience, I can see why.
The prices are slightly higher than some of their nearby counterparts with their standard banh mi priced between $4.50 and $4.99 and the premium banh mi priced at $6.50. For me, I don’t mind paying the slight extra because their restaurant is cleaner than most of their competitors.
Pickle Banh Mi, 12372 Brookhurst St., Garden Grove, 714-537-7060
picklebanhmi.com