The banh mi sandwich is quite a remarkable Vietnamese creation. A baguette is typically the foundation and it is usually filled with proteins such as beef, chicken, pork or fish. Cilantro gives the sandwich a lot of aroma and flavor, the cucumbers add crunch and jalapenos provide heat. I recently visited Sandwich House, a popular Yelp destination for banh mi.
Sandwich House is a tiny restaurant located in Cypress. It is directly across the street from Cypress College and despite the re-opening of restaurants in LA and Orange County, their business remains “to go” only. Due to the restaurant’s small interior, only one customer is allowed inside at a time.
Sandwiches are available using a French baguette or a croissant. Additional specialities include beef stew, rice vermicelli and rice noodles. An extensive list of proteins are available such as meat loaf, French-style ham, BBQ Pork, Beef or Chicken, Egg or Tofu. They picture a deconstructed banh mi on their menu with each ingredient clearly labeled. This removes the mystery for the non risk taking customers.
Their Sandwich House Special sandwich is a combination of ham, pâté, pork meatloaf, pickled daikon, cilantro, cucumbers, and onions. While I really enjoyed the flavor and the quality of the bread, I thought the sandwich could benefit from more inside. It wasn’t until I examined the menu that I realized that you can add on extra meat, veggies, pate, avocado or an egg.
Bo Kho is a Vietnamese beef stew made with braised chuck, carrots, onions and cilantro. As you eat this dish, the aromatics from the star anise, Chinese five spice and fish sauce come alive. The medium broth isn’t overbearing like some beef stews. Either a baguette or a side of rice noodles accompanies this dish.
While you wait for your order, the owner offers complimentary ice tea. After he delivered one of the orders to the customer’s car, he noticed that I had finished my drink and came back with a pitcher and a dish of sliced bread. I thought to myself, wow, I’ve never had that type of service when I’ve ordered my food to go.
I was surprised to find another freebie thrown in. My package included Asian cookies for dessert and I learned afterwards that this is their common practice. I enjoyed the taste and texture of the wafer cookies.
If you decide to visit Sandwich House, I’d make sure to take advantage of their optional addons. My recommendation is to add extra protein and I think more daikon and carrots will increase the tangy taste of the sandwich.
Sandwich House, 9187 Valley View St, Cypress, CA 90630; 714.828.9998