With the recent hot and relatively muggy weather, I'd been craving banh mi. Also, I had been wanting to revisit Phuong Nga Bakery and Café, but when I initially dropped by after work, I saw that their hours were now only from 8am to 3pm Mondays to Fridays. I did pass by on a Saturday and I noticed activity in the place. And then it dawned on me.....all that bread you see Phuong Nga selling from their counter is baked here! Duh..... And so, I made it a point to actually drop by during the shop's business hours to grab a banh mi.
The young man working was very nice and did confirm that the bread at Phuong Nga is indeed baked here.
I ordered the Banh Mi with Ham and Pate (Banh Mi Thịt Nguoi - $6.19, all sign are only in English) to go and my sandwich was ready in a few minutes.
The banh mi here have always been on the "hefty" side in my opinion and this was no different. First off, the bread was really crusty, I felt perhaps a bit too heavily baked? One bite resulted in crusty "shrapnel" flying in all directions. Still, this was much better than what I've recently had from Cali Baguette and Cali Banh Mi, both of which seemed to have "jumped the shark" a while back.
There was a nice smear of pate which I enjoyed and perhaps a bit too much Thịt Nguoi? But maybe that because of my own "PPP" (personal proportional preference)?
The jalapeno was pretty mild and for some reason I felt the sandwich could have done with more cilantro and pickled veggies? Perhaps that's because of the larger amount of protein in this sandwich?
Anyway, this did fill me up and I think is a decent option for banh mi. If that bread was just a little less baked, it would have brought it up a notch as it was nice and yeasty and the non-crust portions nice and tender. So, I'll probably check them out again soon.
Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 8am - 3pm
Closed on Saturday and Sundays
I'll definitely have to give that a try!
Posted by: Michael Gardiner | Monday, 08 August 2022 at 04:01 PM
That looks awesome - I'm comparing it with something like K Sandwiches which is mainly bread these days. I'll give this a try!
Posted by: Joy | Monday, 08 August 2022 at 05:33 PM
Mr Gardiner - Nice to hear from you! Hopefully they'll do a better job with your bread!
I hope you like it Joy. I've never been a fan of the bread from K Sandwich; I've always found it to be on the "mealy" side.
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 08 August 2022 at 05:40 PM
looks great
Posted by: kat | Monday, 08 August 2022 at 10:43 PM
You got me at bread baked here!
Posted by: Sandy | Tuesday, 09 August 2022 at 07:49 AM
I'm hoping the bread is a bit better next time Kat!
Check them out Sandy and let me know what you think!
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 09 August 2022 at 08:06 AM
Got the number 1 sandwich, which looked similar to yours in the picture. The veggies were fresh and there was a lot more pate than what most other banh mi shops add. The bread wasn't too bready, but I have shrapnel bits all over the floor. I still prefer the bread at Cali Baguette and Cali Banh Mi even though their fillings have gotten skimpier.
In other sandwich news, you've probably heard that Supernatural Sandwiches on Miramar Road has closed.
Posted by: Sandy | Monday, 22 August 2022 at 01:58 PM
Hi Sandy - Yes, like from almost a dozen folks even though we were out of town. I guess I'll take the crustier bread over the rather soft and overly doughy bread I've had from Cali Baguette in recent years; though I've got to stop by again soon. Thanks for letting me know what you thought!
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 03:44 PM