Getting the rather "Americanized" banh mi from Poppy Boba had me wondering how some of regular banh mi stops were doing. So, I set out to do some revisits. I decided to start with my most "recent-decent" banh mi, which was from Banh Mi Express, which provides one of the few pre-lunch options that is not fast food or premade bento's in the area on a Saturday morning.
The place was doing some pretty good business on this morning. Remember when this was Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe? Banh Mi Express is kind of interesting as I think of it being a bit of a "tweener" between the more traditional banh mi and more Westernized versions. For instance, the menu only features westernized names for the sandwiches.
For instance, I decided on the Cha Lua....which is on the menu as "Pate - Meat Loaf" ($7.75). It seems that the going price for banh mi seems to run in the 7-8 dollar range these days. I couldn't believe the version at Poppy was over ten bucks!
Once back home I unwrapped my Banh Mi.
I was glad to note that the house made bread was back to normal, not the rather strange version I got on my previous visit. There was a bit too much mayo for my taste, but a good amount of funky pate was provided. The cha lua were sliced thinly, which I kind of liked. The jalapenos were quite mild and I noticed that the cucumber slices were MIA. The cilantro had quite a bit of think stems.
The bread was crusty and yeasty. There were proportionally less pickled vegetables than I would have enjoyed.
Not a bad banh mi; but it did fuel my curiosity even more. It was time to "make the banh mi rounds" as it were.
Banh Mi Express
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 7am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 3pm
Closed on Sundays
I kind of love the cilantro stems in bahn mi, but then I get ahold of one stem and it rips the whole sandwich apart as I take a bite. You can't win!
Posted by: Dereck | Saturday, 26 April 2025 at 04:21 PM
Of course you went to Avian, right?
Posted by: Som Tommy | Saturday, 26 April 2025 at 04:48 PM
Sometimes those stems are so stringy and like you said, it tears the sandwich apart Dereck! Though the stems do have a stronger flavor.
Funny you should mention Avian ST....yes, that post is coming up!
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 26 April 2025 at 05:18 PM
looks delicious even if it was missing cucumber
Posted by: kat | Sunday, 27 April 2025 at 05:33 AM
It was pretty good Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 28 April 2025 at 02:20 PM