All in On The Cheap

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On The Cheap

Lee’s Store and Bakery

Each bánh mì ($2.50) starts with the critical foundation of great bread, here a fresh 12-inch baguette with a super-crackly crust, courtesy of some added rice flour. This is filled with shredded, lightly pickled carrots, a long spear of fresh cucumber, a lot of fresh cilantro, some mandolined white onions, and a schmear of mayo, occasionally with the yellow tint of added oleo. Request “spicy” and it gets sprinkled with slices of tiny fresh green chilies, packing surprising heat. Last is the meat of your choice, including meatball (made from pork, crushed just before serving into a coarse pate), ham combo (actually a trio of cold cuts resembling head cheese, mortadella, and char siu pork), beef (like shredded brisket), or shredded pork skin (like steamed chicharrón, bland and quite chewy).

A few pointers: English is spotty here, so be sure to insist on “Vietnamese style,” or you’ll get an American sub with (gasp) cheese and none of the good salad-y stuff. Bánh mì are done for the day when the rolls are gone, so call ahead to check on availability after about 2pm. Sometimes there’s no Vietnamese iced coffee ($2); at other times, no Vietnamese beef stew with bread ($2.50). But there are always excellent smoothies ($3) based on an array of fruits both familiar (avocado, mango, strawberry/banana) and strange (like jackfruit or the confoundingly stinky/sweet durian), with or without tapioca pearls. Canned soft drinks ($1.50) range from standard American sodas to Asian beverages like coconut juice, flavored soymilk, and the amaro-like grass jelly drink. As for the much-sought sardine bánh mì, it’s just okay: the fish canned, lightly mashed, a bit like Chicken of the Sea. But that’s a quibble. I’m still elated to have found Lee’s: its terrific sandwiches rank among the tastiest under–$3 lunches in town.