Monday, December 10, 2018

Banh Mi by Rice and Spoon--Newark, CA (Vietnamese Sandwich Shop)

This new banh mi place is an extension of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Rice and Spoon. Located at 7052 Jarvis Avenue, it's right next door and it's just as modern and comfortable as the Tran family's flagship restaurant. The price is not as low as the typical Vietnamese banh mi, however, the ingredients used and quality of food is not typical either. The options to add a fried egg, veggies or extra meat is a plus and their fresh beverages are delicious. The gold star friendly service also makes this a great place to visit.


Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.


Vietnamese Iced Coffee.  A very robust and strong coffee drink. They err on the side of stronger coffee, but would be happy to add more sweetened condensed milk if requested.





#1: Classic. House-made Vietnamese ham and pork roll. This was a freshly baked bun, fresh cucumber, tomato, jalapeno slices, pickled daikon and carrot, house-made sweet mayo and pate. The bun was fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. All the ingredients balanced each other out with that savory flavor of the pate and pork. Delicious.





#2: Crispy Chicken. All the usual accouterments were in this tasty sandwich with crunchy fried chicken. I liked that the jalapenos they use are actually spicy. It gives it a great kick of heat.





#4. Chashu. House-made Japanese-style braised pork belly lined the bed of this sandwich with succulent, tender, porky goodness. I will have to try to remember to order extra meat for this one. I love chashu, and they make it very well.






#5. BBQ Pork. The same crispy and fluffy bread with all the creamy, savory, crunchy, sweet, tangy and spicy toppings and condiments with a savory pork that's coated in a sweet bbq sauce. This is what love looks like.




This little shop is now permanently on my list of top Vietnamese sandwich places. I would highly recommend.