Last week I found out that good things really do come in small packages. All this tweeting about V Sandwiches on Rice Howard Way made me realize people were eating good food without me and I was feeling a little left out.
They weren’t kidding when they said it was small. In fact, this place is so tiny that if you don’t get there just at the right time, you could find yourself standing in a sizeable queue while lucky keeners enter and exit the shop with aromatic bundles. Stomachs rumbled and the rain came down in droves but none of us gave up our spot because everyone knows a lineup outside an eating establishment is a very good sign.
By the time I got to the counter, a dozen people had lined up behind me. One guy snuck in, grabbed his lemongrass tofu banh mi, and left. He was one of the smart ones who used the phone-in service to place an order. If you do that before 11:30 a.m. or after 1:30 p.m., you too can rush in, grab and go. Nice. On my second visit, I went right at 11 a.m. and I was third in line. Timing is everything. And yes, three days later, it was still raining.
Banh mi are Vietnamese subs: toasted baguettes loaded with a choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu, and layered with pickled carrots, cucumbers, onions, sauce, lettuce and cilantro.
The lemongrass chicken, along with the beef satay banh mi were winners. It will be hard to choose between the two the next time I visit. Fresh ingredients, good price ($6.75), easy to eat, filling and flavourful. I might even consider getting extra meat next time ($1.50) because more of a good thing is a very good thing indeed.
The salad rolls were delicate in flavour and packed with soft noodles and some lettuce. I like a sprig of herb (cilantro, basil or mint) in mine…these came without, but that’s a personal preference. The accompanying peanut sauce was uber-peanuty but not spicy. You can ask for hot sauce on the side.
The menu also features vermicelli bowls, won ton (and wor won ton) soup, spring rolls, wraps and a delightful looking layered dessert that I will certainly try next time.
Business is booming, and the good news is V Sandwiches is opening a second location near to Julio’s Barrio on Whyte Ave. That shop will have tables and chairs to allow customers to sit down and enjoy the food. With the generous amount of foot traffic on that particular block, I think V Sandwiches on Whyte will be a popular spot for banh mi fans.
My CBC Edmonton AM review is available here.
What I love about your blog is that I never know what you are going to wright about, it maybe the hottest spot in town or Bongo burgers! Vietnamese sub shop? Never thought I would say this , but I might just line up to try one…. is that weird…wonderful or ??
Sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s a miss. V Sandwiches is a definite hit. For a beef-eater like you, JP, trying it Banh Mi style could be a totally new and wonderful experience. Let me know how it goes!