They sell some baked goods.
And croissants.
I ordered a Banh Mi Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Meatball Sandwich) for $3.25 and a banh mi dac biet (Vietnamese special sandwich) for $2.95. The sandwiches looked good with plenty of cucumbers, cilantro, jalapenos, and Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Stuff ie. Carrots and Daikon).
I split each sandwich into thirds so my cousins and I could all try a bit of each for comparison. The xiu mai was our least favorite. The meatball was pretty bland with a watery tomato sauce, nothing like my braised Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Meatballs).
The dac biet with its combination of Xa Xiu (Chinese Barbecued Pork) and Pate (Faux Gras with Chicken Livers) was better.
I like the thicker cut of the veggies, but much prefer Vietnamese French bread to baguette bread. Also, the two sandwiches cost $6, for $1 less, I could have gotten another sandwich at Banh Mi & Che Cali. The frugal diner in me and my cousins all noticed that.
I also ordered a $1.75 chocolate croissant. Flaky. Filled with chocolate. Perfect.
Other Vietnamese sandwich shops:
Banh Mi & Che Cali Restaurant - Alhambra
Top Baguette - Westminster (Little Saigon)
The stops as we built our picnic at the Great Balloon at the Orange County Great Park:
Banh Mi & Che CALI Bakery - Westminster (Little Saigon)
Thai Son Lo Banh Cuon - Westminster (Little Saigon)
Hot Vit Lon Long An - Westminster (Little Saigon)
Tip Top Sandwiches
14094 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
714-530-9239
*****
1 year ago today, Fried Rice with Pork, Corn, and a Ladle of Ramen Broth.
2 years ago today, Monland Hot Pot City - San Gabriel
Hands down,undeniably your xiu mai would rock the banh mi world. But these Banh mi's do look delicious, yum!
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me to post more partially eaten food photos cause I'm typically reluctant.. The exploded dac biet looks delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteI should trademark my xiu mai recipe! So much better than the bland store versions.
Dennis,
Haha. Well, no other way to show the inside except the halved bitten version. Or I guess I could have opened it and photographed that, but too boring. :)
Wow...love all your pictures you've posted on the Banh Mi & Che Cali Bakery and Tip Top Sandwich places! My husband, daughter & I love taking drives up to Costa Mesa/Irvine and Garden Grove/Fountain Valley areas from San Diego, just because. We love the drive up and I'm always looking for new places to eat at. We're constantly eating at the Japanese Mitsuwa Market in Costa Mesa, so, when I pulled up the info on the Net on Brodard Chateau Vietnamese Cuisine rest., one thing led to another and I found your entry on Banh Mi & Che Cali Bakery and Tip Top Sandwiches. My husband & I love eating Vietnamese food so, we don't mind trying something 'new'. Now, at least I finally found other places to try. Thanks so much for all your info!
ReplyDeleteReiko,
ReplyDeleteWelcome! You can find plenty of other restaurants in OC or for Vietnamese cuisine in my restaurant index. That's pretty cool that you're willing to drive just for good food.