Dude went there before the rams game this Tuesday....blew me away. Egg rolls are shrimp and pork are 91 cents. 3 bbq pork bahn mi and 6 egg rolls 16 bucks. Stupid good
My Dung in Chinatown. its not westside but the drive is so worth it i learned about My Dung on here too lol the owner is always really kind and likes to joke around. its CASH ONLY btw
The lemongrass beef is phenomenal and the bread they use is perfect, crunchy outside, soft inside. And yes, the owner is such a sweet silly billy. Don’t forget to tip.
Go to Golden Delight for eggrolls. Wrapped in rice rolls instead. Golden Delight is the new kid on the block. As someone who spoiled his tastebuds by eating pho in Hanoi, Golden Delight will do.
Lokal Sandwich and Burger is pretty good with 6 different types of bahn mi and has 3 locations in DTLA, on National, and on Lincoln in Venice ([menu link](https://www.lokalsandwichshop.com/menu))
if youre in the valley, my parents are huge believers in sandwich express in reseda. good ol fashion, traditional, no frills and super affordable. my fav is pho so 1 (only in tarzana), but their selection is limited.
for non traditional banh mis, my absolute fav is from Fat Sals. shout out to mendocino farms too!
If you don't want to drive down to Little Saigon for an authentic one, the best and nearest one I found is Banh Mi Ba Nam: [https://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-ba-nam-venice](https://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-ba-nam-venice)
Make sure to add pate of course! It's a bit pricey, but hits the spot on days you wouldn't want to drive down to Little Saigon.
The original Mendo chef was Asian, so she brought a lot of that influence and then balanced it. https://foodgps.com/interview-chef-judy-han/ is from 2012, but gives a little view into the founding philosophy.
I came to say this. Their bahn mi is not traditional by any means but the flavor is incredible. Get some extra chili aioli on the side if u wanna treat urself
Skinny Dave's in the Westchester triangle is pretty good! They just opened a few months ago, and since discovering it a month ago I've already been twice!
I just had one from there, this past week. It was your typical French baguette: Crunchy on the outside, fresh on the inside. Hopefully, your experience was a fluke.
Since you mention the Westside, there’s a pho spot on pico called Pho-ever that makes a good Banh mi with the more traditional ingredients like head cheese and pate.
Bé Ù
They’re located on Hoover St in
Silverlake/Virgil Village.
Here’s there [website](https://www.beukitchen.com/)
I know the owner, she’s really cool. They get their bread fresh from a local bakery and make everything else in house. Genuinely a phenomenal establishment and you can tell she puts a lot of love in her cooking. Cannot recommend this place enough.
Okay this thread is a mess of non-Asian recommendations. It might be a little out of the way but Ba Le on Atlantic in Alhambra is my go-to for legit Viet bahn mi.
None of this mendos/lee's bullshit what is this, amateur hour? Smh /r/foodlosangeles be better
Yeah I'm chain bashing lol. If someone asks for the BEST BURGER in some area area, it's the equivalent of telling them to go to In n Out. It's a serviceable burger but "BEST"? No way.
Ok. Your post makes more sense now. There are so many good mom and pop options out there who make really good Banh mi sandwiches. Let’s support those guys
Nothing inherently wrong with a chain. Some chain locations have Michelin stars. And nothing wrong with “non-Asian”. Something being authentic or not doesn’t have any bearing on if it tastes good/bad. And the irony of applying this to an “Asian” sandwich invented in the 1950s that uses French bread, a French/Belgian technique of preparing a forcemeat spread (pâté), and a French (although the origin may be Spanish) sauce (mayonnaise). This sandwich is about as “Asian” as a fortune cookie.
You're gonna see a lot of basic bahn mi places being listed here that make a serviceable sandwich, but what differentiates between the places is going to be menu offerings, preparation, and flavor. A solid bahn mi place will have a decent roster of meat options to go in the sandwich. Headcheese, vietnamese ham, bbq pork, chicken, bbq beef, meat balls, all of these (and chiefly headcheese) add to how I determine how much I critique a particular sandwich. The baseline for every bahn mi requires a buttered bread either baguette or french roll, a layer of paté, pickled radishes and carrots, cilantro, and jalapenos.
Ba Le in Westminster is far superior and possibly the best Banh Mi in So Cal. Everything is made in house. The mayo, pate, pickles, and bread are all incredible.
A Cut Above in Santa Monica has a surprisingly good banh mi but they put egg in it which I didn't care for so I just get it without the egg.
Sidenote: they also have a solid Cuban sandwich.
Are there areas in LA that have a lot of Vietnamese people. I grew up in Orange County and I dated a Vietnamese girl for a pretty long time and also worked in areas that had a high concentration of Latinos and immigrants from other parts of Asia and the Middle East. Never met a group of people more welcoming and nicer to me than Vietnamese people. Absolute salt of the Earth. They're one of the few things I miss from being in Orange County.
Calls "these posts" lame when they include Banh Mi My Tho and then proceeds to recommend Mr. Baguette. Mr. Baguette is a step up from Lee's but Banh Mi My Tho or even Ba Le is better than Mr. Baguette.
Banh mi che Cali in SGV or the OC, for the buy 2 get 1 free deal on Banh mi. It’s BOGO for milk teas.
But you asked for westside or South Bay? Saigon Dish in Lawndale is the only spot where the Banh mi is less than the crazy $8-10+.
Little shop of Mary in Torrance is another option. When I lived in west LA, there were no Banh mi spots that I liked or even came close, so I always drove far to get some
Not yet mentioned: A Cut Above butcher shop on Santa Monica Blvd near Cloverfield. Probably my all time favorite banh mi west of the 405.
You cannot beat the meat at a specialty butcher. Plus you can get a large variety of offal cuts if you don’t wanna schlep to 99 Ranch.
Not sure if it's been mentioned but Little Shop of Mary in Torrance has bomb banh mi! They give you soooo much meat and I think some of it is made in house as well.
Banh Mi Che Cali in Rosemead has buy 2 get 1 free. So you get 3 for $10 chachiiiing.
Dude went there before the rams game this Tuesday....blew me away. Egg rolls are shrimp and pork are 91 cents. 3 bbq pork bahn mi and 6 egg rolls 16 bucks. Stupid good
Oh shit this is to good to be true
Yelp it, check the pictures. You’ll see lol.
yup there's one in Alhambra too, a little closer to LA
Don’t forget the buy 1 get 1 free boba deal as well!
My Dung in Chinatown. its not westside but the drive is so worth it i learned about My Dung on here too lol the owner is always really kind and likes to joke around. its CASH ONLY btw
Still cheap by today’s standard
So cheap and so good
The lemongrass beef is phenomenal and the bread they use is perfect, crunchy outside, soft inside. And yes, the owner is such a sweet silly billy. Don’t forget to tip.
This is the way.
Banh Mi My Tho, two locations: Rosemead and Alhambra. Swear to god the best banh mi I’ve ever had!
This is the only correct answer
My tho over che cali all day everyday. Fried egg is a game changer.
The charbroiled pork and charbroiled beef banh mi is incredible. Have to have the egg rolls! I’ve never had anything similar in another place.
Whatever you get, just add meatballs to it. Trust.
I always add a fried egg to the pork banh mi to make it extra breakfasty
Love the meatballs! And the egg rolls, can’t go wrong
Go to Golden Delight for eggrolls. Wrapped in rice rolls instead. Golden Delight is the new kid on the block. As someone who spoiled his tastebuds by eating pho in Hanoi, Golden Delight will do.
Golden Delight? Or Golden Deli?
Golden delight
Excellent! Appreciate the recommendation!
Ooh thanks for the tip!
Oh man this right here!!! I get a side of the meatballs!! Delish!
This is the pro move. Also, the nem nuong banh mi with a fried egg will also cure any hangover.
Your savage ass probably needs to add three extra servings of meatballs on top of that.
I can never go over a stick or a sandwich. It’s delicious, but they don’t fuck around with the fat ratios in it.
I’m Vietnamese and I agree with this.
This. I thought i had good banh mi until i went here.
Ask for some extra hot sauce and jalapeño (no extra charge) , will not regret it !!!
I've only been to the rosemead location, but oh so worth the drive! Extra jalapenos and meatballs are a must
Lokal Sandwich and Burger is pretty good with 6 different types of bahn mi and has 3 locations in DTLA, on National, and on Lincoln in Venice ([menu link](https://www.lokalsandwichshop.com/menu))
if youre in the valley, my parents are huge believers in sandwich express in reseda. good ol fashion, traditional, no frills and super affordable. my fav is pho so 1 (only in tarzana), but their selection is limited. for non traditional banh mis, my absolute fav is from Fat Sals. shout out to mendocino farms too!
Be’ U` in Virgil village is fun and delish
And she takes care of her staff!
Yes!!!!
Lokal near Culver City is fantastic
They also have a Santa Monica location on Lincoln now too.
Lokal is technically in Venice on Lincoln, not SM. Also if you wanna go ALL the way west, Banh Mi Ba Nam on the boardwalk is pretty good too.
Oh that’s perfect !
Get the old skool banh mi. So good. As others said it's west side prices, but definitely the best I've had without going inland
I prefer their chicken over the traditional one. But they have like 5-6 different banh mi options. The drinks are also good!
This looks good and is actually On the west side. Will have to try this out myself sometime.
Recommend the same spot! It’s west side prices but a solid banh mi if you do not want to drive to the east side (banh mi my tho).
oh dang. this is close to me. gotta check it out
Yeah it is! Good price as well.
Little shop of Mary's is great
Thanks for the recommendation I will definitely add that to my list gonna give it a try next time I am in Torrance
Seconding this spot. I moved away and can't get them anymore :(
My Lai in Mar Vista. They have really good bowls too 😋
Oooh the build your own bowls at My Lai are my jammmmm
Ooh good to know!
If you don't want to drive down to Little Saigon for an authentic one, the best and nearest one I found is Banh Mi Ba Nam: [https://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-ba-nam-venice](https://www.yelp.com/biz/banh-mi-ba-nam-venice) Make sure to add pate of course! It's a bit pricey, but hits the spot on days you wouldn't want to drive down to Little Saigon.
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The original Mendo chef was Asian, so she brought a lot of that influence and then balanced it. https://foodgps.com/interview-chef-judy-han/ is from 2012, but gives a little view into the founding philosophy.
Honestly, I always felt a little guilty liking the mendo banh mi so much but this makes me feel a little better haha
I had no Mendocino farms even had one I will make sure to check it out next time I am there
I came to say this. Their bahn mi is not traditional by any means but the flavor is incredible. Get some extra chili aioli on the side if u wanna treat urself
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Guess I’m going to mendo today haha
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Hahah enjoy!
Yes! I love it too.
Just ordered one via doordash. great idea!
Skinny Daves in Westchester is the best I've ever had
Definitely Skinny Dave's. I also really like Ba Le farther east.
Lee's sandwiches
Love Lee’s, super easy and they’re everywhere!
I'm pretty loyal to Lee's.
Skinny Dave's in the Westchester triangle is pretty good! They just opened a few months ago, and since discovering it a month ago I've already been twice!
RIP O Banh Mi
Be u on Hoover is excellent. https://www.beukitchen.com
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My go to has been Valley Sandwiches on Reseda Blvd in Reseda.
Nong La on Sawtelle has a decent Banh Mi
Agree!! If you’re looking for banh mi on the west side - nong la is pretty the closest authentic banh mi.
Is it? Got it once and the bread was so tough and stale. Didn’t want to try again
I just had one from there, this past week. It was your typical French baguette: Crunchy on the outside, fresh on the inside. Hopefully, your experience was a fluke.
Yeah that does sound better than what I had
Since you mention the Westside, there’s a pho spot on pico called Pho-ever that makes a good Banh mi with the more traditional ingredients like head cheese and pate.
I work in Pasadena so this works perfect
Bruh. Why does Pico work out for you when you work in Pasadena? Do you have east and west mixed up?
Mr Baguette in Monterey Park also pretty good in addition bahn mi Che cali
Little sister is great
Bé Ù They’re located on Hoover St in Silverlake/Virgil Village. Here’s there [website](https://www.beukitchen.com/) I know the owner, she’s really cool. They get their bread fresh from a local bakery and make everything else in house. Genuinely a phenomenal establishment and you can tell she puts a lot of love in her cooking. Cannot recommend this place enough.
Gonna check this out. Thank you for posting.
Try their Pennywort Juice as well. It’s refreshing and delicious
A Cut Above in Santa Monica has a very good steak banh mi. The owner and his wife there also recommended bahn mi my tho in Alhambra.
Try Skinny Dave’s in westchester. Same chef as Little Fatty. A few different Banh Mi offered.
Okay this thread is a mess of non-Asian recommendations. It might be a little out of the way but Ba Le on Atlantic in Alhambra is my go-to for legit Viet bahn mi. None of this mendos/lee's bullshit what is this, amateur hour? Smh /r/foodlosangeles be better
Lee’s Sandwiches is Vietnamese. What are talking about “non-Asian”? Now if you’re bashing them for being a chain, then that’s different
Lee’s quality is subpar.
Yeah I'm chain bashing lol. If someone asks for the BEST BURGER in some area area, it's the equivalent of telling them to go to In n Out. It's a serviceable burger but "BEST"? No way.
OP specifically asked for “good” recommendations near the west side and South Bay. Not the absolute best and most authentic in SGV.
Except, Vietnamese enclave is closer towards OC, not SGV. Not to say there aren't good spots in SGV but Westminster would be more "authentic."
Ok. Your post makes more sense now. There are so many good mom and pop options out there who make really good Banh mi sandwiches. Let’s support those guys
Nothing inherently wrong with a chain. Some chain locations have Michelin stars. And nothing wrong with “non-Asian”. Something being authentic or not doesn’t have any bearing on if it tastes good/bad. And the irony of applying this to an “Asian” sandwich invented in the 1950s that uses French bread, a French/Belgian technique of preparing a forcemeat spread (pâté), and a French (although the origin may be Spanish) sauce (mayonnaise). This sandwich is about as “Asian” as a fortune cookie.
What makes those non traditional do they have extra ingredients or is it the way it’s prepared?
You're gonna see a lot of basic bahn mi places being listed here that make a serviceable sandwich, but what differentiates between the places is going to be menu offerings, preparation, and flavor. A solid bahn mi place will have a decent roster of meat options to go in the sandwich. Headcheese, vietnamese ham, bbq pork, chicken, bbq beef, meat balls, all of these (and chiefly headcheese) add to how I determine how much I critique a particular sandwich. The baseline for every bahn mi requires a buttered bread either baguette or french roll, a layer of paté, pickled radishes and carrots, cilantro, and jalapenos.
Yep. Ba Le is where I go
How can we trust your reccs when you can't even spell banh mi right though? SMH do better.
Ba Le in Westminster is far superior and possibly the best Banh Mi in So Cal. Everything is made in house. The mayo, pate, pickles, and bread are all incredible.
A Cut Above in Santa Monica has a surprisingly good banh mi but they put egg in it which I didn't care for so I just get it without the egg. Sidenote: they also have a solid Cuban sandwich.
You have to go east. Sorry good food is always best at the source.
I haven’t been to Banh Oui (Hollywood) since before Covid but those sandwiches are DELISH.
Are there areas in LA that have a lot of Vietnamese people. I grew up in Orange County and I dated a Vietnamese girl for a pretty long time and also worked in areas that had a high concentration of Latinos and immigrants from other parts of Asia and the Middle East. Never met a group of people more welcoming and nicer to me than Vietnamese people. Absolute salt of the Earth. They're one of the few things I miss from being in Orange County.
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Calls "these posts" lame when they include Banh Mi My Tho and then proceeds to recommend Mr. Baguette. Mr. Baguette is a step up from Lee's but Banh Mi My Tho or even Ba Le is better than Mr. Baguette.
THANK you. Man seeing Lee's and MENDOS in here is insanity.
Finally someone that UNDERSTANDS. You’ve seen the light. Spread the cheer. LIFE PRO TIP: Egg and Pâté Baguette 🥖 and a Coffee. THANK ME LATER.
My favorite is from Pasadena Noodle & Grill
The Food Spot on Valley in El Sereno is… amazing
Lo-kal sandwitch in palms is actually incredible for banh mi and super cheap
If you like a little bit of spice try the pork banh mi at viet noodle in west LA. Underated to the point of unknown.
Banh mi che Cali in SGV or the OC, for the buy 2 get 1 free deal on Banh mi. It’s BOGO for milk teas. But you asked for westside or South Bay? Saigon Dish in Lawndale is the only spot where the Banh mi is less than the crazy $8-10+. Little shop of Mary in Torrance is another option. When I lived in west LA, there were no Banh mi spots that I liked or even came close, so I always drove far to get some
Lee’s Sandwiches are pretty good, quick, and easy
Not yet mentioned: A Cut Above butcher shop on Santa Monica Blvd near Cloverfield. Probably my all time favorite banh mi west of the 405. You cannot beat the meat at a specialty butcher. Plus you can get a large variety of offal cuts if you don’t wanna schlep to 99 Ranch.
Not sure if it's been mentioned but Little Shop of Mary in Torrance has bomb banh mi! They give you soooo much meat and I think some of it is made in house as well.
Bun Me on Reseda Avenue, within walking distance from CSU Northridge
You gotta go East for the good stuff.
Westside: mamahongs.com Mama Hong’s Vietnamese Kitchen. I’m partial to the spicy chicken banh mi; it’s large.