Whenever they’re in stock, I like to buy the freshly made banh mi sandwiches at A-Mart. Now, I have another option with Viet Kitchen, which opened recently in the same strip mall.
Here, you’ll find seven versions of the sandwich ($6.75). They are a little smaller than expected but the right size for the price. Of note, the baguette is fresh and very flaky–you’re going to get crumbs everywhere.
The #12 banh mi bi is described as having shredded pork and special sauce–which I would relate to a hoisin sauce–and is fantastic. The pork comes in small, tender pieces, and overall the sandwich is quite savory.
Meanwhile, I would classify the #14 minced pork meatball as interesting (and delicious). It is indeed crumbled meatballs that are topped with a slightly sweet sauce (I think the same one that comes with the egg rolls). If you’re looking to mix things up, this is the way to go.
Of the two types of eggrolls, I tried the #15 nem nuong nha trang (2 for $7.50, 4 for $13.75). If you’re not familiar, these are spring rolls made with rice paper, and these ones were huge. The greens, carrots, cucumber and vermicelli noodles are fresh, and the long strip of BBQ pork is an incredibly tasty sausage. The egg roll is even better with the accompanying dipping sauce, which is slightly sweet, slightly spicy and garlicky.
Viet Kitchen also features an assortment of pho, which comes in the weird sizes of small ($11), large ($13) and X-large ($15), though you only can order large and X-large if you’re doing carryout. Let me start by acknowledging that the broth is excellent. It has the right amount of flavor that you could just drink it straight up.
Note that there are two #7 items on the menu, which made it hard to order. I got the second #7 (combination pho), and it included a decent amount of eye round steak, flank, tendon and meatballs, plus enough sliced onions, bean sprouts and green onions for two servings. The large size is quite filling.
Lastly, you’ll find smoothies ($6.75), milk tea ($5) and yogurt ($5) on the menu. The passion fruit mango smoothie was sweet, fruity and satisfying, plus it comes in a fairly large cup. I enjoyed it, but I hate to think how many calories it had.
Viet Kitchen serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Tags: Vietnamese, west side
