The submarine sandwich, reinvented
Modern cuisine’s latest emerging lunchtime darling, the Vietnamese submarine, finds fresh force with V Sandwiches, recently opened and flourishing nicely in tony Rice Howard Way.
Here, find evidence of the dawning of the age of the banh mi (or banh my), an exotic sandwich hailing from an exotic land. The traditional banh mi features a baguette that’s loaded up with such tasty proteins as pork, chicken, Vietnamese sausage, ham or (cough) head cheese, and delicately garnished with thinly sliced pickled carrots, cucumber, chili peppers, daikon (a white winter radish), cilantro, pate and seasoned mayo.
At V, a modest shop that’s more takeaway- than lingering minded (full bladders be damned—there ain’t a public toilet in the place), these unique takes on an old idea get their game upped—and adapted slightly to suit less adventurous Western tastes.
Best bets are clever variations like lemongrass chicken, barbecued pork and the enormously popular beef satay. V’s sandwiches are generously proportioned, the bread is crusty and warm, the fillings are inspired. But the wait times—courtesy of hungry office workers who’ve gotten a whiff of this emerging variation on a standard—are considerable.
The V’s salad rolls and satay wraps also rock. Wash it all down with an iced Vietnamese coffee, and call yourself transported.
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