Bánh Mi at Saigon Remembered

I've never eaten bánh mi before, the Vietnamese sandwich comprised of pickled vegetables, meat, and sometimes paté on a baguette, so when I read on Dining@Large that Saigon Remembered has started serving them at lunchtime, I made a point to give one a try.  Since I had off from work because of "Spring break" (one whole day), today was my opportunity.

After noticing bánh mi was not on the menu, and a misunderstanding with the very new waitress who thought I was looking for a special pad Thai (come on - why would I order pad Thai in a Vietnamese restaurant?), I opted instead for a pork dish on the lunch menu, plus a fried spring roll, served with a heaping helping of disappointment.  Mr Minx ordered the special fried rice.  

As we were enjoying our very good spring rolls, the manager came over and questioned me about my request for a special pad Thai.  When I clarified that I was hoping to try bánh mi, he said they *did* have them, and he would be happy to change my order.  Yay!  So I ordered a pork sandwich.  This is what I got: 

A toasted roll (not a baguette) filled with a stir-fried pork and onion mixture, lightly pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber, and a plethora of cilantro.  It was...delicious.  Because the roll was not a heavy baguette, the whole sandwich had a very light quality.  

In addition to the pork variety, Saigon Remembered also has combination (chicken, pork, beef), shrimp, and vegetarian versions (all veg and veg + tofu).

Let's not forget Mr Minx's fried rice:

Lots of scrambled egg and various meats in a soft, slightly sweet rice mixture. Different from Chinese fried rice, but still quite nice.

After we had eaten, the manager tried to tempt us with dessert.  When we demurred, he comped us a flan because of my earlier miscommunication issues. The flan was dense and firm, a welcome departure from the usual snotty-texture, wobby flans that I've had in the past. It was also eggy without tasting like scrambled eggs, another issue I've encountered with this dessert.

I enjoyed my first taste of bánh mi in Baltimore.  Next I plan to taste one in New York.

Saigon Remembered
5857 York Rd
Baltimore, MD 21212
(410) 435-1200