Banh Mi & Che Cali

This place has the cheapest banh mi I’ve ever seen. So let’s see if they’re pretty good eh or ew. They also have a bunch of other super affordable Vietnamese food. They make everything in house and turn over is super high so it’s always fresh. A banh mi here is $6.50 which is already really good but they also have a buy 2 get 1 free deal all the time which makes one banh mi less than $4.50 which is crazy in LA. I like to get their bbq pork banh mi. The bread had a perfectly crisp exterior with a fluffy soft interior and a good amount of fresh, crunchy pickled veggies, cilantro, and jalapeño to help balance out that umami, savory, slightly sweet, tender pork with a layer of mayo. Y’all know I’m not a mayo girlie but it works here. This place is pretty good.

Food Order: Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt (特別火腿肉扎) $3.85 Bánh Cuốn $5.00 Banh Mi & Che Cali is located in the busy Empire Commercial Center that's anchored by 888 Seafood Restaurant & Ji Rong Peking Duck, off Valley Blvd. & Delta Ave. I'm not sure if Banh Mi & Che Cali is a chain because there's a couple in the SGV area with the same name except it's missing the '&.' I used to work at 888 Seafood & wish this bánh mì shop was around those days; bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) was $2.50 & chè (Vietnamese dessert) was only $1.50, & they had a buy 2 get 1 free offer. What a great deal! I was in the area & my husband had a hankering for Vietnamese sandwiches, so I stopped in to pick-up some lunch for us. Our fav is Đặc Biệt, a classic ham & meatloaf sandwich that's filled with cold cut meats, head cheese, pate, pickled veggies, cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro, mayo stuffed in a freshly toasted French bread; our other go-to is Bánh Mì Gà. I ordered 3 specials (paid $2.50+/ea) & a prepackaged rice rolls. I ate one while driving home... munch, munch, munch... the cold cuts & veggies were cool against the warm toasty bread. The filling:bread ratio was decent, just enough to satisfy. I save the bánh cuốn for lunch next day. While tasty, rice rolls are best when it's freshly steamed. Pork is omnipresent in Vietnamese cuisine, & is a common filling for bánh cuốn, & garnished with fresh veggies (cucumbers, bean sprouts), chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), & nước chấm (fish sauce). The sauce is sweet, sour, salty, spicy, & savory. I haven't tried their chès yet & need to bring a cooler to transport these back. The bánh mì is pretty big in comparison to the ones in Chinatown, but is crammed with prepackaged items from savory to sweet, refrigerators filled with sides, entrees, & desserts. The dining room is small with a few tables & chairs, but is a turn-off to dine in due to the lack of a/c; it gets particularly hot during the summer even with fans running. There's no ambiance or decor to highlight & it looks to be relatively clean; sometimes the tables need a good wipe down from lunch/dinner rush. Competitive to lower price points for the SGV area, considerably low if you take up the buy 2 get 1 free offer. Menu denotes a dozen types of sandwiches with loads of offerings laid out on tables & in the refrigerator. Customer service is prompt, if a tad blunt. I'm not a regular due to the driving distance, but will detour Banh Mi & Che Cali for takeout. Recommended: Bánh Mì Đặc Biệt & Bánh Cuốn.

This store provides the food at economic price. It fill me up 2 dishes with only 15 bucks. Taste is good and quality is fresh. My beef pho is 7 dollars and it’s good and fresh.