The Best Banh Mi in Fresno (Saigon Grocery & Deli)
If you haven’t tried a bánh mì, do yourself a favor and go try one. Believe me, it’s worth a try. Bánh Mì, or Vietnamese sandwich, made famous to American viewers by Anthony Bourdain, is one of the most tasteful combination of East and West.
Bánh mì is a baguette slathered with mayonnaise and pate, then filled with an assortment of meats, pickled daikon and carrots, sliced jalapeños and some sprigs of cilantro. Your basic bánh mì would have cha lua. I like to describe it as Vietnamese ham, others have called it Vietnamese meatloaf, but essentially it’s mince pork steamed into a roll. It’s versatile and can easily be eaten with just rice—if you grew up poor like me—or you add it in steamed rolls or top ramen or whatever else you want. Besides the basic bánh mì, there’s bbq pork bánh mì, vegetarian bánh mì, shredded pork banh mi and roast pork banh mi to name a few.
The best banh mi in Fresno will have to be the ones from Saigon Grocery & Deli (located on First and Olive; 3089 E Hammond Ave, Fresno, CA 93703). This place has been around since I was in high school (90s). I remember the cool kids that drove off campus for lunch returning with these sandwiches. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try any during my highs school years, only the free school lunches for me. Some of these cool kids would offer me a bite from theirs but I would decline. I was a bit awkward in high school but that’s a story for another time and another blog. Give yourself Fresno Street Food creds if you know about this place because I think this place is overlooked and is not getting enough exposure when compare to some of the other bánh mì places in Fresno.
Due to Fresno’s growth between the 90s and now, we have had many more bánh mì places to choose from. We have Lee’s Sandwich and a couple Huong Lans, both are large franchises that haven’t bother entering the valley until recent years. And although their sandwiches are good and are always consistent, Saigon’s sandwiches are at another level. It might be the little things, but it’s the little things that make Saigon sandwiches stand out.
Let’s talk about the mayo. The mayo, or spread, is not the same as the mayonnaise you get from the supermarket. It would probably be closer to an aioli and is much richer than plain old mayo. Saigon Grocery does not skimp on their mayo. They provide just the perfect ratio.
Patê is similar to liverwurst but it’s much more spreadable and flavorful. Where liverwurst is one dimensional, a patê spread is like a symphony. It’s creamy, smooth, a bit salty, fragrant and a little livery. The French had it going on with the patê. Saigon Grocery again does it right with patê. Some banh mi places skimps on the patê for whatever reason, but it’s hard to call something a banh mi without patê.
The baguette used in a banh mi is not the same baguette you would buy at La Boulangerie or Vons. The crust of the bread is not as thick which makes for a crispy, crunchy exterior. This makes it easier to bite through the bánh mì when compared to their original counterparts; cleanly biting a baguette in one shot is almost impossible. The crust of the bánh mì is crispy and crunchy at Saigon Grocery. Some places the crust is hard to the point where it scrapes the top of your mouth with shards of bread pierced into your gums. Not enjoyable.
So how did Vietnamese make something that is not very Vietnamese? I mean, baguettes, pate and aioli/mayonnaise, these ingredients are not Vietnamese at all. And you are correct, these elements of a banh mi are not Vietnamese by origin, but because of colonialism—Vietnam was a French Colony—these ingredients were brought to Vietnam and became a stable of the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese blended these rich, buttery and unique ingredients from France with their pickled veggies, unique steamed meat rolls, put into a sandwich and viola, the birth of the bánh mì. Blending elements of French and Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese found a way to make a simple but tasty sandwich. You can say it’s a meal on the go. I can paraphrase the late chef Anthony Bourdain, but rather than mangle his elegant prose, you can hear it for yourself:
A banh mi, similar to tacos, were meant to be a cheap way to get something good to eat that would fill you up. Maybe I’m still stuck in the 90s, but a banh mi shouldn’t be the same price a bowl of pho.
If you wanted to make your own banh mi, and save some money, here’s what you can do. For the baguette, don’t buy the baguette from Vons or Savemart. The skin on those will 1) be tough and chewy if it’s not toasted, or 2), hard and scrape the top of mouth when it is toasted. Go to an Asian market and buy their baguettes or get the hoagie rolls from WinCo. I find that those works really well. For the cha lua, you can buy those from any SF, RN or any Asian Market really. SF has a plethora of different Vietnamese meat rolls to choose from. You can buy one of everything and shoved it all in your bánh mí to make the ultimate deluxe bánh mì. Or you can always pick two different type and slice them up. SF also sells the pickle daikon and carrots so you don’t need to pickle them yourself. Lee’s Sandwich also sells the pickled veggies. If you want to make your own pate there’s plenty of recipes online and it’s not that hard. I’ve made it a handful of times and it was well worth the effort (I’ll leave a link at the end of the article). The easy way to replicate the mayo would be the use Japanese mayo, AKA Kewpie. You can mix the kewpie with some Hoison sauce, or you can make your own. It’s mainly egg yolks and oil (recipe below). Once you have all the ingredients, just assemble. Or an easier way is to visit Saigon Grocery and grab yourself the best banh mi in Fresno.
Note: Saigon Grocery did not pay me nor did they try to bribe me with a lifetime of banh mi to write this article/blog. I just thought I take the time to write this article as I was talking about bánh mì with a friend and they haven’t been to Saigon.
Vietnamese Mayo:
Pate Recipe from Helen:
Vietnamese Sandwich Recipe:
For the Pure Pleasure of Eating 