Banhmi Sandwich

Bahnmi Sandwich is one of my favorite places to go when I’m looking for something light and easy to nosh on. I come here pretty often to grab lunch/​snack before I go to school. Though be aware that there is almost always a line, so better not come if you’re in a hurry… I’m always late to class because of this.
The sandwiches are reasonably priced– 300yen for a small sandwich, and 550yen for the bigger size. I’ve tried the pork, beef, chicken, and the shrimp and avocado, and I have to say that all of them are undeniably tasty! I highly recommend the shrimp and avocado because I do love the pairing of creamy avocado on crispy warm baguette!
The place is pretty tiny itself though, there are two benches right in front of the shop for people to sit and eat/​wait for their sandwiches. You order your sandwiches through a vending machine and then hand your ticket to the lady behind the counter, she’ll give you a number tag and then call your number once your food is done.
A friendly reminder to all the spicy food lovers out there: bring your own sriracha! It’ll make the experience so much better :)

Bahn mi sandwich used to be Christ like savior when I lived in Boston. Why? It tastes so freakin’ heavenly and never costed more than $ 3, even in NYC!
Now I’m in Japan, after extensive googling, I’ve found three locations. First 2 I tried were in Shibuya and Shinjuku (neither are operational any longer) and they failed miserably.
And there I went to my last hope in Takadanobaba, I couldn’t deny that I had sense of hopelessness and pessimism when I was on the way.
And… my wish was finally granted.
This place is the most authentic it can get (at least in the US standard. Not sure how it tastes in Vietnam). It tasted exactly how I remember as Banh mi and although not as cheap as back in the states, but it is fairly reasonable price of 500 yen with pretty decent volume.
Very thoroughly marinated meat, with sweet pickled radish and very aromatic scent of cilantro with very chewy textured bread. It’s quite perfect combination.
Their popularity is pretty legit. This is indicated by pork sandwich being out by 2pm. And even beef, I got last one beef sandwich when I got there around 2:30pm on Saturday. So just to be sure, I recommend to be there as early as you can if you want those sandwich.
But! Even if you miss the sandwich, don’t go home empty handed. Breads are really good as well. There are several kinds of bread. I don’t remember what they were exactly. One of them was brown sugar bread and the other one was walnut bread. I bought plain bread. And it was still gorgeous.
Either way, taking a trip here won’t waste your time. Stop by if you are in this area.

This is a fantastic banh mi shop. The shop-​baked bread is very good; it’s just the right balance of crisp (but not too crisp) crust and tender crumb that is a perfect vehicle for the fillings.
I recommend the liver paste and Vietnamese ham and the «yaki» pork. The lemongrass beef is also good but the chicken tends to be dry. Although it sounds odd, their spring vegetable with hummus is quite nice as well.
The mochiri pan are nothing to write home about but their carrot cake (when they have it) is very good – moist, with warm spices and not too much sweetness, and a classic cream cheese icing.
Of course, there are a few downsides. The recent rise in the consumption tax was accompanied by a total 50 yen increase in price so the sandwiches are now 550 yen. There is no seating save the benches in front so you’ll likely be taking it to go.
Staff is friendly and service times are generally not too bad, even when they’re busy.