Cam Huong BBQ Bacon Banh Mi

Cam Huong BBQ Bacon Banh Mi

Banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches on good crusty French bread and accesorized with a whole galaxy of contrasting flavors and textures, are the great value of downtown Oakland lunches.



Here we have Cam Huong's BBQ bacon banh mi, or banh mi ba chi. First, the bread- the outer crust is almost shatteringly crisp, quickly giving way to a soft, pillowy interior, moistened by a mayo-like condiment that doesn't taste like mayo down near the bottom of the roll.

Next, the meat- several strips of pleasantly chewy, meaty bacon, not smoky at all, bright pink/red on outer edge (I think that's why it gets labeled BBQ, I'm not sure how they cooked it but it results in soft and chewy rather than crispy bacon) with swathes of creamy white.

Finally, a glorious collision of freshness- the BBQ bacon is nestled beneath lightly-pickled strips of daikon & carrot, followed by cucumber sliced lengthwise, jalapenos sliced both lengthwise and crosswise into rounds, and cilantro sprigs.

When you eat a banh mi, layers of contrasting textures and flavors- crispy, soft, tangy, bright, salty, sweet, spicy, citrusy, meaty- party in your mouth.

At $2.50 for a legitimate, meal-sized sandwich which IMHO needs no adjuncts to form a satisfying lunch (note how it spans the diameter of a standard paper plate), banh mi such as Cam Huong's are one of the great bargains in town. And if you need something more, throw in a mere $3 for the goi cuon (fresh shrimp rolls) that kick the ass of the Le Cheval pretenders at a fraction of the price.

Try to go a little before noon, it can get hectic in this narrow storefront.

Cam Huong
920 Webster

Never mind the phone number, the sandwich is done in a minute or two.

Tamarindo Antojeria: La Torta Poblana

Tamarindo Antojeria: La Torta Poblana

Much to my chagrin the Fruitvale's plethora of excellent Mexican food is out of reach at lunchtime, but downtown does have a gem in Tamarindo. While Tamarindo's menu is better-suited to sitting down at an actual table and having a proper meal than eating while staring at the screens, their tortas are eminently portable for the desk-bound.




Tamarindo's torta poblana is an excellent sandwich. The bottom roll is spread with aioli, then gets a smear of not-quite-pureed, not-quite entire frijoles negros, atop which goes the grilled chicken breast, which is pounded thin, sports serious grill marks, and is not the least bit dry. Above the chicken is a layer of very-well-melted jack cheese, followed by rajas (roasted poblano chile, cut into strips), slices of avocado, shredded romaine lettuce and thinly sliced red onion, with the top roll again spread with aioli.

The chicken is very good, but it is the rajas and avocado which really elevate this torta. At $7.61 and a bit on the small side it's not a bargain, but considering the quality of the torta it is fairly priced. When dining in at Tamarindo I'd probably eat half a torta as part of an assortment of antojitos, but taken with the thick, fresh tortilla chips which accompany it, this is a delicious, satisfying lunch.

Tamarindo Antojeria
468 8th
444.1944

Cat-Po

A lovely cat-po.

Lady's Place is a welcome addition to the downtown OAK dining roster, serving Cajun-Creole dishes with breakfast, sandwiches and specials such as barbecue on Wednesdays. So far all I can vouch for is the catfish poboy, or "cat-po" as the friendly lady at the register and phone refers to it when calling back to Aunty Lady in the kitchen. And vouch I shall.

The only hint of what lies within the lobby of the Latham Sq. building at the foot of Telegraph Ave is a small sandwich board on the sidewalk. On my first visit, I found the place just as I was about to ask the security guard at the desk where the heck it was- it is down a few short steps just to the right of the desk. I phoned in my order, which was done in less than the 10 minutes you are invariably quoted when calling in for takeout anywhere around here at lunch.

What we have here is a nondescript soft roll as vehicle for 2 nice pieces of fresh, well-fried and not at all greasy catfish in a light cornmeal crust, accompanied by mayo, lettuce, tomato, a ring or two of pickled yellow pepper, and a wisp of thinly-sliced red onion. Add some Tabasco and you're in business- no Acme Oyster House flashbacks, but this is a good sandwich, and unique in the area. I had a bag of Zapp's Jalapeno potato chips from Cost Plus on hand (which I highly recommend by the way) or I'd have added a side of hush puppies or collards. $5.71, ex-Zapp's.


Lady's Place
1611 Telegraph aka 508 16th
832.5239

A worthy meatloaf sandwich

Rico's has a meatloaf sandwich as a permanent menu item, but Wednesdays meatloaf is a special main, so I chose today to try the sandwich, and I'm pretty sure I didn't get last Wednesday's meatloaf. Described as "Mom's meatloaf, our special gravy, lettuce & tomato," this comes on a superb toasted Acme torpedo roll, lightly toasted inside & out, lightly buttered inside. Nice attention to detail.

The meatloaf, while mixed with a bit more breadcrumbs than I'd use, is pleasantly moist with a hint of a ketchup glaze on the outside, and held together quite well as I set about eating it. It is accompanied by nice crisp leaf lettuce and thin slices of tomato, brought together by a judicious dab of mayo on the bottom of the roll. I'd add pickle, but that's just me.

I got the gravy on the side. The gravy is not overly salty as it could easily be, nor too evocative of those sauce packets in supermarkets; best described as innocuous, I was glad I put it on.

Overall, a satisfying offering from Rico's, and something to bear in mind, even if only on Wednesdays. $6.80 all in.

Rico's Diner

400 15th St.
444-8424

I don't bother phoning orders in here, they come out fast and you can read the Oaksterdam News while waiting.

I need to figure out how to reduce photos from their currently frightening state when clicked on...