Well you know, there aren’t a lot of places where We can get true VN banh mi in the 213…
These “inspired by banh mi” options are as good as it gets. If you figure the banh mi markup is $4 over SGV pricing and it saves you 30 minutes in traffic, I definitely value my time > $8/hr
Besides, I don’t know any banh mi shops doing pork belly banh mi. Do you?
I totally agree w/ you in principle. In reality, living in West LA leaves me w/ few options. 
Although I think someone did post about a decent banh mi in the area not too long ago… 
Glad you are finding good eats!
@Ns1 You are absolutely right…pork belly is not a traditional filling. Grilled pork is the norm. For items like this, I guess I hear my Mom’s voice come through and ask why spend more if you don’t have to? But it certainly doesn’t stop me at times.
I know how that goes, I’ve been able to deflect all of my mom’s attempts to take me to AYCE sushi
Isn’t Chinatown 213? You can find decent bánh mì there…
I don’t consider 1 banh mi shop in Chinatown that services all of LA proper to be good coverage. I’ll gladly pay the $11 Coffee Commissary wants for their banh mi, or the $8 mandoline grill wants for theirs, because I don’t want to spend the 30 minutes + $3 parking for Chinatown.
Diff’rent strokes, I guess.
As for me, I regularly drive to OC for my Vietnamese fix–will travel for good food.
No, I wasn’t trying to insinuate that; merely stating my willingness to travel. There absolutely is quality Vietnamese in the 626, and while that’s closer to me than OC, I’ll still make the drive when I get hit with the right craving.
If I could find an equally-good bowl of pho closer than Pho 45 in Garden Grove I’d certainly be happy to try it 
This is funny. It’s not the first time I’ve read people proclaiming their love or extreme like for the banh mi at Mendocino Farms. What’s funny is it’s always with a tinge of guilt, like they can hear the purists or their mothers grumbling in their ear. If you like it, go on, just eat it.
It’s odd, but I’m not sure why there seems to be this rather singular prejudice to banh mi sandwiches when it comes to paying more for a version of the sandwich that either (i) has higher quality ingredients or (ii) is a bit fusion.
I mean we do it all the time with tacos (i.e., BS Taqueria v. Leo’s, for example), ice cream (i.e., Salt & Straw v. Fosselmans), or even donuts (i.e., Stan’s v. Donut Snob).
If the banh mi (or some “bastardized” version of it), tickles your fancy, then go for it. So what if it’s more expensive. You only live once, and you can’t take money with you when you go.
I think it’s b/c “banh mi” is synonymous (for many people) w/ “cheap and filling.” It’s like the ingredient list is crusty baguette, jalapeño, cilantro, pork or pate, daikon, carrots, and cheap-as-sh*t. It’s like the cheapness is part of the soul and spirit of the dish (rightly or wrongly).
I think it’s sort of like some people griping about some SGV Chinese restaurants being on the expensive side (or complaining about expensive Chinese food, in general). To mess w/ the ingredients by necessity also means messing w/ the cheap. All JMO, of course.
And, as @TheCookie mentioned, some of us can hear our parents saying, “You paid WHAT for that???”
I blame Banh Mi Che Cali with their muy 2 tang 1 (buy 2 get 1 freeeeeee).
@TheCookie You hit the nail on the head with the subconscious hearing the voices of mom’s in your head. I didn’t say I wouldn’t be willing to do it, again…I would just have a hard time knowing my mother would not be in support of a $10 banh mi.
Very very true.
I get it… Mom guilt. I didn’t get any. My mom was strange… She just wanted me to be happy. But I get it. My grandma was a walking guilt trip. I get the principle of the “cheap and filling” and anything else feels wrong. I was in Vietnam (one of my favorite places on the planet). I ate a banh mi everyday for about .50 cents. But here’s a few things for you. Yes you’re paying designer prices. But as one poster wrote, the average banh mi is not made with a juicy piece of slow cooked pork belly. Second, the average SGV banh mi will cost most of us about $10. worth of gas to eat it. And lastly… Your mother should feel like she did her job well. Because her kid can afford a $10. designer banh mi !! Oh and here’s one other thing… Guilt is useless.
Happy eating!
Yah, for myself, while the price of the banh mi would be nice if it was cheap, it’s about taste for me.
I don’t mind paying a premium for something if it’s good quality (see my Gjusta thread ).
I just haven’t had a single premium banh mi that could match the deliciousness of Saigon Bakery’s Egg banh mi, which is only about $3. (I love Gjusta, but their $20 banh mi is just not as good, and one thing I don’t want to order again.)
RIP spice table pork belly banh mi - that bad boy was worth every penny and was pretty much the best banh mi I’ve ever had.
Now see. That’s another side. I agree taste trumps value… for me anyway. But you bring up a good point. Sometimes the cheaper original or authentic dish tastes better than the one made by a chef piggy-backing on a trend.
Have you tried the fried egg banh mi (aka “Wake Mi”) at Banh Mi in Venice? Not cheap at something like $9, but I’d rather have this sandwich than 2 dozen eggs for the same price.
Personally, I’m partial to the lingcod banh mi that they make with turmeric, dill, yogurt and chili mayo.