Ba Le Bakery & Restaurant

Bánh mì lovers worship at the altar of Ba Le, and with good reason. The Little Saigon sandwich shop and market is an institution, packed to the brim with everything from prepared deli meats and sweet treats to iced coffee and smoothies. But it’s the bánh mì—served on their housemade crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside baguette—that’s life changing. The warm bread is slathered in rich mayo and layered with things like pate, lemongrass chicken, or prawn patty. There’s no seating and the service is a bit chaotic, but one bite of #4 (stuffed with BBQ char xiu pork, pickled carrots, cucumbers, jalapenos, and cilantro) is worth a little turmoil.

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

Banh mi #4 and avocado smoothie with boba.photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo

photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo