Cam Anh Deli

After years spent in a refugee camp in Hong Kong, the first meal Anh Nguyen desired after landing in America was a simple Vietnamese banh mi at then Cam Huong Deli. Nearly 30 years later, coming full circle, Anh took over the business from the retiring owner and has maintained the hot dishes and banh mi while freshening up the menu. Walking into the shop, it’s hard to avoid the luscious fragrance of the housemade pandan waffles, for instance. Anh, an enthusiastic marathon runner and vegan evangelist, recommends her lemongrass tofu banh mi: stir-fried tofu infused with aromatic lemongrass is wrapped in a crisp baguette and topped with tangy quick-pickled julienned carrots and daikon. It all comes together with a gratifying crunch.

photo credit: Andria Lo