"This is the banh mi you’ll compare all other banh mi to. The one you’ll go on and on about on first dates and then console yourself with when there’s no second date. (They needed to know the chicken is marinated in lemongrass! The baguettes are baked there each morning!) The family-owned spot has been spreading the pâté and pickling the vegetables for decades, and while the original spot is in the Far East Center, we gravitate toward the cheery Alameda cafe with a handful of tables and full coffee bar. Stop by one day for lunch and who knows, maybe that barbecued pork sandwich-appreciating soulmate will be at the sunny cafe, sipping an iced coffee and waiting for you to tell them about those baguettes." - Allyson Reedy
