reviewing the food & entertainment pleasures of Honolulu
I first encountered Vietnamese sandwiches on Kearny Street in San Francisco when I worked for Charles Schwab. I tried one soon after a shop opened that served them. Hooked I was from the start. I went back week after week. I love the combination of meat and veggies.
Here in Hawaii the chain Ba-Le has 25 locations. I’ve found that each one is a bit different, but they all carry the made to order Báhn Mì Vietnamese Sandwiches. They are served on a French roll or croissant. 
I always get the crunchy, warmed French Roll. Your meat choice is topped with shredded carrot, daikon, cilantro and mayonnaise. My favorite is the BBQ Pork sandwich but not all Ba-Le Sandwich Shops carry them. My second choice is the Lemongrass Chicken sandwich. It’s got a little bit of spicy kick to it.
Today I had branched out and tried something new: the Char Sui Sandwich($4). Which is a kind of BBQ pork, but red. The sandwich was good, but the char sui pork wasn’t as good as the BBQ pork I get at the Kailua location. Still, it was a satisfying sandwich.
Ba-Le also carries a bunch of pre-made items for those in a real hurry. Summer rolls to many flavors of tapioca pudding are available. Some have a large selection, like the Ward St. location. The Kahala location selection is a bit smaller, but still had several items to choose from.
Check out Ba-Le for a quick, inexpensive bite.
Friday, August 24, 2007
