Where would we be without our friends? I know where I most likely wouldn’t have been… Whatta-Bánh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich Café (673 Monroe Ave. in Rochester, NY). That’s not to say I wouldn’t have wanted to go there… but I just didn’t know about it until Chef Mark suggested we go there for lunch. So….in honor of Mark’s 40th birthday (today!), I thought it was appropriate to post about our last trip there.

In Vietnamese, bánh mi refers to bread, or more specifically the French baguette. However, in the U.S., the term generally refers to a Vietnamese sandwich. And oh what a marvelous sandwich it is! It may be the PERFECT sandwich. We each had a Bánh Mi Dac Biet…the signature combination.

Bánh Mi Dac Biet.

Versus me trying to describe this sandwich perfection, click on the picture below to enlarge and see the details. This sign is on the wall of the café. The super fresh baguette is exactly as described, and the sandwich fillings blend together perfectly.

Bánh Mi, unstacked. Now stack it back up and eat it! (I didn't notice the pig's ear crunch, but if it was there...it's all good. )

The bánh mi probably would have been enough of a meal, but the pho (noodle soup) looked so good, I had to order that as well. It was awesome!

Pho Dac Biet. The special with all cuts of beef.

The view from our table.

I can’t wait to take Heather there and share the sandwich (and soup) love. When you go, look for us…..and let us know what you think.

Whatta-Bánh Mi Café sign.....leading you to sandwich (and soup) perfection.