Banh Mi Che Cali Bakery
Categories: Bakeries, Vietnamese, Sandwiches [Edit]
13838 Brookhurst StGarden Grove, CA 92843 (714) 534-6987
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: None
17 Reviews for Banh Mi Che Cali Bakery
I LOVE this place! There are soo many stuff to try & eat..cheap eats that is. You won't break your bank account here. Their sandwiches are GREAT BuY 2 GeT 1 FrEE! =) Yummy too! Better than Lee's Sandwiches! And their little food to go dishes are awesome too@ =) Don't forget the desserts & the breads & the cakes & the sugar cane drink! =)
Came in here with some friends who were buying che. I've been to the other locations and the che is good, but not excellent. You get one free for buying 2 so it's a great deal. They also sell baguettes which we always pick up before going to Boiling Crab and the sweet rolls aren't half bad either.
I saw that they had just brought out these banana wrapped things and asked the lady if they were sweet or savory. She said savory. I asked what was in there and she said meat and egg. I asked her what they were called and she said 'banh yau' or something like that. I bought one -- $1.95. I asked her if I needed to use a sauce or something but she said no, just eat as is.
It's basically a smooth rice exterior filled with ground pork, shrimp, wood ear fungus and a quail egg. It's like eating a banh cuon but wrapped with a firm rice cake texture rather than the soft noodley exterior of banh cuon. It resembles a Chinese tamale (shaped like a prism) and although she said it didn't need a sauce, she was wrong. It definitely needed something because it was quite bland and there was so much rice exterior and only a teenie amount of filling. I ended up making my own nuoc mam cham (dipping fish sauce) and using that on this and it was quite yummy. I would buy it again if there was more filling.
The only complaint I have with this particular location is that they don't have nearly enough snacky things like small trays of summer rolls or other things which are ready to eat (and I have no clue what the names are) which the location off Magnolia has.
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The little ladies working here don't eff around.. . I always leave this place a little bit perplexed... most of them could make a decent living becoming your accountant but they don't... Seriously....
How many times have you come here and it goes something like this..
You: I want 6 banh mi dac biet (#1 special sandwich).
Lady at the counter: bah-get or rekgoola?
You: regular (it's buy 2 get one free for the regular sandwiches)
Lady at the counter: nine dolla (and she said it immediately without calculating it into the cash register)
You: you know what... can I get 9 sandwiches instead?
Lady at the counter: *immediately* ok tut-tin feep-tee.
DAMN! Most of these ladies seriously could have schooled me at my old middle school math competition!
But yea I love this little joint for vietnamese sandwiches.. It's cheap, it's tasty and it's friggin buy 2 get 1 FREE on the regular sandwiches! And the ladies are pretty damn efficient too.. Despite the long lines I am usually in and out with my sandwiches in less than 15 minutes. it sure beats Lee's in my opinion.. but then again I am a cheap bastard and it aint a deal until they tack on the "free" sign. Sure you may find this place a bit of a pigsty but that just adds on to the authenticity of this place... it's Vit-Nam sty-oh biiishes!
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"Bora, don't ever do that again," said Bella N.
I would have answered her but I didn't. I really wanted to, but I couldn't. Why? My mouth was clamped shut around a Che Troi Nuoc, a type of sweet mochi ball filled with salty mung bean paste about the size of my fist. My jaw wouldn't even open, it was shut so tight. Let me explain.
After a delicious dinner with friends at nearby My Nguyen Restaurant, http://www.yelp.com/us..., I indicated to Bella that I wanted to try some Vietnamese desserts to end the night. She thought for a moment and then suggested we head over to Banh Mi Che Cali Bakery since they had a fairly large selection of Che, a generalized term for Vietnamese sweets/desserts.
I only know of Banh Mi Che Cali because it's next to Boiling Crab and we sometimes get baguettes from there before we go eat at BC. When we went for Che, I was really glad Bella was with us because I had no idea what we were ordering or why we were even there to begin with. Plus, if you don't speak Vietnamese, the servers don't acknowledge you and all the old ladies will shove right past you and order, not caring whether you were standing in line or not.
Bella ordered a few different desserts (each container is $1.50 and if you buy 2 of them you get a third one free) and I just watched with a mixture of fascination and concern while she did (some of them didn't look all that appetizing to me... there was one that looked like a huge mass of slimy, green worms...). From what I can recollect now, we had the Che Thai (a cold soupy coconut milk concoction with pieces of longan, jackfruit, and agar agar), Che Troi Nuoc (sweet mochi balls of different sizes- the big ones are the size of a small fist and have a salty mung bean paste in it while the smaller ones don't- floating in a sweet gingery caramel syrup with salted coconut milk and sesame seeds spooned over), and Che Chuoi (tapioca pudding with coconut milk and chunks of banana and/or taro).
I gotta tell you, I thought everything was phenomenal. I loved it all- the sweet salty tastes of all the different liquids, the chewiness of the rice and tapioca, and the coconut milk...mmm mmm... While we were enjoying our various Che, Frank K. tapped me on the arm and pointed at a particularly large rice ball in the Che Troi Nuoc. "I bet you can't fit that in your mouth," he dared me. I gave him a withering look and answered him. "Yea, I can. Watch me."
I eyed it warily but picked it up with a plastic spoon. Bella started protesting but I ignored her and proceeded to put it in my mouth. I regretted it immediately. The mochi was so big I couldn't even chew. Dude, I couldn't even breathe, it was blocking my windpipe. I'm pretty sure I had tears streaming out of the corners of my eyes. Now it was Frank and Bella's turn to look on in fascination and concern. They kept telling me to spit it out but I couldn't even if I wanted to.
I don't know how I did it but I was able to eat it. It took an enormous effort on my part and in the end it was incredibly embarrassing (Thanks Frank- I hate you). But, I did learn my lesson ("NEVER, EVER do that again Bora!") and got my first taste of Che. So all in all, 4 stars well deserved. ;P
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3.5 stars. I feel almost bad for giving that much for what's admittedly a pigsty of a joint (never what you want to hear about a place you're getting food at, right?) BUT this is where I go for still-warm, fresh deep-fried sticks of dau chao quay (those dough sticks that are a must with any hu tieu or mi noodle soups) AND for the banh tieu (round and sweet Chinese-style "donuts" that are flecked with sesame and totally take me back to my childhood), oh and the banh cam, those fried sesame balls of dough stuffed with sweet yellow mung bean. The banh cam here are fried to a perfect and light crisp. I think it's like 3 for a buck.
Don't get me wrong, you'll have to wipe away the slick coat of oil on your fingers and lips afterward but everything in moderation, right?
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Kicks Saigon Deli's *ss anyday! Although SD's good in case you're jonesing for banh mi and don't want to fly 2.5hrs to the OC.
This is true VC-style. Picture 100 people in an establishment with a capacity of 80. If you're shy, you WILL go hungry! Shama Lama Ding Dong! Marshall Law is the rule here, do what you must to get in front b/c there's no line, just a mob. Gotta box out, especially those old short vietnamese ladies. Don't worry if it's your mom's best friend, that's the only way you earn respect! I wouldn't recommend this to any hocuchine if it's your first time.
Reason for the chaos, it's that good and that cheap! Buy 2 get 1 free!
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Today I decided to try out this branch for the first time. I had the #1 special cold cuts meat sandwich. It was pretty bad. The bread was harder than usual and the meats inside weren't very flavorful. I was there around Noon during the main lunch hour.
I would recommend the other Banh Mi Che Cali down Brookhurst, or better yet, Top Baguette on Bolsa and Magnolia.
NEWS UPDATE: Listed on the Orange County Register's list of "O.C. restaurants of highest number of violations." It is listed as number ten with 17 major violations.
http://www.ocregister....
I have so many fond memories of this chain. I remember when there was no stand alone banh mi location but it was inside a restaurant on Harbor before they built their own banh mi store when I was a kid. These sandwiches have accompanied me on so many road trips and college fundraisers, they used to be a dollar a piece. I used to buy them for my first love, and now I buy them for my live-in boyfriend. So that's probably why I pumped it so full of stars.
The bread is softer than Lee's, and the sandwiches are cheaper and better. They can be inconsistent at times but all in all I think they're the best bargain in town and the BBQ pork sandwich is something that should be experienced by everyone. Get your vegetables on the side so you don't choke on the hot peppers and so the sandwich doesn't get soggy. Best thing to do is toast yoru sandwiches in the toaster oven at home if it's a few days old and then stuff it with the veggies you got on the side, the cilantro will go bad first btw, just a tip for you. For sure the iced coffee isn't as good at Lee's, but again, it's cheaper and you can get che which is also cheap, damn cheap but there is another place I go to for my che hankerings and that's called home sweet home. But this place is open 24 hours and doesn't come with nagging, so it's a decent alternative.
This sandwich shop is awesome. Fast service. The only problem is I gotta speak Viet to these peeps. I don't like that baguette crap and this place has what I need. They make the sandwiches how you like it. If you want the veggies, pepper, etc separate, they'll put it in a separate bag for you. They have a great attitude in helping you out. Just make sure you have a good idea on what you are going to order. They always ask to customize your sandwiches to your liking. This place is always open with fresh grub. How do I know its fresh? They make the damn bread right in front of you. The whole places has the fresh sandwich smell.
What I don't like is the Viet begger in front of the store. They usually come around in the late morning to the late afternoon.
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Wow this place is great. The sandwiches taste amazing and are incredibly cheap. Plus it's 24 hours...what more can you want?
Supposingly, you're up and hungry at 3am in Orange County, where do you go to get your fixes? Banh Mi!
They're open 24 hours, except that orders are made through a little square window because the doors are locked at after hours. They have great vietnamese sandwiches for cheap dirt prices. Buy 2 and get 1 for free comes up to $4, dude!
Don't get me started on the coffee, love it! It can get me going on, and on and on..
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So I finally decided to check out this place after hearing from various community members. I agree you can't beat the deal of ordering 2 sandwiches for a total $4 and getting a 3rd sandwich for free. I ordered 3 chicken/ga sanwiches but since my friend was allergic to mayo, I ordered one without but they gave me all 3 without mayo, so my sandwich was on the dry side. Their cream puffs are okay, I prefer Song Lay Bakery's (Beard Papa's is in it's own category)
Wait is a bit crazy but they have all kinds of goodies you could get. Personally I feel the place could be a little bit cleaner to make it more appealing but I guess it gives it that hole-in-wall feel.
This place is great, tucked away in the plaza in a sea of Vietnamese small businesses and across the street from the mega giant Lee's is this great banh mi store. Well they offer a variety of things such as baked goods and the funky colored desserts. HOwever as the other reviewer said buy 2 get one free. I buy like 7 with the veggies on the side for a week full of banh mi. It pretty much tastes the same as most places, but the bread doesn't cut up the roof of your mouth as lees does.
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Word to the wise: don't be shy.
I'm not just saying that to reiterate the importance on manners, I'm telling you to stand up for yourself or else you'll go hungry.
Sure, if you come in at the buttcrack of dawn to pick up some banh mi, maybe a pate chaud or cafe sua da before work starts, the place won't be crowded at all. But come anytime between noon and 7pm-- you gotta be forceful to get some of that $1.75 baguette love!
Sandwiches here come in fluffy, stumpy French bread (it's what I prefer) or the crispy baguette (similar to Lee's down the street). I believe the baguette sandwiches are $2/each and the French bread sammiches are $1.75/each. Buy two, get one free... so a little over $1/sandwich.
They also sell che (Vietnamese desserts) for $1.50/dish... also buy two, get one free. Ends up being $1/dessert.
They have rice porridge, rice cakes, fresh French bread ($1 for 4! So cheap!), Snapple, coffee, etc. A really good deal for a tasty treat.
Just remember that there really isn't an orderly line during the peak times... you just gotta remember who you're after and who's after you and order! If you stand back, you'll get lost in the crown and will never eat. Honest.
a friend, coworker and fellow yelper brought some sandwiches for us one day from this joint. and I have to say: I'm now a convert from lee's sandwiches.
apparently at Banh Mi Che Cali Bakery, you can get your sandwich on the skinny baguets (like at Lee's) or on the wider french roll kind of baguet, which is what I had. and it was delicious. the bread didn't scrape the roof of your mouth in that uncomforable way that the hard skinny baguet at lee's does.
plus, the sandwiches packed up well. they provided the veggies in a separate plastic bag for sandwich assembly later. perfect so that the bread doesnt get soggy. plus, that way you can put as many (or as little) j.peppers in your sandwich as you like, rather than having to fish them out as you eat.
vietnamese sandwiches are usually an acquired taste. they're filled with things like headcheese, and other processed meat parts, pickled veggies (carrots & radish), cilantro, hot peppers -- yeahhh NOT your typical american sandwich. if you're not familiar w/ these types of sandwiches and are too nervous to try that combination, spring for something like the grilled pork sandwich on the menu which will be a little more recognizeable as food.
as for Banh Mi Che Cali itself, like all other vietnamese sandwich places there won't be a uniform line. just get up in there and order yourself 2 sandwiches (Banh Mi) and you'll get the 3rd free. yes you got it.. for under $5 you can feed THREE people. the sweet desserts (Che) are good too, don't know what the one i like is called in english but they're these big white glutenous balls filled with mung bean paste .. they kinda look like big mochi balls, but they swim in a sugar and ginger sauce and they're topped with coconut milk.
btw, SOOOO much better than Lee's!!
a great place to pick up breakfast or lunch for less than 2$ because it's open early. everytime i go in to buy a vietnamese sandwich (banh mi), i get the feeling that this is what it would be like if my mom still packed my lunch.
you can get one sandwich for 1.50 or two for 2.50 and get one FREE. i can't really think of any place that has a better deal.. although this deal is pretty common at all banh mi places.
the bread/meat/etc here doesn't stand out, but i think this particular one is also 24 hrs like it's competetor down the street Lee's.
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