I was in between appointments and famished, so I treated myself to a banh mi. I was near Chinatown, so I checked out Che Bong, a little store that specializes in Vietnamese desserts and banh mis. For this post, let’s listen to Pepper.
The shop is inside 5 Harvest Plaza at 108 3 Avenue SW, in the same mall as Lucky Place. I walked up to the cashier and ordered a cold cut sub ($11). The staff member who took my order was friendly, and when he handed me the PIN pad, he said the total out loud, a polite way of letting me know a tip wasn’t expected.
While I waited, I heard soothing music playing, and it sounded like Mandarin. The woman who made my sandwich was just as welcoming. She’s also meticulous, layering each ingredient with care. While she worked, I watched the waving cats at the front counter, paws up and bobbing, under the bubble lights above.
When I unwrapped my sub, I knew it would be good. Even at 2 p.m., the bread was warm and noticeably fresh, soft inside with just a slight crackle when I bit in, and it didn’t leave a thousand dry crumbs like some places. That’s exactly how I like my baguette.
What a great filling-to-bread ratio! The cold cuts were thicker than Thi Thi’s and held up to mouthfuls of carrots, white onion, cucumber stick, and jalapeños. The pâté and mayonnaise, drizzled with a little Maggi sauce, made each bite tangy, saucy and a little sweet. The pâté tasted homemade. I think the mayonnaise added the sweetness.
Compared to Thi Thi, Che Bong doesn’t have as much umami, but the portions are more generous. Value-wise, Che Bong beats Trung Nguyen V-N Sub. Half of Che Bong’s sub would have filled me up. Being greedy, I ate the whole thing and was uncomfortably full. For bread, Che Bong is one of the best, rivalling MyMy Vietnamese Submarines. After trying 22 banh mi shops in Calgary, Che Bong makes my top ten, mainly for the bread, service and meat-to-vegetable balance. If they removed the sweetness, it would be in my top six.
Pro-tip. Eat the sub right away, as it will get soggy. I would happily go again and recommend it to anyone in the neighbourhood. Hitting the Sauce gives Che Bong two phat thumbs up.
For the best bánh mì in Calgary → view full list: Best Banh Mi in Calgary.
