Vien Dong

Leaving Seattle in 1999 meant leaving behind one of my favorite sandwiches on the planet: the Vietnamese Banh Mi.

I didn’t expect this.

The Inland Northwest has a number of Vietnamese restaurants, but the focus of all my favorites is on the classic northern Vietnamese soup Pho.  Absent from the menus were the equally wonderful sandwiches that take a tiny torpedo of crusty French bread and turn it into an exquisite vehicle for grilled pork, grilled chicken, ham, or pate.  Whatever meat you choose is topped with fresh cucumbers, shredded carrots, cilantro and a smear of mayo.

It is a great sandwich… but not one I could find locally.

Until now.  A friend, Eric Wilson, texted me to insist I needed to try Vien Dong on East Sprague.  It is a hole-in-the-wall serving Vietnamese and Chinese dishes.

Delight greeted me the second I opened the menu.  Next to the page of Pho options was a page of sandwiches: Banh Mi.

Try one… soon.  At $2.75 maybe you should try two.