ottawa foodies

Unless someone can tell me otherwise, I'll assume this was just a name change and just modify the name of this vendor entry...

Huh! May Lan's gone, and replaced by (surprise) another banh mi shop: My Hang.

Haven't tried it yet.

Battle of Mystery Meat Sandwiches - Round 1:
I picked up a combo sandwich this morning before heading out to golf. The meat was pretty much unidentifiable, but somehow, magically, the flavours all worked together. The red chillis were awesome and added a fiery bite, the Maggi seasoning got lost a bit and the mayo could have been a little less sweet (reminiscent of Miracle Whip). What perplexes me is that there are no grilled meat/seafood/tofu sandwiches like I've seen at other Viet banh mi outfits outside of Ottawa - I wish they had these. For $3, it was an interesting breakfast. Now onto round two...

I dragged the hubby to May Lan on Saturday for an inexpensive lunch. Neither of us had ever tried a Vietnamese sub before, so we weren't sure what we were getting into!

May Lan is very small, and very plain inside. However, the staff were very friendly. I explained that it was our first time there, and the woman behind the counter suggested we try an "assorted" sub. It contained various meats, shredded carrots, and a sweet sauce, in a white baguette. Hubby got a rice dessert and a "grass jelly" drink as well.

For the price ($3), the sandwiches are surprisingly good! Very satisfying, the bread was fresh, and we both thought it a great snack for a Saturday afternoon of shopping. While May Lan isn't "haute cuisine", it's a great, tasty bargain for the price!

So I finally made it here again during the day.

They definately load their subs up a lot more than the place next door. A very good product for $3.

I liked this place but they close too early.

I've been meaning to add this place for awhile but kept forgetting to copy down the address. It's a few doors down from Co Cham, right next door to Pho Bo Ga LA (original, not "new" PBGL)

Tried the assorted and the chicken bánh mì. What a steal at $3.50! Great bread and, despite the picture, toppings were generous. Chicken was delicious and the hoisin was scant compared to other versions in town, which I appreciate. Only gripe is that there was no cucumber and minimal chili.

Admittedly, I have very little knowledge of what these are supposed to taste like (as it was my 3rd ever) but WOW and yum! Just finished a "Special" sub from My Hang. My lips and mouth still slightly tingly from the peppers/sauce. I enjoyed the taste and different textures going on in there. The crunch of the cucumber, pickled carrot and radish, squish of the pate, different chews of the meat and the bread! I am wishing I had picked up a second one. *sigh*

OK new development here. I popped in today on my China town extravaganza. They toasted - or at least warmed up the sub/meat before adding the condiments. The bread was outstanding (baguette), and warming it up only helped. For whatever reason the chili peppers were not very hot today - go figure. May Lan is good - but still #2 for me.

Note - the warmed/toasted sub was post May Lan with the new ownership. (I thought there was something different about the sign!)

I am currently eating one of their assorted subs, and I've got to agree with Monty: their bread is really good. The meats are a good combination of sweet, salty, and savoury, and the chopped-up bird's-eye chillies pack a bit of a punch.

This and a cold beer is what summer's all about. Best three bucks you'll ever spend.

I like the baguette here a little better than their competitors. IMO it's the bread that's the 'make or break' of bánh mì