Oh, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. It is my comfort food. I usually like the classic cold cut (we call it Saigon style) with sliced pork belly/pork skin (Thit heo bi in Vietnamese), cooked pork sausage (cha in Vietnamese), Pate with lots of liver, garlic and pepercorns, that is a little chunky. The mayo has to be home made. Use maggi for flavoring with lots of pickled daicon and carrots, cilantro and jalapeno slices.
I have had this stuff from Vietnam, when I visited the motherland, which is typically street food, Bolsa Southern California, New York, and everywhere I go where there is this stuff. I get it once a week for myself and coworkers here in Orlando's little Saigon area.
The best that I can remember, and I can conjur up the memories and I write this, comes from a shop in Northern Virginia (Eden Center) called Banh Mi So Mot (translated into number one bread/sub). They make their own bread in this place. Their bread is long and thin baguettes, and the best time to get the sandwich is when the bread just came out of the oven. They make their own fresh meats, mayo and pate. Maybe it is the memories of the fresh bread, the crusty baguette, but that is the best banh mi I have ever had. It sucked moving away from the D.C. area, because I miss that place so much. I get my fill here in Orlando, but it is not the same. I make a point to go to the place any time I am in the D.C. area.
BTW, the most important part of the sandwich is the bread. Crusty long hot baguettes are required.
