South Sacramento’s favorite bánh mì, now in midtown’s favorite convenience store
These bánh mì are an overwhelming fan favorite in online polls. Dou Huong or Huang Lan, or Duc Huong, are two popular bánh mì shops in south Sacramento's Little Saigon neighborhood, known for their inexpensive Vietnamese sandwiches. The two shops sit across Stockton Boulevard from each other and are often voted the best in Sacramento for their sandwiches. Thomas Vang, who owns Calvin Market, a midtown Sacramento convenience store owned by Vang and Nancy Yang, orders 15-20 sandwiches from each morning on his commute from Elk Grove to Calvin Market each morning. Vang sells them for roughly double the retail price, $6.25 instead of $3.25. The pair plan to eventually apply for permits to serve hot Hmong food at Calvin's Market.
公開済み : 4週間前 沿って Benjy Egel の Lifestyle
When talking bánh mì in Sacramento, one question inevitably comes up: Duc Huong or Huang Lan?
The two bánh mì shops sit across Stockton Boulevard from each other in south Sacramento’s Little Saigon neighborhood, and are widely regarded (apologies to Long Sandwich, Kim’s Restaurant and others) as the city’s crème de la crème for inexpensive Vietnamese sandwiches loaded with pickled carrots and daikon on crackly rolls or baguettes.
I’m happy with either restaurant’s bánh mì, but in crowd voting, Duc Huong has the edge. It was the overwhelming favorite in an Reddit post asking people to decide between the two shops, and even ranked second in a 2021 Sacramento Bee poll where voters picked their favorite sandwiches of any kind citywide.
Thomas Vang is a big Duc Huong fan, too — big enough to buy 15-20 sandwiches each morning on his commute from Elk Grove to Calvin Market, the beloved midtown Sacramento convenience store he owns with his wife Nancy Yang.
Vang purchases the bánh mì at retail price, sticks them in a Calvin’s Market refrigerator and sells them for roughly double the price — that is, $6.25 instead of $3.25. They’re small enough that you’ll need two to fill up, but for knowledgeable midtown Sacramento residents, a few extra bucks are worth the time saved on making a trip to Duc Huong themselves.
“They know I have it here and ... most of the time it’s like ‘I don’t want to have to drive all the way down to south Sacramento just to pick it up,” Vang said.
Vang orders four types of bánh mì each day: barbecued pork, grilled chicken, combination pork (his personal favorite due to its flavorful pâté) and a vegetarian option with mushrooms. If they don’t sell out, he takes them home to his son or gives them out to homeless people outside the store.
Calvin’s Market was known as DJ Market until 2021, when owner Chue “Calvin” Yang died and the store passed to his daughter and son-in-law. They renamed it in honor of the man some called “the mayor of midtown,” a charismatic native of Laos who built relationships with regular customers and treated the neighborhood’s homeless residents with compassion.
Vang and Nancy Yang plan to eventually apply for permits to serve hot Hmong food such as spring rolls, tilapia plates and sticky rice with pork belly or sausage at Calvin’s Market. Until then, they’ll stick to Sacramento’s favorite bánh mì.
Cameron Ishizaki picked some big shoes to fill when opening Hito Yatai.
Ishizaki’s first restaurant opened last June in the Carmichael strip mall space formerly home to Shige Sushi, long synonymous with Sacramento sushi elder Shige Tokita. Another veteran chef, Aki Shirakura, now flanks Ishizaki (the two met while working at Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine) as they pay homage to traditional Japanese dishes while adding flecks of modern innovation.
You’ll see two specials boards jammed with items at Hito Yatai, including the delightful saba shio koji ($12) on my visit. Curing mackerel in a rice vinegar before grilling left the fish with a rich, buttery flavor and less of the salty taste one might expect.
Katsuo tataki ($13) was another simple favorite. Six slices of deep-red seared bonito laid atop crunchy broccolini, tomatoes and a tangy chili crisp, all topped with a soy sauce dressing as an easy shareable for the table.
Rolls, nigiri and Shirakura’s kitchen creations make up the main menu, with the thin, crispy pork loin tonkatsu ($17) a worthwhile order. For a more elevated experience, in-the-know customers belly up to Ishiyazki’s eight-seat bar for Hito Yatai’s off-menu omakase service ($120 minimum per person).
Drinks: Beer, sake and umeshu (ume plum liqueur, served on the rocks).
▪ Cane Corner’s soft opening began March 20 at 8519 Bond Road, Suite 102 in Elk Grove. While sugarcane juice is the focus, the cafe also offers Vietnamese coffee, smoothies and Southeast Asian desserts such as pandan waffles or mango sago.
▪ Akame Sushi will open April 6 at 1902 Taylor Road in Roseville, formerly home to Maneki Sushi, another Japanese restaurant that closed in November. Akame will be an all-you-can-eat concept, with rolls, hibachi and sashimi.
▪ Pizza Bell will close its Elk Grove Village restaurant on April 28 after 39 years, the family-friendly pizzeria announced on social media on Monday. Another Elk Grove location at 8996 Grant Line Road will remain open.
トピック: Food & Drink