Saigon Express: Inexpensive Banh Mi Spot in Downtown Berkeley
Saigon Express Open almost all day, Monday through Friday (from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm), Saigon Express is a great place to grab an affordable bite anytime you’re hungry. It’s a cute shop decorated with an attractive deep red and some Vietnamese art, where you order and pay at the counter, which has the entire menu posted above it. You can take your food to go or eat it in the cozy dining room, which people trickle through all day. People love the food here, and it’s yummy and hard to argue with the prices—especially when it comes to the banh mi. The banh mi sandwiches cost less than $10, but they’re far from being simple sandwiches. Instead, they come with perfectly seasoned and marinated meat, a healthy amount of pickled and fresh veggies, and a delightful French baguette that’s easy to chew and has a slightly crunchy crust. The flavor is very balanced between contrasting notes that are sweet, savory, herby, and spicy. It’s thick and substantial, but it doesn’t take long at all for the k...