Mr. Baguette: A Worthy Adversary

Don't be fooled by this adorable smiley face with his chef's hat and a huge, almost phallic, loaf of bread. Behind this chipper exterior is the face of a beast. A fat-mongering, grease-loving evil mastermind. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to brilliance. Brilliance has a name, and it is Mr. Baguette.

The fact that he's not named Monsieur Baguette (to continue the French theme) only adds to his rebellious nature. The crime? The rebellion? The absolute anarchy masked in a smiley face and a quiet, small restaurant in Rosemead, CA? Fried EGG! Sesame! In a banh mi sandwich!

DD and I were foraging for something to munch on, when he remembered a place that he swore would put Lee's Sandwiches to shame. Now, having grown up with Banh Mi Cali Sandwiches and Lee's Sandwiches, I was leery of anyone who tried to intrude on my already comfortable niche market. If I wanted lots of meat and a full loaf of bread, I went to Banh Mi Cali. If I wanted crunch bread and a quick fix in a rapidly expanding franchise, I went to Lee's Sandwiches. And if I couldn't get to one of those, I would go without.

So needless to say, I was a little reluctant to try out this intruding sandwich shop in the middle of the asian capital of Los Angeles, Rosemead/Alhambra/Monterey Park. The outside was unassuming, which is bonus points in my book. Once inside, it looked remarkably like a Lee's Sandwich, clean, well designed menus with color pictures of each item, everything clearly labeled, and a front counter displaying foods you could buy to make your own at home.

And then I saw it. There, in the refrigerated counter, food-saver sealed with their own meat-market looking label, was a chunk of pate--5" in diameter and 2" thick. Lucious, savory, and delicious looking.

SOLD.

While looking at the menu of sandwiches, I decided on the "Dac Biet" Special sandwich. And then, from the mouth of the love of my life came the magical words: "You have breakfast sandwiches. Is there any way we can have an egg in the Dac Biet sandwich?" "Yes." (The counter clerk may as well have said "I Do", the word was so magical.) So there we went on our way, to wait for the sandwiches we ordered and a couple more we ordered to go. When we got them, they gave us the pickled veggies on the side, which is an added perk--the sandwich won't get soggy later and you can reheat the whole thing without ruining the fresh, cold flavors of the veggies. Once combined, I realized what made this place a mecca for Vietnamese sandwich lovers--the combinations of flavors. It wasn't just the meat, which was tender and present in relative abundance, but it was also the toasted sesame seeds on the bun that added a rich toasted flavor. The egg was just icing on the cake! While the pate was sporadic at best, when you got a rich spread of it in one bite, it was that much better--like you'd been waiting for it your whole life!

And thus, I concede defeat. Yes, Mr. Baguette, you can come play with my other banh mi favorites. And somewhere in my head, the scene plays:

"Do you expect me to talk?"
"No, Mr. Baguette, I expect you to feeeeeed me!"

Mr. Baguette
8702 Valley Blvd., Rosemead, CA, (626) 288-9166
www.mrbaguettesandwiches.com