Mr. V
Add: 93-C Xiangyang Bei Lu, near Xinle Lu / 襄阳北路93-C号，近新乐路
Tel: 6417 9928
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 9:30am-8pm [Sat-Sun] 10am-8pm
Website: www.mrvbanh-mi.com
Price: [banh mi] 25~37RMB [drinks] 10~32RMB [sets] 40~52RMB
Visited: May 2012
Please note that this is an arranged tasting.
Mr. V is not much more than a tiny stall with a tiny patio, but from its kitchen out pours some authentic Vietnamese sandwiches (a.k.a. banh mi) with traditional Vietnamese drinks to match. Could this be your new favorite lunch delivery?
Here’s the menu. Individual banh mi ranges from 25 to 37RMB, and sets go from 40 to 52RMB. Your sandwich filling potions include lemon grass chicken, meatloaf, headcheese, skin pork terrine, and shiu mai (meatballs). Not sure which to pick? Feel free to ask for samples before you decide.
We tried a shiu mai (meatball) and a mixed option (meatloaf + headcheese + skin pork terrine), both accompanied by chicken pate, cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon, coriander, and chili (upon request). Mr. V uses baguettes delivered daily from Patisserie de France and toast them with each order, and though traditional Vietnamese sandwiches are usually served on softer baguettes with a thinner crust, I personally really liked the thick, crispy version used here. The whole assembly is light yet satisfying, with a nice variety of textures and flavors – crunchy, chewy, savory, tangy, spicy.
Perhaps one complaint is that the meatball portion in my shiu mai sandwich seemed quite small, but with everything else that went in, the sandwich was actually quite tasty and not lacking in flavor.
And here’s the mixed sandwich with meatloaf, headcheese, and skin pork terrine. FYI, headcheese is not a cheese! It’s a terrine made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (as for which parts of the head are used, it varies…but the brain, eyes, and ears are usually removed…)
My friend went for a Vietnamese coffee (included in the set) and I tried the Sam Bo Liang Ice Slush (18 RMB), a drink with longan, dates, ginko nuts, barley, and a few other healthy ingredients. It’s a perfectly cooling drink for a hot summer day, but also tastes slightly herbal/medicinal. If this does not appeal to you, try the Lychee Ice Slush (25 RMB) with coconut and sago pearls instead.
Mr. V delivers, but only in the immediate neighborhood. Call to ask if you are within the range.
