Huong Lan Sandwiches

Huong Lan Sandwiches

6930 65th Street Suite 109, Sacramento, CA 95823. (916) 429-9999. (Located around the corner from the SF Market)

There's a certain self-satisfaction and smugness to getting all your Christmas shopping done two weeks early. Yep, that's right folks...you heard me correctly--I'm done TWO WEEKS early. It took me 37 years to get to that point, but this year I'm finished with plenty of time to spare. No sitting in holiday traffic, having to pushing my way through throngs of people at the mall or getting elbowed at the register this year for me. All my shopping is done...barring a few gifts on their way via UPS. It's a great feeling. All I have left to do between now and Christmas is to pour myself a big glass of wine, bake a few cookies and watch "Elf," a half dozen times. (I love it when Will Ferrell hisses, "You stink...you smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa!") Anyhow, my holiday shopping's done so you know what that means...my pocketbook is e-m-p-t-y...but no worries. That's what Huong Lan Sandwiches is for. For $2.75 you can grab one of their yummy banh mi sandwiches. They're sooooo good. If you've never had a banh mi before, the best way to describe it is that it's kind of like a Vietnamese sub sandwich. Huong Lan uses a fresh crunchy baguette slathered with a house mayo mix which they stuff with your choice of meat, julienned pickled daikon and carrots, some cilantro, onion and top it with a few sliced jalapeños. The meat choices range from bbq grilled pork, steamed pork, chicken, pâté, sardines and there's even a vegetarian choice. The sandwiches are super filling and delicious. A combo of sweet, tangy, salty, crunchy and spicy...perfect for lunch, dinner or anytime in between. The set up at Huong Lan is pretty simple. When you walk in there's tables to the left. If you want table service sit down. If you want takeout, walk to the back right corner and place your order at the counter. There's a giant illuminated picture menu above, for easy reference. Just tell the cashier what number sandwich you'd like to order, pay for your purchase and wait. They'll call your order out when it's ready. Just think- with all the money you save, you'll be rollin' in the green just in time for the new year.

* Tip: Bring cash (there's a minimum purchase amount for credit/debit purchases)