Banh Mi Battel-Hartford CT #1

What: #9 Grill Beef Grinder

Where: Mini Saigon

2014 Park Street
Hartford CT 06106
How much: $3.50
Time of visit: a Thursday about 12:30PM

Banh Mi. Connecticut. The mystery of these two co-existing in the same place was motivation to hit the road. So I hit two Banh Mi spots in one day.

(readers, cue Saigon - Get Busy) (clicking on link should open YouTube in a new browser tab so you can hear my selected audio track playing, but you will have to click back on this tab to return) ((This link is self-referential and thus the perfect musical name check on two levels. Please click on it.))

This day's travels took me to the greater Hartford Ct area via Central MA.  I got a hot tip from Leeanne at Fun With Carbs. I saw her comment to a post about Ba Le in Dorchester on another blog. She replied quickly to my e-mail inquiry about Banh Mi options in CT.

Mini Saigon is a sit down restaurant in Parkville section of Hartford CT. I was with The Datrman and Nonna Buttali, so we sat down and ate. When I ordered, the waitress took our order quickly. We all shared #2 Summer Rolls. Nona got #33 Chicken Sautee with Chinese Broccoli. It was served with white rice. Dartman had #11 Grill Pork Grinder.  This being Connecticut, I guess it is called a grinder (see menu photo I uploaded to Urbanspoon). I got the #9 Grill Beef Grinder. When the waitress brought out the food, she got my order wrong. I had ordered by number, not description and got a #10 Grill Chicken Grinder. As I opened up the sandwich up for pictures, I noticed the meat product seemed a bit pale. I called the waitress over and told her the issue. She said that I had ordered number #9 "Chicken" I had to open the menu to show her that #9 was in fact beef. She acknowledged the mistake and started to take it back to the kitchen. Dartman, sharing genetic material with my Grandmother and I, could not let it go to waste and offered to eat it.

Banh Mi University graduate? Graduate of the state school. Note the white deli wrap. The bread was fair in this use. It was very similar to Chau's (which I had eaten at later in the day). The crust was thin, but not flaky. The inside was light and airy with that slightly chewy texture. Loaf size was just much shorter and thinner than others I have had recently. This would be superb bread for an Italian cold cut sangwich, though.  I guess there isn't a Viet bakery nearby, so they need to make due with the bread sources in CT.  The beef was VERY generous in quantity and tender. There was absolutely no fat or ligament. The beef was cut into long and thin pieces. Cilantro was fresh with no dark spots. The carrots were tasty and slightly pickled. They were grated into smaller and thinner pieces than the usual matchstick size put onto many Banh Mi. There were a few pieces of daikon. There were thinnish spears of cucumber. A few scallions were present. There was no mayo, but there was soy/fish sauce. I asked the waitress for spicy. I got Thai chiles that were wonderfully hot.

I knew in the back of my mind that there were other places close by or on the way home to review, so I held back eating more.  Dartman and Nonna Buttali headed out right after lunch, so still being hungry, I decided to try more. I hit Chau's next.

Parking on Park Street might have been tough with the snow, but Mini Saigon has a parking lot (though it was very icy). The genuine article in Connecticut! Price was good for what and where it is. Dartman liked the chicken better than the pork. Sriracha was on every table.

Leeanne gave me two more leads, so more Hartford CT Battels in the coming months.

I'd give the Banh Mi a 3.0B/6.

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