Eat This in Vancouver: Vietnamese Subs

I have only had two food dreams in my life and one of them was about a Vietnamese meatball sandwich.

This is fast-food the way God meant it to be: a little crunch, a little spice and a whole lot of fresh.

Everyone’s mama makes it a little differently so there are plenty of variations on the theme, but essentially we’re talking about a fresh and crispy baguette stuffed with homemade meatballs, spicy tomato sauce, shredded daikon, cucumber and carrots, a heap of coriander and if you like, chiles.

And at about $3.50 per sandwich you may never eat at McDonald’s or Subway again.

With its large Asian population, Vancouver is home to plenty of hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese sub shops. (Try Yelp or one of these other helpful mobile apps for Vancouver visitors to find one near you.)

My favourite downtown spots for a banh mi fix are Vietsub at 520 Robson or Golden Garden at 509 Main.

Casual joints with long opening hours, these are favourite haunts of impoverished students, harried shoppers, hungry families and over-served clubbers. These sandwiches are so addicting they should come with a warning label…