Address: 3441 Tuttle Rd, Shaker Heights, OH 44122
ninjacity.com
Currently a pop-up stand inside the Van Aken district, this location serves as a way to prepare for an opening eventually. The bánh mì is representative of it’s main location though, so the review will be applicable to both locations.
Banh Mi Sandwich
BANH MI SANDWICH — $12.95
Menu description
SUB SANDWICH ON A FRENCH BAGUETTE TOPPED W/ CUCUMBER, PICKLED CARROT, RADISH, JALAPEÑO, CILANTRO & HOUSE AIOLI
This interpretation of a bánh mì is not traditional but offers some interesting flavors. The deli meats are not what you would expect. We opted for both a pork belly and a tofu bánh mì. The pork belly is a very rustic cut with lots of fat.
The pickled vegetables didn’t have an acidic or really flavorful taste to them, with the house aioli overpowering most of what was to offer from this bánh mì.
The bread was very soft and almost grocery-store quality. Not preferable at all considering the specifics of this review site weigh a good bread to be very important to the bánh mì experience.
Protein-wise, the pork belly did have a lot of fat which is nice but the flavor was totally different than that of a bánh mì, leaving this to be more like a “sub sandwich” than bánh mì. If you want to have that, then this is good for you.
We also tried a Tofu protein version but it was completely bland. There was zero seasoning on the tofu itself and it was almost as if they pulled it out of a container.
at $12.95 at the time of review from the pop-up stand in Van Aken, I could not suggest this unless you’re desperate.