Dine: A Search for the Best Pork Loaf

I had the craving one day for a banh mi (wish I knew where to insert accent and diacritical marks to spell this Vietnamese sandwich correctly), which turned into 4 straight days of Vietnamese sandwiches. However, I wanted the pork version that was white, not just the pink cure. In other words, cha lua or the Vietnamese sausage that is made from finely ground pork, Alsa baking powder (a French product), and tapioca flour that is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. I let go of the obsession to make my own pork loaf because I don’t want tapioca flour languishing in my pantry. I first saw cha lua as a menu item at the Original Royal Donut in Burlingame, California.                      

I loved how loaded the baguette was with vegetables though I was surprised that the loaf was kind of bland—I think it needed a bit more pate to enhance its flavor while the carrots and daikon needed more pickling. But I liked that spicy meant the inclusion of Serrano chile. And then the obsession to try other pork loaf sandwiches at other Vietnamese hole-in-the-walls commenced. Next I went to Kat’s Vietnam House in San Mateo, California. The restaurant had bahn mi or sandwiches in the menu but no cha lua. And so I ordered the barbecued, meaning grilled, pork.                           

I happened to have had a tiny can of French pork pate, perhaps thinking I would someday make bahn mi, which I added to my second sandwich for the week. I thought Kat’s sandwich equally blah but enhanced it with the pate and some of the sriracha chili sauce of the condiments the restaurant had available. I learned too that I like my veggies more pickled, but yeah the sandwich would have been even yummier with pork loaf as well as more cucumber and cilantro. And so the next day I went to another bahn mi business also in my home city called M Sandwiches Cafe.                                         

I think I love this cha lua sandwich the best, and I weirdly loved that the sandwich was wrapped in parchment and then tied with twine rather than held together by a small rubber band. The pickling of the carrots and daikon was more piquant, and I didn’t really need to add more pate but did anyway because I had it. I aim to return to M and try their combination sandwich which has cha lua, pink ham and grilled pork. But onward to one more Vietnamese eatery called Saigon City Restaurant where I once was served pho by surly waiters.              

I liked the vegetables, which were plentiful, but it was my least favorite bahn mi because the pate was too salty and strangely the sandwich too dry because of not enough mayonnaise. I added Mayo and sriracha. Yeah a jalapeño would have elevated it. Strangely from all my cha lua forays, I learned that I’m really a combo bahn mi eater where as I thought my palate simpler. I have to return to work next week and won’t have the freedom to pick up a bahn mi, but aim to cobble my own bahn mi to bring to work with pork belly from Trader Joe’s and bolilo rolls from Safeway. I found a recipe to make my own pickled carrots and daikon radish and have cucumbers, cilantro and jalapeños from the garden.