by MARK SLUTSKY

You’d be hard pressed to find a lunch option with a higher satisfaction-to-price ratio than banh mi, or Vietnamese sub sandwiches. Good ones are tasty, filling and typically in the incredibly affordable $2–$3 range. Banh mi are a happy product of cross-cultural miscegenation, in this case (as in most) arising from something not so happy, the French colonial occupation of the country that lasted from the late 19th century until the middle of the 20th. The French introduced baguettes to the country, and the rest is delicious history (at least from a culinary point of view).

Though more and more Vietnamese sub places seem to open up all the time in this town (I still have to get around to checking out the one on St-Laurent north of St-Viateur, which, squeezed in next to paint and lock stores, seems in danger of being overlooked by the lunch public), the choicest of the crop has got to be Cao Thang, on St-Laurent in Chinatown.

A narrow little lunch counter, Cao Thang sells delicious banh mi and assorted other sweet treats to a faithful lunch crowd. Those who know the place pledge their devotion—it’s definitely in the best-kept-secret category. The food may not taste like it’s made on a budget, but man, the prices really are shockingly low. On a recent visit, a filling lunch for four (including a shared dessert) came to $16.25! They’re practically giving these spectacular sandwiches away!

The subs are made on fresh mini-baguettes (supplied by Patisserie Belge, no less, so you know they’re the real deal and not just inferior baguette-shaped bread), and for the most part are full of some preparation of pork, chicken or beef, as well as shredded carrots, onions, green peppers, cilantro and spicy chilis (they’re available without the latter if you so desire). Now while I don’t usually put cilantro at the top of my list of sandwich ingredients, it really works beautifully here. Come to think of it, I don’t usually care for carrots in my sandwiches either, but there’s some sort of magical alchemy going on that makes them absolutely indispensable. They, and the cilantro, give all of the sandwiches a sort of shared “base flavour” that the various meat toppings modulate and refine.

The banh mi are all in the $2.50–$3 range. I’m a fan of the one that bears the restaurant’s name, the Cao Thang ($2.50), made with steamed slices of pork and “Vietnamese lean pork paste,” as well as the usual fixins. The meatball sandwich ($2.50) is made with soft Vietnamese pork meatballs and it’s completely addictive. I yelped with joy when I first bit into it. No joke. There’s also minced pork and chicken sandwiches ($2.50), and grilled chicken and beef ($2.50 and $3), which are, well, great. The nem banh mi, made with a paté-like Vietnamese sausage ($3 grilled, $2.50 not), are savoury delights unto themselves. And there’s a vegetarian option ($2.50), for those not interested in overloading on pork (a real danger here) made with marinated vegetables, as well as the usual toppings.

There’s more than just sandwiches (though they’re clearly the most popular items). Cao Thang serves a variety of beguiling varicoloured rice dishes ($1.50)—rice with peanuts, black beans or the intriguing sweet green rice. Their veggie- and shrimp-stuffed cold spring rolls ($3.50) have a refreshing taste. The steamed rice cakes ($3.50) are also fascinating—soft, almost transparent jelly-like rolls either served plain or stuffed with minced mushroom and pork. There’s also pork steam buns and a variety of other little prepared dishes.

For dessert, there are a couple of colourful three-layer puddings ($2.50), or you can try the bahn su se ($1.50), which are like little art objects unto themselves. Shaped like slightly flattened spheres, their exterior consists of a translucent green gelatin, which you can bite through to get to the sweet coconut paste within. They’re delicious little treats, and a good size for a lunchtime dessert—a couple of sweet bites and you’re done.

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Cao Thang
ADDRESS: 1082 St-Laurent (just below René-Levèsque)
PHONE: 392-0097
HOURS: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. daily
BEST FEATURES: The insanely cheap and addictive banh mi sandwiches
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: No
PRICE: $2.50–$7 per person, before tax
RATING: *** out of ****