Arts & Entertainment
 

Cali is diverse taste of Asia

Midtown restaurant brings healthy Vietnamese food at a cheap price

Feeding Frenzy

Bjorn Gudmundsson

Buried in a tatty strip center in midtown, this most popular of places for Vietnamese sandwiches is the proverbial diamond in the rough.

There isn't much that physically sets Cali Sandwich apart from other sandwich shops in the Vietnamese retail district. Perhaps it's the proximity to midtown that accounts for its popularity, since Cali teeters on the edge of this trendy area. Others would say it's the authentic Vietnamese dishes.

In the compact space, businessmen and students alike sit at the utilitarian communal tables, well stocked with chopsticks and condiments such as soy sauce and red Thai hot sauce.

A full menu of Vietnamese specialties is available, with some Chinese dishes thrown in for good measure. Many items on the menu are illustrated on the wall behind the counter by a series of color photographs, which come in very handy when deciding what to order. Questions about individual dishes may go unanswered due to the thick language barrier.

The price range at Cali is within the fast-food spectrum. But, while the prices may be comparable to fast food, the menu is not. Most items at Cali stay well in the realm of reasonably healthy fare.

Appetizers include vegetarian spring rolls ($4 for four rolls) filled with tofu, crisp lettuce and cold noodles. A clear broth with beef meatballs makes another flavorful starter, and at $3.25 a cup, it's a great deal.

Pho noodle dishes are the perfect light lunch, and at $4.25 each, have an appropriately light price to match. Stir fried beef with vermicelli noodles, shrimp, pork and squid soup with egg noodles and rare flank steak noodle soup, to name a few, are some of the most popular orders during lunchtime.

Other offerings such as char-grilled pork strips served with steamed rice and an eggroll ($4.75) or a vegetarian stir-fried tofu dish with vermicelli ($4.25) all seem like perfectly good excuses to eat here. However, none of these dishes compares in popularity to the real reason why most people visit Cali Sandwich -- its namesake sandwich.

Cali's Vietnamese sandwiches are ranked among some of the best in the city. A steal at $2 each, they make a much more health-conscious, and some would say tastier, alternative to your typical fast-food burger. Beginning with a lightly toasted, crusty French baguette, they feature the traditional toppings of shredded carrots, cilantro leaves, slivers of jalapeño and mayonnaise.

They're available with a number of meats including ham, shredded grilled chicken, BBQ pork and pork meatballs, and they come wrapped in paper po'boy style. 

The only thing that comes close to a dessert selection is an array of smoothies ($2 each), including mango, pineapple, jackfruit and the pungent and questionable durian.

If you don't mind a no-frills setting in exchange for delicious, highly affordable Vietnamese specialties, then Cali sandwich is the perfect place to visit.

Cali Sandwich

3030 Travis St.

The verdict: It's good food at bad food prices.

 Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu