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When a friend of mine alerted me that a Vietnamese sub shop was opening in Louisville, I was ecstatic. I had some pre opening day jitters I admit. Is the place going to feature traditional Vietnamese style baguettes? Will the pate be up to snuff? Finally on December 6th, they opened their doors to feed us all answers.
Bahn Mi Hero is located at 2245 Bardstown Road in the building that used to house the popular Oishii Sushi, which has now moved to Taylorsville Rd. The interior has been revamped with bright colors and modern decor though they still haven't filled the vibrant walls with anything.
The menu features Vietnamese subs, rice cups, and tacos. All menu items read essentially to be a few variations of protein (marinated steak, sweet lemongrass pork, curried lemongrass chicken, and curried chili tofu and mushrooms) served a variety of different ways. I sat down for some lunch with a coworker and we looked over the menu and decided on one Saigon Hero and some Marinated Steak Tacos. I started with my taco, which was piled with a generous heap of cilantro, some pickled daikon and carrot, and a squeeze of their house sauce that I assume to be a mild chili mayonnaise. The steak was tender and flavorful without dominating the whole taco. The pickles were mild so if you are a vinegar junkie you might be a little disappointed but I found the restraint to be perfect. The tortilla was soft and slightly warm.
I moved on to the sub and was delighted by the light airy Vietnamese style baguette. The Saigon Hero contains slices of Vietnamese pork sausage, sliced braised pork belly, homemade pâté spread, house aioli, molasses infused soy sauce, fresh cilantro and cucumbers, white onions, and pickled carrots and daikon. That’s a lot going on for one sandwich so I admit I was a little saddened that I didn’t feel punched with some flavor. Regardless of my desire to find complexity in each bite, I found the sandwich to be fresh and delicious. Definitely worth several trips back.
Marinated Steak Taco