Bánh Mì

Cafe de Bella

Located in the shopping center with Din Ho, Cafe de Bella has been open for about 3½ months. Owner Thu Pham offers a unique menu with fruit cups, smoothies, bun noodle bowls, panini, fresh-squeezed juices, ice cream, and the like, but the eight different bánh mì are the stars of the show. Making everything in-house except for the warmed, thin-crusted, and moist bread, Cafe de Bella produces a very good bánh mì.

We sampled the Gourmet ($3.79, loaded with pâté, ham, pork roll, peppered ham, and cured pork) and the grilled pork ($3.79, filled with marinated and grilled thinly sliced pork). Both were near the top of our list. The space is sleek, with unobtrusive flat screens and South American jazz. I'll be back to try the banh xeo rice crepe with a side of sugar-cane juice (and more bánh mì).