I'm a bit behind jumping on the Vietnamese Hoagie Bandwagon, but jumping I am. These things are great sandwiches! Characterized by crusty french baguette surrounding crunchy lightly pickled veggies, this sandwich is a light lunch in comparison to a traditional Italian-style hoagie.

I devoured this particular sandwich after picking up my race packet for the Broad Street Run down by the stadiums. Since I was practically in the neighborhood, and had my trusty foodie friend Jess along for the ride, and we were hungry, we just had to try out O Sandwiches as neither of us had been there for a hoagie. Jess is a veteran Vietnamese hoagie consumer, so I let her be my guide. I chose the BBQ pork bahn mi and said yes when the counter girl asked if I wanted jalapenos and black pepper. The pork was shredded and had a deep pink tone to it from the BBQ marinade. Fresh sliced cucumber as well as pickled carrots and daikon are added next, followed by slices of jalapenos, cilantro and black pepper.

The grilled pork bahn differs only slightly from the previously pictured version. Here thin slices of pork are quickly grilled and lightly seasoned before hitting the bread and getting loaded up with veggies.

We also ordered the pork summer rolls. A well-seasoned link of Vietnamese sausage was split down the middle and rolled up with lettuce, rice noodles, carrots and cucumber. Served with a hoisin peanut dipping sauce, this was a fresh and tasty appetizer.

Even though I really enjoyed the two sandwiches from O, rumor has it that better Vietnamese hoagies are available in the city, so more taste testing will continue through the summer. Please let me know where you think I can get the BEST Vietnamese Hoagie in Philly and I'll go try them out.

O Sandwiches
1205 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215.334.6080