Review: Banh Mi So 1 in St. Louis

While new and expensive restaurants open all around us, and signs herald the arrival of national chains – the only operators able to afford the rent in giant suburban shopping malls – let us not forget the little places that continue to bring St. Louisans a fine variety of excellent fare, at modest prices.

A great example, maybe even a shocking example, is Banh Mi So 1, a small Vietnamese space in South City where the menu does not show an item above $9.95 and where a large window sign boasts, "Best Spring Rolls in Town."

On second thought, it may not be a boast. The soft, tender, fresh spring rolls of delicate rice flour wrapped around lettuce, sprouts and a choice of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp or fish, or a pork-shrimp combination, are only $4.95 for three of them. It's a real bargain, too, with a lovely crunch from the sprouts and the meat or fish adding a hint of delicate spice. A vegetarian can save a buck on an order. And those who prefer the old-fashioned treat of deep fried egg rolls with ground pork can have them – well-dried, crisp, piping hot.

And if the appetizers seem to take a few minutes – maybe three or four – it's because they're being made while a diner is reading a menu to see what else would be the right choice for lunch or dinner.

There are many choices, too, including excellent versions of the classic Vietnamese sandwich, built on delicious baguettes in the French style, with an outstanding crustiness and a soft, appealing inside. The sandwiches offer a choice of pork meatball, shredded pork, tofu, chicken or a combination of pork, Vietnamese ham and pâté, each at $2.50, with double meat or tofu for $3.75. Charcoal grilled beef or pork also are $3.75, and while at first glance the sandwiches seem slightly scant of filling, the amount is quite sufficient to bring big taste with a delightful combination of flavors. The meat is gently spiced, and benefits with an extra tingle from the addition of carrot-daikon (an Asian radish) relish, fresh cilantro and a hit of jalapeno, just enough to awaken the taste buds. Particular salutes are aimed at the pork meatball, whose soft texture and ginger flavoring put it head and shoulders above the tennis-ball prototype so often facing sandwich eaters.

The Vietnamese sandwich is an obvious memory of the long-time French influence in southeast Asia. The bread, the style, the spicing all show traces of France, and for older diners, a moment to recall the late Dubois Chen, who starred in the kitchen in the days when the nation's finest Trader Vic's was located in downtown St. Louis. Chen, a true artist in the kitchen, had learned his trade as a cook in the French navy, plying the waters in what then was French Indo-China.

Two other delicious appetizers are pork or beef on skewers or banh xeo, a fried crepe filled with pork and shrimp. Either will serve two. The former is a thin, round slice of meat that has been quickly grilled for crisp edges and a marvelously smoky feel; the latter is crisply fried, a little like the Vietnamese pancake served in other restaurants, but a little on the sweet side in a combination where the herbs and spices mix and match perfectly,

Like most Vietnamese restaurants, Banh Mi So 1 is big on soup, with many choices and some delicious combinations like beef noodle and vegetable, which adds pineapple and tofu to more standard vegetables like tomatoes, celery and bean sprouts. But other soups are listed under noodle bowls (pork and egg rolls or chicken and onions among them) or under what are called "amazing specialties" like duck noodle soup with bamboo and lemon grass. The duck noodle soup offered plenty of rich duck meat, always a benefit to soup, and the bamboo shoots were a nice addition. But these are not soups as appetizers. They arrive in large bowls, easily divisible into two, or sufficient as a meal for one.

Curried shrimp and vegetables, served over thin noodles, was delicious, with curry that was less assertive than those in Indian or Thai dishes. It's warm, not hot, and it brings a delightful zest to the dish, and the zing arrives late, after the sweetness from coconut milk slides through.

The most expensive selections on the menu are a pair of curry dishes, one with shrimp and one with salmon, stir-fried with coconut milk, lemongrass and curry, served with rice. The lighter style of spicing was especially effective with the salmon, because the rich, familiar taste of the fish came through nicely, without having to battle the curry to be a factor.

Beer and soft drinks are available, along with tea, and Vietnamese tradition is for traditional tableware and not chopsticks. Ban Mi So 1 is a real family operation, with Mom producing small miracles in the kitchen and Dad a friendly, quiet presence in the dining room, taking the orders, serving the meals and carefully answering questions.

Banh Mi So 1 has been in its small location for a decade, quietly satisfying desires for Vietnamese tastes and expanding the always welcome cultural diversity right here in River City.