Dishola: Reviews by the Dish

I thought the Vietnamese person brave enough to introduce the crispy baguette sandwiches known as bánh mi to Berlin would get rich. Vietnamese food here bears no resemblance to what you get in the States. The "phô" is more like chicken noodle soup, without a trace of star anise, let alone the green platter that comes with it, and the rest of the stuff is all unknown to my reference books.

But the two young guys who've opened YumMee near the corner of Oranienburger Str. and Friedrichstr. are quite gung ho about it, and I've now been down there several times to cheer them on. Not the best bánh mi I've had by a long shot, but then, it wouldn't be. One thing they get right is the bread: crispy, but not gummy like most German baguettes. They're hesitant to put on the crunchy stuff -- marinated daikon radish, marinated carrots, cilantro -- and the green chili mentioned on the menu is really bell pepper. "We're afraid of freaking out the Germans; we want them to get used to bánh mi first," one of the guys told me in a perfect California accent, although neither has ever been to the States. Nor do they use Vietnamese mayonnaise, which is a shame. But they're talking about adding pâté and tiger prawns to the menu, and they've got a small internet cafe for tourists in the back. Get rich? Hey, I'd be happy if they'd just stay in business.