One Vietnamese food export I’ve enjoyed is the traditional sandwich called the banh mi. Built in a crusty mini baguette (one positive aspect of the French occupation of the country in the 1950’s) the sandwich contains a couple varieties of pork product, a vinegary mix of julienned carrot and green papaya, slices of cucumber, fresh cilantro leaves and a smear of chili paste. In order to cater to foreign tastes, many banh mi stalls offer shredded chicken in place of the pork and will add cheese and/or avocado as well. As luck would have it, a well-reviewed and well-rated banh mi shop happened to be located just around the corner from our guesthouse. After a leisurely morning doing some trip research online, we walked to the shop for lunch. We figured a place that had been discovered by travelers and had been recommended online would probably be a bit more pricey than other hole-in-the-wall food shops. I couldn’t have been more surprised after sitting down at one of the three tables and glancing at the menu to discover that the traditional banh mi was offered at only 15,000 dong, or the equivalent of ~.67 USD! Lunch for under a dollar! But wait. Is it possible that they also sell a can of the local beer, Larue, for the same price? Sandwich and a brew for less than two bucks. I don’t usually drink beer before noon, but it would be unseemly not to at these prices. Within seconds after ordering our sandwiches appeared, along with a cold can of beer. The baguette was crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. The pork was tender, the carrot-papaya “slaw” tart, the cucumber added crunch, the cilantro was fresh and zippy and the chile added the perfect amount of heat. Midway through lunch the place started to fill up and by the time we left a line had formed on the sidewalk. If not for those eagerly waiting for their turn to enjoy the perfect lunch, I easily could have had a second – sandwich and beer. But we also wanted to get back into town and explore some more, then find more of those Vietnamese classic meals.