Acclaimed B. Patisserie founder Belinda Leong opened this sandwich shop (with bonus sweets) on the opposite corner. A steel counter displays house baked breads, and a bright yellow rotisserie oven highlights an open kitchen. Leong’s Banh Mi ($8) features luxurious pork belly slabs, cucumber, jalapeño, crunchy pickled carrots and daikon on a soft roll.

This grab-and-go Vietnamese spot on Oakland’s International Boulevard, a street most famous for taco trucks, has been going strong for almost two decades. The family who runs Banh Mi Ba Le comes from Saigon and sells colorful snacks and drinks, including pennywort and sugar cane juice, avocado and durian shakes, and crispy cha gio. Cucumber, jalapeño, pickled daikon and carrot and plentiful cilantro join chewy baguettes. #8 Grilled Pork Sandwich (banh mi thit nuong) cradled pork belly marinated with garlic, fish sauce, and soy sauce. #13 Meatball and Egg Sandwich (banh mi xiu mai opla) featured a peppery pork crumble and mayo. #19 BBQ Pork Patties (banh mi nem nuong) featured firm, peppery slices. Other options include sardines, roasted eel and sour pork.

This Inner Richmond restaurant featured bright red and light green walls, indoor plant-life, and an older woman cooking to Lil Wayne’s rapping. Sandwiches on thick, slightly chewy house bread included onions, pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño, and homemade aioli. Five Spice Chicken ($4.50) features juicy grilled chicken, rich pate and house-made caramel sauce. I was also impressed with Crispy Duck ($6.50), lightly breaded duck layered with crunchy Vietnamese cole slaw.

William Foss’s restaurant rests right on the water in Sausalito, by Spaulding Boatworks, with wooden picnic tables overlooking the marina. Yes, they also have red stools at a counter inside the restaurant’s glass and steel shell, but you’re better off outdoors. Their Saigon Salmon Sandwich ($22) is fun play on banh mi that showcases rosy medium-rare salmon, and tangy pickled julienne carrot on a soft Acme torpedo roll. The side of chile lime slaw with crunchy kick amp up the plate even more than standard mayo.

Banh mi doyenne Andrea Nguyen recommended this Vietnamese cafe in Oakland’s Lake Merritt. The art-lined space features a coffeehouse vibe and house-made juices. Their Vegetarian Sandwich ($5.25) touts a mountain of wrinkly bead curd skins piled into a fluffy mayo-brushed baguette with lettuce, tomato, thick-cut cucumber, jalapeño, pickled carrot, soy sauce, and cilantro.

Jacky Ly has owned Fresh Brew Coffee on Nob Hill since 2009. He serves substantial sandwiches with classic accompaniments. Chicken meatballs with avocado might be a bit too Cali for some people, but I enjoyed the combo. Their BBQ pork banh mi also hit.

Minh Lam and chef/wife Ki Giang have run this tiny Vietnamese restaurant since 2013. Peppery house-made pork meatball crumbles pair harmoniously with pickled daikon and carrot, cilantro, jalapeños and mayo on an airy baguette.

A blue awning greets grab-and-go guests at this Tenderloin institution. Most sandwiches cost only $3.75 and come on a crusty baguette with julienned carrots and daikon for crunch, plus cilantro, jalapeño, and mayo. Choose from fillings like peppery dark meat Roast Chicken (Ga), crumbly Meat Ball Pork (Xiu Mai) and Thit Cha Pate – a truly “Special Combination” of Steam Pork, Roast Pork and Pate. Saigon Sandwich also sells supplemental snacks.

Harry Lam is a Tenderloin banh mi specialist. Traditionally, the small cafe with red and white checked cloths only served a Special Combo, but Lam recently rolled out meatball (ban mi xiu mai) and chicken (banh mi thit ga). Still, I’d most recommend the Special Combo ($3.50) – Banh Mi Dac Biet – a sturdy baguette with a winning ratio of pate, cold cuts, cucumber, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrot. Sing Sing serves textbook banh mi.