| Tasty, bargain-priced Banh Mi and Com Dia |
Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 3/15/2006
Rating: 9
My photo gallery
|
Dakao is one of the cheapest lunches ever done at jatbar. With Bahn Mi sandwiches at $1.75 and SJSU a couple of blocks away, Dakao must have a loyal student following. I'm not a starving student anymore but I can appreciate a great bargain and today is one of those days where we strike gold.
I heard about Dakao through my co-worker after he made the visit a couple of weeks back. He didnt tell me too much about the place except it was worth checking out. He failed to mention that it was super cheap.
With most downtown parking in large cities, be prepared to pay for metered parking. We had a 25 minute meter which gave us enough time to order and eat fast. There was long lunch rush line inside and it appeared they were locals ordering sandwiches by their numbers. There were plate lunches for $3-5 but we came here for the Bahn Mi, wow....$1.75 for regular, $2.00 for premium, and $2.25 for special sandwiches. I overheard a lot of people in front of me order 2 sandwiches so I did the same with a roasted chicken and shredded pork. Terry ordered the vegetarian sandwich with an Avocado iced milk tea. For 3 sandwiches, 1 iced milk, and 1 water.... a rock bottom $8.50! It was sooooo cheap, now we are just praying the food would be good.
Picking up the food is somewhat of an art to be mastered. The lady doesnt give you a receipt or pickup number. She just calls the sandwich number out loud. You can imagine a couple of people order the same sandwich...I walked to the counter 3 times..guess what...the roasted chicken is a popular sandwich.
For $2, the sandwich was about 3/4 the size of a subway foot long. Sandwiches are composed of french bread, topped with jalepenos, secret vietnamese dressing, cilantro, carrots, dicons?, and meat. The french bread was crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside, probably baked in the morning. Bread tasted much better than Lee's. Veggies appeared and tasted fresh. Meat was plentiful but not of the high-end gourmet cuts of meat. Its not the most beautiful looking sandwich but for the price and taste, Dakao is a tough place to beat.
I ordered 2 sandwiches and took 1 back to work. 1 sandwich should put a tiny dent in your stomach and hold you over for a couple of hours. I started into my 2nd sandwich 2 1/2 hours later.
Dakao is the real deal. Its impressively cheap and sandwiches are equally as pleasing. SJSU students are lucky to have something close to campus. Not into sandwiches? Dakao offers plenty of chinese plate items, pastries, traditional vietnamese desserts, iced milk teas, coffees, and vietnamese combo plates....and its all cheap! Its a no-brainer for visiting Dakao, save money, eat great tasting sandwich, and maybe hustle a game of pool at the billiards next door. Dakao fo-sho...
|
| |
Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 3/15/2006
Rating: 9
My photo gallery
|
Dakao came as a suggestion from one of Jasons teammates at work. I was a little hesitant walking up to place as it looked a little rundown, especially next to a pool hall like it was. Well some of our best places in the past looked pretty bad on first sight. So I forged ahead.
We walk inside and it looks like a typical vietnamese pho place. A good number of tables, and all business. On one side of the restaurant you order and pickup (no table delivery) and on the other side its full of tables for you to eat. I did notice many people leaving as well, as sandwiches are packed in bags to eat away if you want.
I decide to go with the Sandwich #21 - which was a Vegetarian Sandwich for $2.00. Wow, can't beat that deal. I decide to accompany it with an avocado shake. Hey, if they offer it, I gotta test it. That was another $2.00 approximately.
The ordering system is all jacked up here. Instead of giving order numbers or taking names, the food preparers just make the stuff and give it to the cashier who just lays them on the counter and calls out the sandwich numbers. So you have to see if anyone ahead of you in line ordered the same sandwich as you. For my avocado milk tea the lady just set it on the counter. No one ahead of me must have ordered it, so it had to be mine.
Eventually we got our food and found a table. I looked at my sandwich. Pretty good size. A bit squatter than Lees, it also had more thickness as well. I started eating it. Wow, this is good stuff. They use some kind of garlic mayo in here that is irresistable. I did manage to pick out a piece of turkey in my vegetarian sandwich - very uncool - but otherwise this was the real deal. The bread wasn't quite as tasty as Lees, but the rest of the ingredients were completely different from any vietnamese sandwich I have had before. I have had them maybe 3 or 4 times before and have never really liked them at all to be honest. Dakao changed my mind. These things rock. I highly urge those of you who haven't experienced Dakao to try out their sandwiches.
The avocado milk tea? Wow. We're talking Hydration here - and cheaper. I am happy to report that the avocado here is awesome. Its exactly how the avocado should taste. Not overly sour, very sweet, rich, and tasty.
The only downsides I have found with Dakao are the uncoordinated pickup system they have, and the place itself not being the cleanest-run organization we have been to. I can see why a lot of people just take the food and go.
But that doesn't knock it down too far. As this place shines where it counts. Good food for not a lot of money. I only had 1 sandwich and the drink and was not hungry afterwards. So you can go in with a $5 bill, and walk out with change, a full stomach, and a great meal. Way to go Dakao. I look forward to trying out their Milpitas location, as its closer to home.
|
| |
| |
RETURN VISIT for Terry! 3/28/2006 - 9 Rating: Tonight on the way home, I stopped by Dakao II in Milpitas and I am happy to report that the food here is every bit as good. I went with the Avocado shake and the Vegetarian Combination sandwich. For $4, it was a good meal. The magic of the veggie sandwich is the mixture of the plum sauce and the garlic mayo. Pure heaven! I'm sure the other sandwiches are similar. The bread again is not the best out there (which stops me at a 9 rating) but the rest is top-notch and the price unbeatable. Avocado was just as good as the original Dakao. Overall this place blows doors on the Lees Sandwiches across the road in every way but the quality of the bread. |
| |
|
|
Reviewer: tanya
Total Reviews: 14
Reviewed: 3/31/2006
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
Yay! I'm really happy to see this place being reviewed by Jason and Terry.
With the new era of Lee Sandwiches popping up all over the place, it's sometime hard to find the Vietnamese sandwich shops with the old school French baguettes now. I personally do not like Lee sandwiches baguettes because they are first of all less bread for same price if not more, and it's also too hard. The roof of my mouth always get cut up after eating one of their sandwiches...but alas this is a review on Dakao (the one on 3rd and San Salvador).
When I discovered this sandwich shop I was really happy, after paying for and eating my sandwich I was even more happier. The bread is nice and crispy on the outside, and soft, spongey, and fluffy on the inside. Their sandwich really has the original flavors of the sandwiches I've eaten when I was once young. Their sandwich had the nice seasoned pate with the black pepper in it and the yummy creamy garlicy butter (which you can buy from them if you ask, it's probably about a dollar for a cup). Their sandwiches are economical, and satisfying. If you have a big appetite you can order two sandwiches and not break the bank.
What's also nice there is that they have the larger French bread loafs for sale there and it's nice and fresh. Sometimes I just like heating up their bread and eating it with the butter.
I would have to agree if you didn't speak Vietnamese or do not come there very often, the ordering might be a bit confusing, so I would just stand by the counter for your order. I haven't tried any of their food they have under the heat lamps yet, but they do do food catering so you can order a whole or half tin pan of the food they make for events.
The bad of this place: a bit dingy, the ordering process for non vietnamese speakers.
The funny thing about this restaurant, someone said it was the best noodle house he has eaten at and in his words, he 'KNOWS' his food, so I went to try something there other than the sandwich and found the noodles not great or good, my noodles and soup came out close to lukewarm and did not wow me at all. After that meal, I ordered a sandwich to take with me for later since I couldn't get myself to finish the noodles. I can't voucher for the other stuff on the menu, but would definately recommend the sandwiches.
|
| |
Reviewer: wchane
Total Reviews: 148
Reviewed: 11/30/2006
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery |
This is the second time I've been to Dakao 2 of abel rd in Milpitas. Hidden in a old strip mall it's not easy to find, but it's right between serra st and calaveras.
Anyways the food. Today I went for a bbq pork sandwich ($1.75) and one of those fish cakes sandwiched between two glutenous rice patties ($1.00) - The sandwich was rather filling, loaded with bbq pork, the usual fillings, and a cucumber. Bread was warm, crisp and flakey. Pork did not have the usual chemical stained red/pink color and all the ingrediants were pretty fresh. For a buck and some change it's definitely a value. The sticky rice fish cake (i never figured out what this is called) tasted like ever other sticky rice fish cake thing i've had. (i think it's fish anyways, correct me if i'm wrong).
A couple weeks ago I came in meaning to grab a sandwich, but as I walked in the menu surprised me and all of a sudden I was in the mood for grilled pork over vermicelli ($4.75 - i believe) the vermicelli portion is much larger then comparable restaurants but the grilled pork lacked. At less then a 5 spot it's still a bargain, the bowl also came with greens, sliced egg rolls and fish sauce. This does take about 10 or 12 minutes to come out though, unlike the sandwiches.
I can't wait to try the other menu items. Great deal for the buck.
|
| |
|
|
| Disclaimer |
|
|
