Sweet and savory, spicy and fresh, crisp and utterly delicious are the words that come to mind when asked to describe the cuisine at Oh Mai. The journey of flavors on which this French-Vietnamese food takes you must be experienced to fully understand it.
Best known for the brisket banh mi sandwich, Oh Mai is the stuff cravings are made of. The sweetness of the brisket, coupled with pickled carrots, cucumber, daikon and cilantro, surrounded by a warm, hollowed-out baguette creates a party for your taste buds.
But Oh Mai is more than just a great sandwich. The pho noodle soup—made with rich beef broth, rice noodles and your choice of either brisket, rib-eye or meatballs, or a combination of all of the above—just feels good going down. The taste of anise, cinnamon and ginger is present in each bite. You actually feel better when sipping this soup.
The unique lotus-stem salad does not contain lettuce, but instead a mix of shrimp, pork, crushed roasted peanuts, mint, shallots, pickled carrots, daikon, red onion and chili-lime fish vinaigrette. I was skeptical at first, but after one bite, I was hooked.
Oh Mai was named after co-owner Ann Tran’s mother and mother-in-law; both have the last name Mai, and the phrase rolls so easily off the tongue when you taste the food that it couldn’t be more perfect. All the food at Oh Mai is made fresh to order, and nothing is ever fried, as part of a commitment to make healthy eating an option for their customers. There are also several gluten-free options on the menu and no MSG, which Tran says makes their pho not as sweet as others. The family recipes served up at Oh Mai are just plain good—no MSG needed.
OH MAI VIETNAMESE SANDWICH KITCHEN
3425 S. State, Salt Lake City
801-467-6882
6093 S. Highland Drive, Holladay
801-277-9888
OhMaiSandwich.com
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