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[rating:5]

Au Petit Cafe on Main Street is well known for their Vietnamese sandwiches. Their popularity means they often run out of sandwiches by 11am. But, it is definitely worth waking up early for.

Tre and I arrived early enough to be seated before people started rolling in. The cafe is small and cramped, but that doesn’t stop people from lining up. The steady stream of orders keep the owner busy. You can’t miss him, he walks around with a bluetooth headset taking orders in his distinct nasally-pitched voice while managing the cash till.

I order the meatball sandwich with hot peppers and Vietnamese iced coffee. Tre orders the curry chicken with French baguette. The baskets of sandwiches arrive shortly after our order was taken. The meatball sandwich was fantastic as always: ground, seasoned pork with slivers of carrots and turnips and dressing served in a warm, freshly baked French baguette. The iced coffee is delicious. Strong. But delicious.

Tre’s curry chicken was good, although the portions were a bit stingy. Small pieces of tender, still on the bone chicken soaked in curry broth. Vietnamese curry is more sweet than savory and doesn’t usually have a whole lot of bite. Soaking up all that curry with the warm, crispy French baguette took the dish to another level.

The sandwiches (baguettes) and iced coffee are the real standouts at Au Petit Cafe. Sure, they serve Pho like most other Vietnamese restaurants, but it’s nothing special. There are plenty of other places that you can get good Pho. For Au Petit, we’ll stick with the sandwiches.

Our bill including taxes and tips came to just under $20. Arrive early, or be disappointed.

Perfect for: one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches in town, and probably the best French baguettes not made by a Frenchman.

The Details

4851 Main Street, Vancouver
604.873.3328
aupetitcafe.com

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