Dining With Plastic Forks

Kale G: For this week’s installment of Dining With Plastic Forks, we decided it was time to try Lu’s. What’s Lu’s? Well, this is…

Lu’s is a little Vietnamese deli with killer sandwiches over on Eat Street. In addition to the sandwiches being fantastic, they’re also cheap… really cheap! Two of these little beauties and a pair of cokes only cost Phil $7.50… obviously, I’m slipping here.

Phil B: Yep, I’m planning to recoup all the extra dough I spent last winter on the appetizers and/or dessert that Kale ordered every time it was my turn to pay. Lemme see here, I figure about $10 X number of lunches, multipy by the DWPF Constant, compound the interest …. mm-hm, got it. Kale owes me exactly: One… million… dollars! Bwuhahahahahahahah!! (sorry, Dr. Evil)

KG: Oddly enough, we seem to be collecting deities. We’d been almost through our sandwiches before I noticed we were being blessed by a Buddha. I don’t know what’s more odd – that we had a really big Buddha that neither Phil nor I even noticed, or that we’ve gotten so blasé about these things that we weren’t surprised by it when we did notice.

PB: We probably would have found one in every place we’ve visited so far, if we had remembered to look. Note to self: Check for religious icons.

KG: Either way, it’s all about the food here. Vietnamese sandwiches (bánh mì) are a little like the tortas back at Manny’s. They all have a basic floor plan –a little pate, cilantro, jalepeno, and some pickled daikon and carrots, all on a toasty bun – but the meat selection changes the game considerably. It’s amazing how much the flavor of the meat reflects on the flavor of the sandwich as a whole, and the pair we got amply demonstrated the phenomena.

PB: Apparently bánh mì date back to the days when Vietnam was part of French Indochina (1885-1954). The most obvious French influence shows in the bread, which is a light airy baguette with a golden-brown, slightly crackly crust. Let me tell you, this bread sets the ‘Saigon Sub’ apart from any other kind you will ever try. Another French legacy is the addition of mayonnaise and liver pate as ingredients in these sandwiches. The Asian contribution: everything else with a few slices of fresh cucumber & jalapeno, and a little splash of fish sauce.

Even though I am not exactly a fan of colonial imperialism, I am glad that the people of this region adopted the culinary portion of this history. In other words, if you haven’t yet experienced French-Asian fusion cuisine, you should. It is Vietnam’s gift to the world.

KG: Phil got the Sour Sausage, whereas I availed myself of the BBQ Beef. We trickled on a little Sriracha to give ‘em a bit of kick, and dug in. Once again, the sandwiches had been nicely cut in half, allowing Phil and myself to split our subs and each give the other’s a try.

Guess what? It’s vocabulary time! We’ve got a new term for you here at DWPF – ‘Amnesia Food’. Amnesia Food is food that is so good you can’t possibly imagine anything better when you’re eating it – even if you felt the same way about the thing you were eating seconds before it! We’ve seen it happen before – but now it needed a name!

PB: Maybe the Buddha wasn’t there by accident: One of the primary teachings of the Buddhist faith is that true happiness can only be achieved by living absolutely in the moment – the ever present Now. As I was eating these sandwiches, I didn’t think about anything else except the taste, smell, and texture of the food. Good stuff.

KG: The BBQ Beef was salty, sweet and savory, and it really brought out the sugar in the pickled daikon. It’s a wonderful combination that had me wishing I hadn’t given up the other half of my sandwich to Phil! I worked my way halfway through the half I had, then switched to the Sour Sausage.

Oh, why hadn’t I ordered this instead, I immediately lamented. The Sausage brings out the vinegary daikon so well, it’s simply delightful!

That’s right – same floor plan, different tastes. Both wonderful, filling my consciousness (and my palate) with their obvious strengths to the point where I was convinced that the sandwich I was currently eating was the better. The sensation followed me back and forth as I went from one sandwich to the other. Perfect Amnesia Food.

PB. Exactly. Over by the cash register it looked like they had some baguettes, pate, and rolls of the sour sausage for sale. Next time I may have to buy some sandwich fixin’s & take them home, so I can enjoy a lost weekend. I eat to forget, you know.

I give Lou’s a full plastic fork, without reservation. Lunch at Lou’s is one the best values we have seen in the Twin Cities, period. Not to mention that his bánh mì would still be a damn fine sandwich at twice the price.

KG: Lu’s is a triple threat – cheap, delicious and quick. We have a warm spot in our hearts for anybody that can hit that triptych, and Lu’s nails it. Four tines, and pass the Sriracha.

Lu's Sandwiches Deli and Cafe
2718 S Nicollet Ave #101-B
Minneapolis, MN 55408