Where to Eat: DD Mau, 1239 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Hours of Operation: Daily, 10:30 am – 8 pm
What to Eat: Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi $7, Honeydew Smoothie with Almond Milk $4.50
Catering : Yes
Delivery: foodsters.ca/ddmau
I visited DD Mau one morning before my Gourmet Tour as I had bought a VanEats pass a few weeks ago which gets you two half sandwiches and a smoothie (Note: they do not usually sell their sandwiches by halves). I ordered the Roasted Pork with Crackling and Garlic Aioli Banh Mi, Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Sweet Chili Aioli Banh Mi and a Honeydew Smoothie with Almond Milk. While I was waiting for my order, I chatted with the owner, Kim, about the origin of the name DD Mau. Apparently the name is a play on words and means go go quickly. It’s used by American military returning from the Vietnam War and Vietnamese immigrants. You’ll also hear it used in the movie The Deer Hunter.
I started off with the Roasted Pork with Crackling and Garlic Aioli. It tasted good overall, and I did like the sauce. However, the crackling pork was not as fresh and crispy as I’d like it to be. I loved the pickled carrot and daikon, and think it could use a bit more to balance the meatiness of the sandwich. The baguette is a big part of a good banh mi, and it was a letdown at DD Mau. I prefer the French bread used at Au Petit Cafe 小小咖啡屋, where it’s always served warm, and is more fluffy and crusty. The bread they use here at DD Mau is dense and not very crusty.
By the time I got to the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Sweet Chili Aioli Banh Mi, the bread had become fairly soggy. I did love the strong taste of lemongrass in the chicken. I would come back just to have the lemongrass chicken again, but might go for the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl instead as I’m not a big fan of their bread. Again, loved the pickled carrots and daikon and wouldn’t mind a bit more in the sandwich. Even though both sandwiches had jalapenos in it, I didn’t feel the heat at all, and would have liked to taste the spiciness from the jalapeño.
The Honeydew Smoothie with Almond Milk was very good and refreshing. The sweetness of the honeydew really came through. Would come back for this as well.
Here are their Banh Mi Menus:
