Vegan Banh Mi from "Oh Mai" in South Jordan, Utah

After living in Vegas for 10 years, I was definitely ready for a change. Mike moved me to Utah back in February of this year. I was initially blown away by Utah's beautiful scenery and friendly people. The bar scene is definitely not in the forefront here, which is a welcomed change. I loved nearly everything about Utah. One thing I do miss about Vegas that Utah does not have, is Chinatown. 

Don't get me wrong, Utah does have Asian food, some very good Asian food at that! But, it's missing Vegas' strip mall of Asian groceries, restaurants, karaoke bars, boba tea shops, foot massage parlors and cheesy trinket shops that any good Chinatown has. One thing Utah does have, is Oh Mai. Oh Mai, an amazing family owned small chain of Vietnamese banh mi restaurants, makes me miss Vegas' Chinatown a little bit less.

For those of you who don't know, a banh mi is a classic Vietnamese sandwich served on a hollowed out french baguette. It almost always has pickled vegetables, such as diakon and carrots, cilantro and mayo. It can be filled with a variety of meat and vegetables. It is one of the amazing dishes that resulted from the French colonization of Vietnam. I discovered banh mi a couple of years ago and I fell in love with it's simplicity and flavors.

Oh Mai boasts 4 locations scattered throughout Salt Lake County. It's a casual self-serve eatery. Mike and I have been to two locations: the South Jordan and Holladay locations. Both locations are very different.  The South Jordan location is located on Town Center Drive. It's bright and trendy with little Asian snacks displayed on the front counter. There are also a couple of tables outside for a casual al fresco dining experience.

The Holladay location is quite different. The parking lot is tiny with maybe only enough spaces for 5 cars in the front of the restaurant. We have had to park in the back several times. The restaurant itself is tiny too. The tiny tables are wobbly and cramped close together. With all of that said, we do not go to either location for the decor or the ambiance. We go for the food.

We only ate at Oh Mai once before turning vegan. Since becoming vegan, we have found several completely vegan items on the menu. The S.4 Vegan Bi Cha and S.5 Lemongrass Bean Curd Dau Hu Xao Xa are both completely vegan. We inquired about the sauce that the S.5 is made from and the woman we spoke to confirmed that the sauce is completely vegan. 

The S.4 is a little lighter but does come with jalapenos so omit if you're not into spice. The S.5 is made with lemongrass bean curd with an oil base marinade, so avoid if you're oil free. Both sandwiches are incredibly filling the bread has an incredibly dense chew. Avoid going at the end of the day, as the bread may be not as fresh as when ordered earlier in the day. 

In addition to it's amazing menu is the price. For the price of a Subway six inch, you can have a HUGE fresh made gourmet banh mi sandwich served in an incredible baguette. The S.5 will set you back less than $6 including tax.

Not in the mood for banh mi? Oh Mai has a vegan option for Bun Vermicelli Noodles and Com Dia Rice Dishes (both made with lemon grass bean curd), a vegan Pho Noodle Soup, a vegan Rainbow Goi Salad and a vegan summer roll. 

I'm very happy with my new life here in Utah. But, whenever I find myself missing the comforts of a good meal from Chinatown, Mike and I haul our booties to the closest Oh Mai and we split our two favorite vegan banh mi sandwiches. Thank you Oh Mai for bringing home a little bit closer.

Where is your favorite banh mi or Asian restaurant in SLC?

Peace, love and abundance.