I would like to take a moment to laugh out loud at the $12 bánh mi sandwich on the lunch menu at Janos Wilder’s new DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. And yes, I see that one of the ingredients is roasted Chinese duckling, but have you ever seen a duckling? They are small (and cute) and their inclusion on a sandwich does not justify a $12 price tag, no matter how delicious the baby duck in question might be.

Meanwhile, at the new and unassuming I Luv Pho (2513 N. Campbell Ave.), they sell bánh mi sandwiches (minus duckling, plus tofu) for $3 each, and they are sooooo good. Crusty bread, pickled vegetables, lightly seasoned bean curd. The pho is decent — they just opened early this month and are still fine-tuning things — but that banh mi is out of sight, and priced right.

We also have it on good authority that the bánh mi sandwiches (minus duckling, plus grilled lemongrass pork) at the new 17th Street Grill are damn good and relatively cheap at $4.99 each. More here.