Elmhurst, New York has been my home for the past nineteen years. I know almost every restaurant here like the back of my hand. I have eaten at every diner, restaurant and café within five blocks of where I live. When I found out there was a Bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) shop in Elmhurst that I had not tried yet, I was very surprised, and instantly knew that I had to make a visit as soon as possible. This Bánh mì, called Joju, is located at the very heart of Broadway, right between big Chinese restaurants and the famous Quickly’s Bubble Tea. I just had to try one of their sandwiches.
A good friend of mine, Alexander, first told me about the restaurant over a conversation about food. He was in shock by how something as simple as a sandwich could be so delicious and filling. Alexander said, “You can’t beat local eats like this one here. There’s no competition. The amount of work that these people put into their job is amazing.” After hearing him talk about it for days, I finally found some time to go try out these Vietnamese sandwiches with a modern twist. Alexander and I went out to eat on a Friday afternoon, after a long day of work. The shop itself is small and comfortable. There is enough seating for about ten to twelve people and the décor was simple but unique.
I had Alexander choose what to order for me because I have had my fair share of Bánh mì in Chinatown, but I could not remember what the sandwiches were specifically called. So he ordered a Beef Bulgogi for me and a Classic for himself. The Beef Bulgogi was filled with thinly sliced rib-eye beef with kimchi, while the Classic had a filling of Vietnamese ham, headcheese and pate spread. Each sandwich comes with lightly pickled julienne carrots, daikon radish, butter-mayo spread, fresh cilantro, and a slice of cucumber. We also added fried eggs to our sandwiches.
Alexander also ordered these Mango Lychee drinks, which were a type of the Jasmine Green Tea Infusion drinks, with Mango stars. Each drink actually had pieces of mango in the shape of stars. It was a very creative way to add mangoes to a drink.
The one thing that really impressed me about this Bánh mì was the price. Vietnamese food in general is known for being the food that everyone eats because it is cheap. Joju was no different. After we finished ordering, I went to pay and what made it really convenient was that there was a screen showing exactly what you ordered and the price.
The Classic sandwich and the Beef Bulgogi, priced with the addition of the fried egg, came out to be $5.50 and $6.25, respectively. Each Mango Lychee drink with Mango Stars was $2.50. Our meal came out to be a total of $18.24, including tax.
My Vietnamese sandwich and Mango Lychee drink were worth it. The beef was cooked well, and the fried egg added a distinct flavor to the sandwich. My favorite part of the sandwich was the lightly pickled julienne carrots, which is ironic because I am not a carrot person. Alexander liked his Classic sandwich but believed the previous sandwiches he had, like the Beef Bulgogi, were much better. He was not a fan of the Vietnamese ham. We both loved the Mango Lychee drink because it was unique because with each sip, you would get star-shaped pieces of mango.
The Vietnamese sandwich and drink I ordered here at Joju is definitely one of the best meals I have had this summer. If you are ever in Elmhurst, go try a cheap Bánh mi at Joju; you won’t be disappointed.
Fun Fact: The Travel Channel came and filmed Joju in mid-July after a recommendation by Joe DiStefano, a well-known food critic and blog-writer on World’s Fare and Edible Communities.
For more information:
Joju’s website: http://www.jojuny.com/
Yelp page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/joju-elmhurst
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/JoJu/167476483314812
