Audio By Carbonatix
The deal: This Vietnamese lunch counter serves spicy banh mi sandwiches and the requisite boba teas to cool your mouth off afterward.
What you get: Each of the exotic sandwiches larded with rustic
deli meats and crisp vegetables costs under $6. The smoothies and teas
made with chewy tapioca pearls (boba) cost $3.75 and come in dozens of
flavors.
We tried: A mixed pork banh mi ($4.39) came with an assortment
of fatty, home-style pork and spongy ham. Its nicely toasted French
roll was outfitted with jalapeños, cilantro, cucumber, daikon slices,
and spicy sambal. A vegetarian version ($5.69) came with faux ham made
from soy. Unfortunately, the vegetables didn’t taste as fresh as they could have. We also got a made-to-order taro smoothie that tasted rich
and creamy, but the tapioca pearls inside were a little tough and
oddly slimy.
Bonus Points: Tapioca uses a pretty complex-looking machine to
put a colorful wrapper on the lid of its boba smoothies. It’s kind of
neat to watch it work.
L.E. Tapioca & Sandwich
136 State Road 7, Hollywood 33023
954-966-0568
