Bun Mee

650 Market St./Montgomery St., Financial District, (415) 362-8663. L-D M-Sat.

Convenient to downtown and BART, this small space is super-busy at lunch and usually has a long line. But if you stop in to Bun at dinner, like I did, you can waltz right up to the counter and place your order and then have your choice of seating--an outdoor space is especially nice on the rare warm San Francisco day.

Delicious Americanized versions of traditional Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches are the specialty. They come fully loaded with fresh ingredients, some heat (when you order, you can add more in the form of fresh green chiles), and plenty of crunch (cucumbers, shredded carrots, pickled veggies, lightly toasted bun). The Sloppy Bun is made with ground beef, the Juicy Steak has lotus root relish, and the Belly Bun--my favorite--features fatty braised Kurobuta pork belly (they suggest you order it with a hard-boiled egg, but I declined). Lemongrass Pork with housemade mayo and the vegan Smokey Eggplant with cauliflower and red curry mayo are on my to-try list. Rice and noodle bowls, salads, and summer rolls round out the offerings. Portions are generous; I took home half of my sandwich for lunch the next day. The housemade strawberry-lychee drink is tasty but very sweet, so I advise sharing--pour one into two cups and then fill each with ice and water. The housemade coconut cookie sandwich is a perfect ending.