Ca Com

Ca Com is a banh mi shop by Thi Le and Jia-Yen Lee, the team behind modern Laotian restaurant Jeow, which is right next door.

Unlike most banh mi shops, Ca Com uses a woodfire hearth to roast fillings and char baguettes. Popular menu items include the turmeric chicken, the jungle pork sausage and the Manchurian pumpkin, which is coated in a blend of Chinese and Indian spices. You can expect pork, too – the team gets whole pigs in, so expect cuts such as belly and neck; secondary cuts and the skin go into sausages.

There are also rotating specials. In the past there’s been a “banh stra-mi” with Warialda Beef pastrami, and fillings such as bacon and egg, mortadella from LP’s Quality Meats, pig’s head terrine, and crumbed garfish stuffed with chao tom (prawn mousse).

Take your banh mi home, or walk through to the pleasant back courtyard, where umbrellas shade diners and potted chilli plants dotted with fiery little bullets.