Jasmine Deli

If you’ve never had bahn mi, this is the place to get acquainted with (or addicted to) the seductive, sweet-hot flavor combination of this classic Asian sandwich. This Eat Street deli drapes a juicy heap of peppery pork with onions on top of crispy carrots, cool cilantro, and kick-in-the-pants jalapenos, cut into long strips and lurking between the hot halves of a crusty French roll. That pepper will bring tears to your eyes, and yet your brain will command you to keep biting into your bahn mi, because this collision of flavors is so mesmerizingly good. (And vegetarians: They make a killer mock duck version, with marinated faux meat, that carnivores actually line up for.) Jasmine Deli also serves outstanding noodle soups and rice bowls, but the bahn mi-to-go is the beacon that draws us. It’s a near-religious conversion, and it’s under three dollars. 2532 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-870-4700