Sumiko

My new go-​to for banh mis in the East Bay! This is a simple, quaint little shop with barely enough room for 2 – 3 tables. It reminds me of an equally adorable little shop in Silverlake called O Banh Mi. I’m vegetarian, so it really only takes 1 good sandwich for me to become hooked to a place. This place has a tofu sandwich and a vegetarian sandwich. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I got the tofu one and it was delicious. Everything from the bread to the veggies to the flavorful tofu was perfect. Seriously, I don’t know what she marinated the tofu in but it is SO good. I can tell I’ll be a regular here, and the convenient location in Alameda with plenty of street parking just makes it that much more enticing.
P. S. It is CASH ONLY and it looks like she raised to prices to $ 4.95/ sandwich, which is still a total steal!

I go to Sumiko at least a couple times a month. The BBQ pork sandwich is delicious, savory and the roll is just crusty enough without cutting the roof of your mouth! The wonton soup is good too. Owner Kim is super friendly and accomodating. A great neighborhood café.

This is my go to place when I’m craving something quick. The bbq pork sandwich is delicious and I absolutely love the coconut pandan waffle!

Tiny place on a quiet stretch of Lincoln in Alameda. Super nice people. The Vietnamese coffee was excellent! We had a sardine sandwich and a barbequed pork. The sardine was just okay, but the pork was awesome. I will go back next time I’m in that neighborhood.

small hometown place that probably seats no more than 10 people. i haven’t had anything that didn’t taste good. service is great too. i love coming here.

OK – finally an EXCELLENT bahn mi in Alameda! Simple, fresh, got all the right ingredients: meats, pâté, fresh pickled diakon and carrot, cilantro, etc. And the bread is fresh. Tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall just down the street from the old Pagano’s. Next to a seedy grocery store.
Prediction: Sumiko marks the beginning of new life on this Lincoln Ave. block. The décor is not great, but these people are trying their best as a start-​up. You can sit outside.

I really wanted to like Sumiko, I really, really did since they’re a lot cheaper and closer to me, but alas, I just couldn’t. Although, full disclaimer, this review is only based on their tofu banh mi — I haven’t had the meat ones. Anyway, the tofu banh mi was meh. There was little flavor in the tofu, and the flavor really was based on the mayo (which I don’t like) and soy sauce. The bread was decent, but soggy on the inside from the mayo and soy sauce. So unfortunate really, as it would have been a great place a lot closer by to me than my favorite go-​to in Albany.
I hope their meat banh mi’s are better!

Sumiko has three tables, it is small. They have a wide variety of fruit drinks and they have sandwiches. I had a waffle thing that was tasty and worth eating again.

Oh, I’m so bummed! I really count on Unilocal to help me sort what’s what. Now, I’m stumped by all these 5 star reviews. I’ve been here, worst bahn mi I’ve ever had. Maybe the reviewers haven’t had good bahn mi? I had this happen once before with dim sum, high Unilocal marks, lousy product.
Other opinions of Sumiko: not the cleanest! could use some bleach and elbow grease. Customer service is gentle and kind.
I’m going to try the Oakland shops. Wish me luck!

Still love it! Combination sandwich is my to go meal:-)

Great eats! I love the Bahn Mi sandwiches and the wonton soup. Also love the fresh rolls. Nice folks, great service.

I really enjoyed my bah mi sandwich. Extremely limited seating with 3 tables holding 2 people seating and 1 table holding 3 people seating.

I started working in Alameda recently, and have been on a daily search for tasty, inexpensive lunch cuisine. This place fits the bill. It’s a tiny, family owned joint with just a few seats, but the owners are amazingly friendly and coming from the city, Im not accustomed to paying so little for so much. I’ve had the #2 pork as well as the tofu banh mi sandwiches and the bread is amazingly fresh and crunchy, the pork and tofu, delicious, and the condiments are fresh. I highly recommend it, and will be a regular.

I wasn’t impressed with the bbq pork sandwich but it wasn’t bad either. The sauce wasn’t what I was expecting either. It looked really dark and black. The flavor of the meat was a bit different and threw me off. Does anyone else know what I’m talking about? It’s been a couple weeks so I can’t remember all the small details.
The bread and veggies inside were good though. Bread was soft and crispy without cutting the roof of my mouth. The Thai iced tea made the meal complete.
The facility is super duper small. I think there’s only three tables inside which are all two-​seaters. There’s a couple outdoor tables too. Service was really friendly and pleasant.
I def want come back to try the waffles that everyone talks about bc it looks soo good.
If I were really craving banh mi I wouldn’t really come here to satisfy that craving again, at least for the bbq pork. But if I just need a quick bite and I’m close by I would come. Maybe I’ll try the bbq chicken next time because none of the other sandwiches really appealed to me.

Ridiculously good banh mi and shakes, much higher quality than what you will find in China Town. The Chinese meatball banh mi is so good. The shakes are creamy not icy and full of fruit flavor. They even have more rare fruits like durian and Jack fruit! The owner is supper friendly too. You will not get a better lunch for the price.

Another Alameda gem. I went here the other day with my roommate for lunch and got the pork banh mi (under $ 4) and a pandan waffle. Both we’re delicious! The Banh mi is definitely better than the ones they have in Oakland Chinatown. Usually it’s hit or miss with the bread, but this place has good bread. The meat in Chinatown banh mi can also be ambiguous but this place has fresh goods. The pandan waffle was also really tasty (not the best I’ve ever had but still good).
Highly recommend this place for the sandwiches.

Sumiko is a tiny Vietnamese sandwich shop in Alameda. Their sandwiches are a little on expensive side for what it is, $ 4.50 each ($ 4.90 with tax). The food is good, and service can be a bit on a slow side. I guess the price is what we pay for business being in Alameda, as just 10 min in Oakland are some of the best Vietnamese sandwiches you can find in east bay for much less.

Love this place! Sandwiches and rolls are all made fresh after you place your order.
Owners are such sweet people.
I crave their Sui Mai sandwich at least once a month.
Such a healthy tasty lunch!
Again I’m so lucky they are in Alameda.

YUMMY YUMMY for my tummy!
Best sandwiches ever and the spring rolls are amazing!
The thai ice tea is great as well and I get that when I’m not hungry!!!
Sumiko keep up the great work!
Kim who owns the place is the nicest ever, I’m a fan for life!

I don’t always order sandwiches, but I had craving for Sumiko’s banh mi… and when I start, I can’t stop until I eat the whole thing. I don’t know what makes it so good. Could it be that everything is fresh? Home made?
All I know is that everything is tasty. The bread is exceptionally good — extra crusty on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside.
iI also ordered the wonton soup with baby bok choy, without the noodles… really tasty and a special treat during chilly weather.
Haven’t tried their pandan waffles yet, but that’s on my next trip. That may be tomorrow.
Love this place. Great flavor. Great prices. A real neighborhood gem.