Dong Tien Bakery

This review for the #1 banh mi with the pink combination meat and pork roll for $ 3.
I really enjoyed the bread that came with the sandwich. it was soft and easy to eat. At other banh mi places, I have experienced that the bread was too large, and crunchy/​crispy resulting in taking huge bites and resulting in tons of crumbs. But the bread here, is a reasonable size, and a pretty long sandwich. I would like that they have added more meat into the sandwich, but the combination of the meat, with the veggies, and the pâté, and bread, was still really good. I like how they included cucumbers which made it a little sweet and they put enough pâté that the bread was tasty, but not filled with fatness. I would recommend people to try the #1 banh mi, as the other flavors did not look very promising. They didn’t even have a grilled pork banh mi.
As for the bakery aspect, upon glancing at the pastries, they did not look very appetizing. I would only come here if I was craving the #1 banh mi and that’s pretty much it!

This place is getting better by the day. They have more variety of bakery goods than before. I love there sponge cakes, bread, buns, ect. Of course, there are others not so great. But try there fluffy baguette bread, the loaves have a lofty crumb with a thin, crisp, crust.
They have cheese cakes selection too but in general cheese cakes are just too rich and fatty for my taste. There Banh Mi Thit is fair, it’s not the bread that is bad but the unbalanced meat plus veggies know.
Common reviewers, this place is a bakery shop, I wouldn’t expect there Banh Mi Thit and Coffee to be great, right?.
Be fair and understanding, giving a 1 or 2 stars just because those are not their specialty are just unfair.

Tried the banh mi here and I was surprised at how big the sandwich was compared to other places. Think of the sandwiches like Lee’s Sandwich ones with the thin baguette, but taster and more authentic. I liked how soft and thin the bread was. Made it a lot easier to eat. The meat though was not very much. They said grilled pork, but it looked like slices of ham instead. The price was pretty reasonable. Three dollars for a sandwich longer than a foot. You have to eat the sandwich asap because the bread gets soggy fast because the bread is thin.
The service is kind of slow because the ladies talk a little too much. I didn’t see very much business there at the time and the cakes have to be pre-​ordered if you want one.

As I was driving into this shopping center, I saw the Dong Tien sign and the words «banh mi» triggered a familiar craving. Dong Tien bakes their own baguettes (good sign) and they have cases filled with baked buns, croissants, cakes (even durian cake), cupcakes, pâté chaud, cookies, and roll cakes. The buns and pâté chaud are buy 5, get 1 free. The refrigerated section had Vietnamese yogurt (da lu) and some other colorful Vietnamese desserts.
The staff is super helpful. One of them even held the door of the display case open for me as I picked out buns and put them on my tray with tongs.
* Grilled chicken banh mi ($ 3): The baguette is narrow and extra long, like Lee’s, but Dong Tien has better bread and better fillings too. The freshly baked bread was nice and chewy, crumbs did not fall off, and it had a good texture — not too airy, not too dense. I enjoyed the smear of pâté, the crunchy cucumber, and all the flavors (carrots, cilantro, jalapeño, chicken). The chicken pieces were lightly seasoned. The sandwich tasted fresh and light. I wish they would add more carrots, jalapenos and cilantro. 4 stars.
* Hot dog bun ($ 1.25): the hot dog tasted cheap and extra salty but the hot dogs used in this type of bun usually taste that way, the sesame seed topped dough was slightly sweet, rather bland, maybe some cheese would help. I recommend heating it.
* Croissant ($ 1.25): big, soft, buttery, a French person would be horrified but the flavor isn’t bad and it’s ridiculously cheap
* Baked chicken bun ($ 1.50): not a fan of the goopy, too salty sauce though I liked the black pepper they added. I suggest reheating it.
* Da lu (yogurt with condensed milk): very flavorful, tangy, also very sweet, sweeter and softer than Lee’s. I prefer Lee’s version.

I don’t know what all the fuss is about with the croissant. It isn’t good. You might as well drive to PW or Panera down the street for a better one. It was chewy and not crispy.
I also ordered an iced Vietnamese coffee. Two problems: (1) It took the guy 5 minutes to make it. (2) The coffee looked like milk, WAY TOO MUCH condensed milk.

I was in the neighborhood and remembering Greg P’s review I decided to drop in for a snack. I picked up 1 croissant, 2 BBQ pork buns and a taro pastry thing, can’t remember what it was exactly. Total was ~$ 5, not bad.
One of the BBQ pork buns was the first victim to my snack attack. They are large and do have a good amount of filling inside. The filling though was very sweet and had a flavor that I still can’t place. There was a decent amount of cubed pork but it was pretty chewy and didn’t have much flavor aside from the sauce it was drenched in. The first one I ate cold, the 2^nd one I heated in the microwave. No real difference one way or another so I give it a ³⁄₅ stars.
The croissant was next. The croissant was buttery and flakey but had good volume to it. For the price it was excellent, ⁴⁄₅ stars.
I didn’t try the taro pastry, my wife ate it. According to her it was «ok» but no additional details.
I’ll come back for the croissants and maybe try a sandwich. I’ll take a cue from Lena D. though and order without mayo.

since the boys in the fam have discovered COD nazi zombies. i’ve had alot of free time to myself lol. so i decided to look up this bakery that a friend told me just opened.
came here today around 2 and there was a family inside with their kids picking out the different sweets they have at the counter. there is a case with the croissants and other buns you can grab yourself. at the counter are the cakes and sweets that you have to ask assistance for.
i picked up a croissant and a bbq pork sandwich cuz the first review just made it sound so darn tasty! as i waited for my sandwich i browsed the bakery and saw that they make birthday cakes. the cakes in the case are simple but not easy on the eyes. the designs on the cakes seem to have been done with someone without a steady hand. definitely something to work on.
the croissant was indeed more buttery than most croissants i’ve had. they were actually bigger than i thought they would be so that was a bonus. it wasnt too flaky which is actually just the way i like it. no need to warm up this baby cuz its so soft and kinda fluffy! at $ 1.25 i thought this was a good deal.
now here comes the bad news. the sandwich. was just okay. the bbq pork itself was very juicy and tender (but sliced just a tad too thin) and the bread was actually very good. it was soft and fresh. but. for $ 3 i was definitely disappointed with the amount of meat and veggies that came with it. the sandwich is as long as lee’s baguette’s but the bread is as soft as huong lan. this part i was very happy with. but there just wasnt enough filling for me. i wouldnt ask them to double what they put but when i take a pic of my sandwich i wanna be able to see something besides green inside.
another thing that bothered me was the amount of mayo they put in the sandwich. i cut my sandwich in half and by the time i got through half of my half. the mayo was dripping off the other end. sooooo not appetizing. needless to say. the other half is waiting for the pook downstairs. he’s my garbage disposal.
i would come back if i ever have a cravings for buttery croissants but i will not be ordering another sandwich.

Attention on deck, faithful Pie Holers!
Your Commanding Officer of the USS Pie Hole, has just been privileged to re-​review a joint which has changed ownership!
Formerly In-​Joy Bakery, Now Dong Tien Bakery! And as far as The Captain is concerned, it is a change for the better, and I am not pumping bilge water here!
I ordered one of their Vietnamese sandwiches, and because I knew, from other reviews, the filling (Bbq pork, with the usual accouterments) would probably be fine, (It was) I concentrated on the bread, which I had pretty well trashed in a review I posted, last July! Mmm! Crispy, delicate crust, tender yet substantial internally.
As I wandered about the place, what I saw missing intrigued me as much as what was present as far as merchandise goes. I saw not one croissant or any of the usual derivatives present despite it being a weekday noon! Intrigued, I filed this tidbit away.
Because of the bright flavors in the sandwich filling, I was unable to discern the nuances, which are as important to fine breads as the main points. So just to be sure, I also purchased a baguette, and sampled it at home, with a bit of butter.
Hmm. Let’s see… Light, delicately crispy crust, just slightly chewy, (an impeccable example of the French style) and possessing that hint of sweetness, with just a trace of yeastiness, all which perfectly define the finest Parisian breads.
The Captain could inhale the whole loaf, even without butter… IT RIVALS THE BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED!
Before I could set this down, I needed a few questions answered. I phoned the joint and spoke to Thanh Tran, the new owner. I asked about the baguettes, and he confirmed they had transformed them. He also confirmed my suspicion that the croissants had been withdrawn due to poor quality, and the new ones will soon be ready for prime time.
He also confirmed that the lovely and charming lady who had worked for the previous owners was his spouse, and he told me she had been there for several years.
He also heard about
from Your Captain for the first time, and wrote down the URL carefully. I sure hope he is pleased with this.
To close, I must explain giving four, not five stars for this review. They’re almost there! I merely need to sample the new croissants once they have been offered. If any Unilocalers happen to wander in and notice them before I do, give me a holler for heavens sake! I can’t wait to try them and bestow that last star!
Cheers! Captain Pie Hole.
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