Yeah. That stuff is potent as heck. After I took some out it was fine but there was so much it overpowered the cemita.
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Itās so true that papalo is an acquired taste due to its pungency, @LAgirl and @A5KOBE. I usually go to Cemitas Poblanas Don Adrian with my in-laws and husband, and my MIL and I always order cemitas with papalo, but my FIL and husband steer clear of the stuff.
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Was playing Uber-dad and ended up in Santa Monica around noon which meant changing hats to ChowNow-dad and grab lunch. Ended up at Viet Noodle Bar on Pico (former LA Bites location) and picked up three of their sandwiches.
Spicy sardine, chicken and turmeric fish sandwiches. Pretty much Banh Mii in spirit. Bread was fine but not crispy like Vietnamese baguettes. The carrot/daikon could use more pickling for my tastes. The chicken was eh. The spicy sardine and turmeric fish were quite good. I actually wouldnāt mind if the sardines were more sardine-y. They are minced along with some sort of chile/condiment, making the sardine less pronounced. Thanks @CiaoBob for mentioning this place.
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They have a sign up that says itās seasonal and only then will they have it. Iām sure you can ask them to leave it off.
It is very similar to cilantro. Itās funny because cilantro is the one food item I cannot abide by, anything else I can eat or tolerate or work around. Cilantro not so much.
However the first time I ever encountered Papalo was at Bricia Lopezās (of the Guelgetza restaurants) original cemitas sandwich in Huntington Parkā¦ I was instantly enamored at how the herb brought another dimension to the sandwich. But I do vaguely recall that it was only a small amount and it complimented rather than overwhelming the sandwich.
But the quality of those cemitas was fantastic and Iām sure the herb was very fresh which would make a big difference.
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me tooābut at her cemitas shop in Ktown (which unfortunately no longer exists). When I bit into my cemita and tasted the papalo for the first time I wasnāt sure what I was eatingājust that it was a weird flavor getting in the way of my enjoyment of the roasted pork. Luckily I was w/ a friend of mine who is originally from Mexico City and she explained that papalo is the typical herb that goes on cemitas. After she identified the papalo, Iāve made it a point to make sure itās no longer on my cemitas.
yes, they were great cemitas and I wish the shop was still open. They made really good tacos arabes as well.
Glad you enjoyed it Bvn.
I like it but agree the sardine itself is kind of muted. I just cleaned 3 lbs of fresh sardines from Santa Monica seafood last week for a bucatini con Sarde - so I am extremely hip to the flavor when it comes out right.
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Nice. Any pictures? If so, post on āNobody Cooks in L.A.ā
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Is that dill as the garnish? Looks quite tasty. 
fennel fronds - classic in the prep in pasta con la sarde
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Correct - fennel top garnish
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Birdieās
A good chicken sando involving large moist white breasts, though the bun does come apart easily. The spicy version packed no heat, so save a $1 and go for the original.
Unfair to compare to Howlin Rays, ATM, IMHO, since thereās hardly a wait. But surely someone can do a comparo ASAP.
these sandwiches, compared to the similarly priced sandwich at M-CON, once again show how the āTaiwaneseā place has no clue wtf theyāre doing.
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Pork belly banh mi from Mendocino Farms in Brea. Not really an banh mi, but a tasty lunch regardless.
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very tasty. probably my favorite Mendo Farm sandwich.
It was my first time in. It wonāt be my last. What else do you like there?
The Steak BLT is great!
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+1
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I also like the peruvian steak sandwich and the dosa. Donāt forget about free fizzy water at the soda fountain station.
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Iām a fan of their buffalo chicken sandwich. (Canāt remember the cutesy name they give it.)
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Mendocino has dosas? did I miss this the whole time?