5 new epic sandwiches at Dallas restaurants, from Bánh mìs to brisket

Any list of the most sandwich-vibrant cities in America should include Dallas. In the past year, pandemic-born restaurants have only strengthened this reputation. A griddle-seared shrimp burger, available at the drive-through at Caribbean Shark, will drop you from the Texas sky to a sparkling beach. A Bánh mì at Ngon on Greenville has the same transporting effect, this time dropping you in front of a street cart in Hanoi. It’s as if the fight to keep going in the pandemic has made its way into the food, trials that embolden flavors from around the world. Because what else can you do when everything else is out of control.

Here are the game changer sandwiches with enormous flavors, some Dallas has rarely seen.

The El Poderoso at La Llamita Sanguchera

Holding a set of keys for a narrow space inside La Poblanita, a Mexican bakery on Spring Valley Road, Keiko Vinatea Williams and Paola Irrarazabal had an important question to answer. It was a blunt idea from the new baker landlords: Can they make rent just by selling sandwiches?

Irrarazabal and Williams have a “sure, why not” gusto that will make you root for the rookies. Just a few short months after opening their first restaurant, La Llamita Sanguchera, their first venture as a family, the Peruvian-born cousins are remarkably calm. This little sandwich joint inside a bakery, they both agree, is an adventure.

“It just happened. We’ve never had a restaurant. We had to do many things that we didn’t know how to do,” Williams says. “I do know that our flavors are really good.”

They’re right. The El Poderoso, the debut sandwich in their tiny corner of the bakery, is a Dr. Strange portal that will take you to the sangucherías in Lima. It’s an ambassador to Peruvian street food, which is exactly what Irrarazabal and Williams want: a truly Dallas-born version of the Peruvian classic pan con chicharron. It’s loaded with bolts of pork capped with fatty, fried edges. Crunchy corners lock in the charred juices.

With the Poderoso sandwich, you get all of this: Sour and sweet from the lime and lots of thin, peppery red onions, and then the earthy sugar from thin blades of sweet potatoes. Smash the sandwich down with your hand, and seared fatty bits find the salsa, the Criolla-born mixture of onions zapped with lime, salt and pepper. You’ll definitely want truckloads of the spicy sauce that comes with the sandwiches — a leaf-green sauce struck with the awesome power of garlic.

Owners Williams and Irrarazabal started their sandwich operation from home. They mixed the family recipes they grew up with with some flavors they’ve learned along their way.

“I love to cook,” Williams says. “I trust that Peruvian food is welcome everywhere.”

La Llamita Sanguchera is located at 7800 Spring Valley Road, Dallas. lallamitasanguchera.com.

The Fried Swai Bánh Mì at Cris and John

John and Cristina Pham had never tasted the authentic flavors of each other’s family cuisine before they were married. They met in college in King, Texas: John from Vietnam and Cristina from a first-generation Mexican family.

“I had a spring roll maybe once or twice in my life,” Cristina says, remembering life before John. Conversely, John’s first experience with the bright spices and heat from real-deal Mexican food happened during dinner with Cristina’s family. Their dream restaurant, Cris and John, smashed both flavors together, creating dishes such as the popular ramenritto and phodilla.

Now it’s all hands on deck for both families. John’s sister helps on weekends, and Christina’s dad will man the grill.

One of Christina’s favorites is her husband’s fried swai sandwich, a Bánh mì that skips around the globe. Searing Cajun spices sparkle on the deeply crispy, flaky swai, cayenne pepper cooled by their sunny, in-house mayo. John saves the fish prep for himself — he fries the swai daily.

Cris and John is located at 5555 Preston Oaks Road, Unit 5, Dallas. crisandjohn.com.

Chicken Parmesan at La Casita Bakeshop

Maricsa Trejo has plenty to do. On a recent visit, she was walking the line out the front door of her bakeshop with a pan of fresh brownies, cut into portable cubes for the folks who’ve waited minutes upon minutes at the opening bell. Their sweets, cruffins, croissants and chocolate wonderland-things are spectacular. Their sandwiches just run up the score.

The menu changes week to week depending on moods and season, but keep a close eye on the chicken parm sandwich. Weaker versions have lifeless chicken embedded in a dry husk. La Casita is pickle-brining their bird, craggy-crunchy armor from Panko spiked with plenty of dry herbs. There’s a winter tang in the tomato sauce, all fennel and garlicky. A slice of genoa salami is like vacation bacon. All of that richness stopped in its tracks by smooth cheese and basil leaves as big and fresh as the pages of a just-printed book.

La Casita Bakeshop is located at 580 W. Arapaho Road, Suite 230, Richardson. lacasitabakeshop.com.

The Beef Brisket at Loro Dallas

Food is forever romantic to Loro chef de cuisine Mike Perez. He started cooking in high school, quickly falling in love with the idea of travel and eating everything from everywhere. An early memory he goes back to is his mom’s baby back ribs, which she grilled on weekends.

Perez has moved around the states. He’s from Portland and has spent time in Alaska, Charleston and Atlanta. Now he’s at Loro, which recently opened in Dallas from founders Aaron Franklin and chef Tyson Cole. Perez tops Loro’s version of a Texas brisket sandwich with a travel-inspired green papaya salad that’s electrified with nam jim jaew, Thai chilies, garlic, lime juice and chopped shallots. You’ll find Thai basil, mint, cilantro, and some pulverized peanuts for crunch in there, too. We’re not in Franklin’s anymore.

Loro is located at 1812 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas. loroeats.com.

Tuesday Tortas at Las Almas Rotas

It’s a good idea to keep one eye on Instagram on Torta Tuesdays. If Las Almas Rotas chef Armando Aguilar is sending chicken Milanesa sandwiches out of the kitchen, race down to Expo Park: This torta has special powers.

Chicken breast that’s pounded flat into submission, tenderizing every square inch, gets Panko breaded, then it’s hit with oregano and chili powder. Fried until it crackles, the chicken’s draped over thick cuts of avocado, cabbage, smoky chipotle sauce, tomato and onions. Then, it’s griddled with butter. The only downside of ordering this torta in the drive-through is enduring the wait while it drives home with you.

Las Almas Rotas is located at 3615 Parry Ave., Dallas. lasalmasrotas.com.