Fu Wah Market: You, Me and Bánh mì

Fu Wah Market is a lesson in the good business practice of listening to your customers. The ostensible convenience store shares a block with a traditional convenience store chock full of chips and soda, which suggests that the former offers something different—and, indeed, it does. Pints of Ben and Jerry’s sit side-by-side with Soy Delicious, a vegan alternative, instant quasi-Asian flavored noodles share a shelf with Goya brand canned black beans, and the mini produce aisle includes bean sprouts and bags of fresh herbs. In fact, of my now many trips to Fu Wah, it’s been a rare occasion when this market didn’t have whatever ingredient I needed at the last minute. No, they’re not psychic, they just listen to their customers—and I’m apparently a rather predictable West Philly resident, culinarily speaking.

Foremost, in addition to the usual suspects on the hoagie menu, Fu Wah sells the so-called “Tofu Hoagie” ($3.75). Known elsewhere as Bánh mì, Vietnamese hoagies are typically filled with roast pork or chicken and dressed with a mayonnaise-like spread. Knowing well their clientele, Fu Wah offers this West Philly version that, being meat, egg and dairy-free, is not only vegetarian but vegan and deserves the accolade it invariably gets from neighborhood devotees. Haven’t heard of the Tofu Hoagie? You know we elected our first African-American presidents last fall, right? Just checking... It’s hard not to have heard about this sandwich of local fame but just in case, I thought I’d give it a proper review.

Fu Wah starts with an always-fresh long roll, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and fills it with warm, marinated tofu. The tofu is topped with pickled, finely julienned carrot and daikon radish, the crunch of which pairs nicely with the soft texture of the tofu. The sandwich is finished with a few sprigs of cilantro, paper-thin slices of fresh jalapeño pepper and the hot sauce of hipster fame, Sriacha, often referred to as “Cock Sauce” in reference to its logo—not as a suggestion to alternate usage, unless you’re into that I suppose. The slightly sweet marinade for the tofu pairs well with the acidity of the pickling vinegar and the heat of the peppers and sauce.

My friend Hot Sauce Lady once told me, “You had me at cilantro.” When it comes to Fu Wah’s Tofu Hoagie, those were my sentiments exactly.

Fu Wah Market
810 S 47th Street
7 days a week, 10am-9pm