Coda Bakery — Restaurant in Albuquerque

I still call this place Bánh mì Coda. Kinda wish they had kept the name. It's been one of my regular lunch places for ... 15 years!?! I started going when I saw them next to Café Trang. Best Vietnamese sandwiches in town, hands down.

I visited their new location for the second time today. It is much bigger, but it was no less busy, even at 1pm. Really it was crazy busy. It's not in a great area, but the old place wasn't really either. With the bigger location there is more seating, but they forgot to create a waiting area for all the MANY people waiting for their to-go order. You can sort of hide out of the way in entrance to the bathroom hallway or you can hope you hear your number and stand all the way at the other side near the door. And someone inevitably has no where to go and blocks the counter. Rather unfortunate. And they could really use a number sign, à la Frontier. I could swear they had one for a short time years ago.

Luckily the food is still just as good as it's ever been. All the sandwiches are good. Just depends what you're in the mood for. The creamy green chile chicken pastries are amazing. And I usually have to grab some shrimp spring rolls and a sesame ball, maybe a Thai tea with boba as well.

They do have online ordering, but be aware ChowNow charges you a 7.5% fee. It's understandable, nothing is free, but it keeps me...

Absolutely amazing! I have tried at least 5 different banh mi places in Denver trying to find the best and was stunned to find this place in Albuquerque that might just be better than anything I’ve tried in Denver. I had the pork pate chaud, #1 Dac Biet, cinnamon raisin roll, and Vietnamese iced coffee, and my husband had the #10 lemongrass beef.

First off, the banh mi itself is an extremely generous portion for the price compared to what we are used to in Denver — the sandwiches are $8.50 for a foot long and loaded with toppings. The bread to filling ratio is on point — you won’t have a single bite where you wonder “where’s the meat and veggies?” The bread is chewy, and the veggies are thinly sliced so they distribute well throughout the sandwich.

The puff pastry is excellent. I was especially impressed with the cinnamon raisin roll which was the perfect combination of buttery, flaky, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside that I look for when hunting for a good laminated dough pastry.

My only regret is not trying the green chile chicken pate chaud. I love well done, creative fusion, and with how delicious the more classic/authentic dishes were, I get the feeling that I would’ve been impressed with the execution of this creative New Mexican version of pate chaud as well.

Will definitely be back next time...

I cannot believe I have never reviewed my favorite place in all of Albuquerque!

The only reason I don't eat here every day is that it's a 20+ mile drive from home. On the day of review, Raz & I stopped in to kill 45 minutes while waiting for some late-opening businesses for Sunday errands. Bahn Mi Coda has gone to a 24-7 schedule, so they are now perfect for whenever hunger strikes.

We decided to go for Spring Rolls, which are serious value, since you get x2 rolls about the length of my forearm for under $5. The flavors wrapped up in that handy rice noodle package are just awesome. Raz had #28: Grilled, Marinated Pork, while I had #22: Fresh Shrimp & Pork. Everything inside was super fresh, and the peanut sauce was wonderful. We split a rasin roll for dessert, which is a light, airy, slightly flaky pastry that's pretty much the love child of a sweet roll and a croissant.

My single favorite thing had already sold out for the day. They make this flaky, buttery turn-over stuffed with chicken & green chile. It's warm, filling, comforting, and decadent all at once. Of course being so good, it does sell out pretty quickly after hitting the counter, so you have to time your visit just right to get one. The Spring Rolls and Bahn Mi are made to order, so you can get a consistently amazing meal...