A new fast-casual Vietnamese spot has opened up shop in the neighborhood. Called Luwich Cafe, the newcomer is located above Talay Thai at 406 First St. SE in Capitol Hill.
There you'll find a brief menu of banh mi sandwiches and noodle bowls. The banh mi can be made with grilled pork, chicken or beef, plus barbecue pork belly or lemongrass tofu. Noodle bowls are rice vermicelli with the same protein options as the sandwiches, topped with fresh herbs, fried shallots, pickled daikon, crushed peanuts and house-made fish sauce.
There's also an American-style breakfast menu and coffee options that include Vietnamese iced coffee made with condensed milk.
The new addition has already attracted fans thus far, with a five-star rating out of seven reviews on Yelp.
Lynn P., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on Sept. 21, wrote, "The banh mis were stuffed with protein and fresh vegetables. The baguette was super fresh and crispy. Luwich definitely doesn't skimp on ingredients, which other places tend to do."
And Justin R. wrote, "Great addition to the Capitol Hill lunch rush. Their banh mis are authentic and very tasty. I have had the pork with pate and the chicken so far and both were great. They seem to have a daily special of one of their sandwiches, chips and a drink for eight bucks."
Intrigued? Stop in to try it for yourself. Luwich Cafe is open from 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.–7 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
