FOOD ORDERED: Bánh mì Sandwich
"Please don't bánh mì from tha Grove Geoff man"
'Desserts' was a short-lived ice-cream palour, which became "Lê Dîner" within a matter of weeks. The new management appear to have kept the gelato-freezers but now also serve the classic combination fresh naan bread, and traditonal vietnamese sandwiches too.
It's a strange venue, they've kept the 'funky' black and purple leatherette booths, but have dispatched the ultra-loud chart music television. A definite plus. Service was friendly and personable, comparable to a tea stall at a Church of England summer fete, in a good way.
I ordered one of their trad sangers (with pork), as I'd never tried one before. I later found out that the Bánh mì was developed as a fusion food by French colonialists making the best of what they could find in their adopted homeland. It was quite a strange mix of ingredients; the pork had a deep umami and soy flavour, offset by fresh cucumber and coriander, but then with a load of coleslaw chucked on top too. And jalapenos. I've got to admit, the blend of tastes wasn't quite for me, but I can't fault the quality of the sandwich. The bread was freshly baked, and the pork freshly cooked. And for £3.50 it was better value than a Subway (*spits*). Apparently the traditional recipe includes "Head Cheese" (meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a pig). I'm glad the version I had didn't contain this, but even if it did, it would still have been better than Subway (*spits again*).
Is Morden ready for Bánh mì? I consider myself to be fairly worldly when it comes to food, and I'm not. But despite their superfluous circumflex, I hope Lê Dîner succeed in bringing their bizarre combination of Vietnamese, Italian, French and Indian food to Morden.
QUALITY: 8/10
PORTION SIZE: 7/10
PRICE: 7/10
SERVICE: 6.5/10
ATMOSPHERE: 6/10
OVERALL: 6.9/10
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