Zon Baguettes

I told you that I would go back to Zon Baguettes and try something new. This time, BOTH Devin and I tried new items, something that is rare to happen when we've already found winners. These are the kinds of sacrifices we make in the name of blogging.


We grabbed a quick lunch to eat as we made our way up to Santa Barbara for the weekend. I got the #16 Fried Tofu Vegetarian Sandwich which has the same ingredients as the #15 Viet Veggies, but with added tofu fried to a golden brown. As usual, I loved the crunch of the cucumbers and carrots paired with the crispy exterior and soft interior of the baguette. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the tofu part of the sandwich. The soft interior of the tofu gave the sandwich a strange soggy texture, like I was eating a baguette stuffed with a baguette. I don't think the soft unseasoned tofu pairs well with the hard crunch of the vegetables.


Devin chose a #23 Baked Ham and Cheese Contemporary Sandwich, choosing Swiss cheese on this trip to Zon Baguettes. This sandwich is very similar to his usual fare of the #24 Turkey and Cheese. The tomatoes on this visit look much more fresh than the last time we visited Zon Baguettes.

Zon Baguettes
14081 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780
714-731-1366

Zon Baguettes

Devin and I rode our bicycles to Zon Baguettes last Saturday and I was able to pick up a take home menu. When I previously reviewed Zon Baguettes, I mentioned that for some reason they didn't have any take home menus where they have always had a stack before. I discovered that the reason the take home menus were missing on our last visit was because they were completely redoing the old menus that were simply typed on yellow paper. The new menu looks very professional, with its glossy paper and attractive photos of select menu items.



What's missing from the menu is their list of drinks, including Vietnamese iced coffee and their slushies with the optional addition of boba.


Thinking about this blog, I made sure to try their Honeydew slushie with boba. Boba are large black tapioca balls (compared to the small opaque balls of tapioca mostly found in puddings) that are chewy in texture. The boba balls were slightly warm and had a nice chew, but were a little on the mushy side. They eventually hardened because of the cold temperature of the slushie. The honeydew slush was refreshing on this fluke, intensely hot, autumn day.


Unfortunately, trying the Honeydew boba on this visit was the extent of my consideration for this blog because I ordered the #14 Viet Veggies again instead of ordering the other vegetarian sandwich, the Fried Tofu Vegetarian Sandwich. I will be sure to order something different the next time we visit Zon Baguettes, but at least the jalapenos in my banh mi were very spicy on this visit. You can see in the above photo that the baguette crust cracks very easily because it is thin and delicately crisp.


Here is a photo of Devin's Turkey and Swiss sandwich.

Our previous review of these same sandwiches can be found here.

Zon Baguettes
14081 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780
714-731-1366

Zon Baguettes

I remember when there was just an empty lot where Zon Baguettes now stands. Strata Tustin Center, where Zon Baguettes is located, is so close to our apartment, that Devin and I chose to ride our bicycles. It was a green and healthy way to grab our equally healthy meal.


Zon Baguettes opened in July 2006 and it's a a convenient place for us to pick up a couple of sandwiches (banh mi) for under $10.


There are tables both indoors and outdoors and while we waited for our sandwiches, I noticed some customers picking up orders that they had phoned in. In addition to the banh mi, Zon Baguettes sells pho, fried rice, egg rolls, summer rolls (goi cuon), boba, pastries, salads, popsicles, and a stand filled with bags of chips, Yan Yan, and tins of pate.


While they had goi cuon already made and packaged, I ordered mine without pork, so I had to wait a little longer for them to make it especially for me. I was willing to wait because I'm glad they were able to accommodate my pescetarian needs so I could enjoy one of the foods that I love. One order of goi cuon came with two medium-sized summer rolls and a small tub of Hoisin and peanut sauce.


As you can see in this slice of the goi cuon, at Zon Baguettes, it is filled with shrimp, rice vermicelli, iceberg lettuce, and cilantro. Without the mint that I am used to tasting in goi cuon, this ended up being pretty bland goi cuon, and the shrimp didn't help. Although I counted four shrimp through the opaque wrapper, there only ended up being two full-sized shrimp that were cut in half to make four pieces. The shrimp were tough and flavorless, so I was pretty much eating wrapped up vermicelli noodles.

But, as you can see in the above photo, my #14 Viet Veggies banh mi was packed with an array of vegetables.


The #14 Viet Veggies banh mi contains jalepenos, cucumbers, carrots, vermicelli, cilantro, and a sweet and tangy mayonnaise that really brought the flavors together. The vegetables were crunchy and fresh and they certainly didn't skimp on the portions. My only very minor complaint is that the jalepenos didn't pack very much heat.

And the bread. You don't come to Zon Baguettes expecting Lee's Sandwiches. The bread at Zon Baguettes is always fresh, with a crispy exterior and a soft and fluffy interior that doesn't leave the inside of your mouth raw.


Devin had a Turkey and Swiss Cheese sandwich from Zon Baguettes, and while I thought it looked pretty mediocre (I obviously didn't try it), he really enjoyed it.


Even though Devin's Turkey and Swiss Cheese sandwich wasn't as packed as my Viet Veggies banh mi, I would say the ratio of bread to filling is still pretty good for a sandwich. He agrees that the bread at Zon Baguettes is great, so having a sandwich from here that is half bread, half filling is a win-win situation.



Our sandwiches took a little longer than usual to make because there were several orders ahead of ours and because of my special order of goi cuon. Our view while we waited was of the stand of chips, Yan Yan, Snow Pea Crisps, and tins of pate, so I couldn't resist picking up two bags of chips after oogling them as I hungrily awaited our order. These were a nice addition to round out our meal.

Whenever I have visited Zon Baguettes, there has always been a stack of menus to take home. It figures that the one time I actually have a use for the take-home menu, they don't have any. I will snag and post a menu the next chance I get.

Zon Baguettes
14081 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780
714-731-1366