Prawn Po’Boy Banh Mi

I’m back in the country—and back at Lokha for another bánh mì goodie. Today I went for something not too saucy, hoping it wouldn’t weigh me down before dance class, and honestly, that was a pretty good call.

I’ve always been curious about the name Po’Boy, so I looked it up. Turns out the original version was made to feed striking streetcar workers—“poor boys”—in New Orleans back in 1929, and the name eventually got shortened to just po’boy. Fun fact of the day.

Lokha’s version puts a Vietnamese spin on it. It’s served in a Viet-style baguette, with fried prawn, some scallions, and a light sauce (maybe mayo?), plus a slice of lemon on the side.

The prawn was nicely done—not oily at all. It wasn’t exactly crunchy, but I really liked the texture. It was gently breaded, well seasoned, and worked well with a squeeze of lemon to freshen everything up. The lettuce was crisp, the bread held together well, and while I wouldn’t have minded more sauce, it was still really enjoyable.

A solid, lighter option if you’re after something with flavour but not too rich. Would definitely get it again.