Bread Temptations

A couple (maybe a few?) years ago, there was a social page set up on a blue bordered website called the ‘Vietnamese Dog Roll Appreciation Society’. It included the tales of young tradies and business people alike with a keen sense for what makes a great banh mi. An homage if you will, to the simple lunch treat that is sweeping/​has swept the food fads of the suburbs of Adelaide.
The term ‘dog roll’, in as far as I understand it, is not a racist term belittling Vietnamese people. It is a supposed to be a lighthearted, amusing twist on the term ‘rolldogs’ which can sometimes be heard from Vietnamese people, who use the term for hot dog rolls (similar to banh mi, which is actually Vietnamese for ‘bread’ I believe). A fairly obvious and forgivable english grammatical mixup I think, nonetheless there are people out there who believe that the ‘VDR’ page is intended to be something of an insult to Vietnamese culture. It is intended to be, however, the complete opposite.
Anyway, that is where I first heard of Bread Temptations (BT) in Topham Mall in the CBD.
Why did I rave on about some foodie review page you may be asking? Because they raved about BT (in as far as relative to how much they raved about city joints vs suburban joints, suburban joints being far better at making a decent banh mi and for a way better price). And now, I can join in the chorus!!!
\m/​ROCK ON BREAD TEMPTATIONS!!! \m/​
I had a couple of absolutely bangers banh mi from BT. PLUS, and that’s a BIG PLLUS (note the use of capitals) the ladies who work here look like they’re actually enjoying their job! And that is a HUUUUUGE part of customer service IMO. Even if you’re having the worst day ever, don’t be a sourpuss/​douchebag/​negative Nelly in front of your customers!~ It doesn’t sell the products, or the business. But these ladies had beautiful big smiles on their faces, super friendly, got the order right and did it all in under five minutes. There were half a dozen people in line and I was in and out in a flash.
I will keep the banh mi reviews short —
Roast pork. Delicious. Good amount of meat, great flavour (could’ve done with a little more crackling/​crunch but I wasn’t complaining) the salad was done well, good even amount of everything, and the chilli was unexpectedly hot. Like a slow burn. Hmmm. Delicious.
Lemongrass chicken — a different flavour but an enjoyable one. Zesty and bold. Same as above with the salad and chilli comment.
Watching these rolls get made was a pleasure, and I walked down the street back to my office with a smile on my face, knowing that I was packing a double barrel load of pure banh mi awesome.
The biggest kicker, and the reason this place is now my favourite CBD banh mi joint — $ 5.50 per roll. Best price for a quality roll I’ve found in the city. That’ll be tough to beat. Incredible.
They also do other bakery bits, if you’re trying to be good on a diet (haha banh mi diet!) be prepared to be tempted. The sweets look freaking delicious, as do the other offerings on display. But, when you’ve got a hankering for a cracker of a banh mi, nothing else will suffice.

Soonta? huh? Why wait in line for a fake Banh Mi? Walk a few more metres to Topham Mall, just off Currie street and you’ll find the best Banh Mi in the CBD.
Why this is better? simply because they actually use real pâté inside the rolls, giving it the real Banh Mi taste. Roast Pork is super crispy and generous servings.

You’ve just gotta love little shops like this — Bread Temptations does those wonderful little chinese rolls with the filling baked inside them. They have all the traditional flavours, bbq pork, chicken, red bean, sticky coconut buns, but there is a real fusion for some of their offerings — bacon, cheese, red onion and sour cream will make your taste buds sing — and it’s spread out like an individual serve of pizza on the bread rather than baked inside, too. Ham & cheese rolls feature fresh sliced ham off the bone baked in folded rolls with a good bitey cheddar, and they have a line of crisp shelled vegetable patties served cut in half on a bread roll with lettuce, drizzled with a slightly sweet sticky brown sauce that’s unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else.
Wander in, grab a plate, serve yourself from the displays and take it to the counter for the friendly, possibly hardly english speaking sales assistant to pop in a bag for you and total up, and off you go. There are a couple of tables, and a few seats outside too, but the essence here is takeaway.
Great quick and easy lunch for the masses in the CBD. Well worth a look.