· 2 min read

BBQ Shrimp at Cay Cafe

Shrimp, BBQ Sauce, Lettuce, Mayonnaise, Cilantro, Jalapeño on banh mi. Sandwich Score 72, very good. At Cay Cafe, Fremont.

A sandwich at Cay Cafe, a bánh mì shop in Fremont, California.

Bánh Mì Baguette (r…JalapeñoCilantroMayonnaiseLettuceBBQ SauceShrimpBánh Mì Baguette (r…
72
Sandwich Score
out of 100 · very good

Very good, with one move worth +14.

A po'boy with layers outside the form; five of six roles, most layers have a partner.

Holding the summit: harmony 0.78 or better

Balance
84
Harmony
69
Contrast
86
Structure
89
Focus
79
Composition
93
Quality
100
Envelope
97

More sweet than 90% of the catalog.

Each bar is one pillar of the score, 0 to 100. The tick marks what a sandwich at the summit needs; an amber bar is the one holding this sandwich back.

banh mi, toasted: Shrimp; BBQ Sauce; Lettuce; Mayonnaise; Cilantro; Jalapeño.

Balance

salt0.9 · 48thacid0.9 · 66thfat1.3 · 19thsweet1.2 · 90thumami0.9 · 26thheat0.3 · 73rdbitter0.3 · 79th
Flavor axes
AxisValueCatalog percentile
salt0.948th
acid0.966th
fat1.319th
sweet1.290th
umami0.926th
heat0.373rd
bitter0.379th

84 Balance, out of 100

The seven flavor axes of the whole sandwich, each summed across its layers. The shaded ring is the catalog's middle 80%; the small number under each axis is where this sandwich falls in the catalog. A shape that sits inside the ring is in the range most sandwiches live in; a spike past it is where this one stands apart.

What each layer brings

LayerRoleFlavor and texturePoints
banh miscored as Bánh Mì Baguette (rice-flour blend)breadcrispy soft flakythe frame
Shrimpproteinumami 2 springy juicy tender+5
BBQ Saucesaucesweet 4 salt 2 acid 2 silky saucy−3
Lettucetexturecrunchy juicy fresh+1
Mayonnaisesaucefat 5 acid 2 creamy saucy+17
Cilantroaromaticbitter 2 soft fresh herbal+9
Jalapeñotextureheat 4 crunchy fresh raw+10

Points: what the Sandwich Score would lose if that one layer were left out, everything else the same. A negative number means the sandwich scores higher without it. Flavor runs 0 to 5 on each axis.

Pairings

How to raise it

Build this sandwich

Load its stack into the Sandwich Builder. Swap a layer, watch the score move.

Open in the builder

Read next

Veggie at Diablo Foods

Lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, sprouts, cucumbers, avocados, roasted red peppers, sunflower seeds, oil and vinegar, cheese on unstated bread. Sandwich Score 74, very good. At Diablo Foods, Lafayette.

Andrew Lekashman
Andrew Lekashman
· 2 min read

The Explosion at Diablo Foods

Roast beef, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini, jalapeños, biyn mustard, horseradish sauce, oil and vinegar on sourdough roll. Sandwich Score 76, excellent. At Diablo Foods, Lafayette.

Andrew Lekashman
Andrew Lekashman
· 2 min read