Best of 2003: Best Little-Known Asian Snack

A Chau
4644 El Cajon Boulevard, City Heights
619-281-4066

Faster and cheaper than a deluxe fast-food burger, lighter than the gourmet sandwiches concocted at Hillcrest's Bread & Cie, the crusty French rolls stuffed with chicken or ham at A Chau in City Heights will forever change how you think about food on the go. A Chau's sandwiches cost only $2 and can be prepared in less than three minutes. Succulent chicken or thin-sliced prosciutto-like ham. Shreds of sweet-and-sour pickled carrot and radish. Paper-thin rounds of fresh jalapeño. A few sprigs of cilantro. The Vietnamese have taken the prosaic Western sandwich and transformed it into an inexpensive work of art. Open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.