The food was almost worth the wait. My crew (just a normal-type crew, not a dance crew, sadly) and I ordered three different banh mi: ca ri ga (Vietnamese chicken curry), beef, and lemongrass tofu ($6 each). I also got an order of cha gio, a.k.a. tofu spring rolls ($4). Unfortunately, they were all out of bun.

My husband asked for the beef banh mi sans mayo, but when he received the sandwich, there was his condimental nemesis, staring him mockingly in the face. The mayo was particularly heavy, and coated the roof of my mouth long after I'd finished my sandwich. The beef was tangy and thin-sliced, but with a few large chunks of gristle. The tofu was cut thicker than they do it at Phamish, and the larger pieces were not quite as flavorful. (Less surface area for marinade, I guess.)

My favorite was the chicken curry: shredded fowl in a creamy sauce that tasted as if it contained coconut milk, even though the server swore to my coconut-hating husband that it did not. I love coconut, so I was happy with whatever ingredient was imparting that flavor. One of my other dining companions remarked that the baguettes seemed a bit underbaked. My curry banh mi did collapse halfway through my eating it; perhaps a crustier baguette would have held up better.

The cha gio were vegan and delicious. Even my 21-month-old son Owen, who doesn't really seem to like food in general, was into them. When I asked him for a bite, he clutched his egg roll possessively and said "Owen." A ringing endorsement. I'd definitely get the cha gio again, along with the chicken curry banh mi.

I have to say that Phamish is still my overall favorite of the banh mi trucks, and I'd choose a Nom Nom lemongrass chicken sandwich over Mandoline's ca ri ga. I did like Mandoline's food, though; the banh mi fixings - carrots, daikon, cilantro, cucumber and jalapenos - were fresh, crunchy and plentiful. The chefs and servers stayed sweet under pressure, which is an admirable feat at a truck launch. I'll definitely be hitting up Mandoline Grill again when I see the truck around town.

Vegetarian-friendly? Most definitely. Four out of 10 menu items are vegan. I highly recommend the cha gio.

Vegan-friendly? Yep - see above.