There aren’t too many places that sell Vietnamese Rolls in the beachside suburbs, however, the Banh Mi Locator smartphone application indicated that there was place in Hove. Hove Deli sells 5 types of Vietnamese rolls, Cold Rolls and Beef Noodle Soup, as well as the customary sandwiches, pies, pasties and hot dogs.

The decor looks a bit dated in my opinion, but very typical of a corner store delicatessan. The place itself is considerably spacious, however, I’m surprised there aren’t more tables and chairs.

Today, I ordered the Roast Pork Roll. The rolls were already pre-cut with the vegetables added. The roast pork was then added at the time of ordering.

It takes a lot of skill to cooked the perfect Roast Pork. You need the right cut of pork belly which doesn’t have too much fat. It then needs to be marinated and then cooked for the right time at the right temperature such that the skin is perfectly crisp, and the meat is tender and succulent.

The roast pork in this roll was way off. The meat was fatty, the crunchy skin was absent and the flavour wasn’t even close. It was almost like a barbecue flavoured roast pork. The pickled carrot was tangy, the coriander was fresh and the cucumber added a nice crunchy texture. I didn’t see any egg mayonnaise or pate, and there was no fresh chilli to add excitement. The bread roll was nice and crusty, but the roll as a whole fell short of expectations.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was average with the Roast Pork roll costing $6.20.

While I understand places have their own variations on the roast pork roll, very few places have mastered the art of making one.

WHERE: 361 Brighton Rd, Hove