Comment: My search for Jambon Beurre in Paris led me to the best sandwich in LA

We have excellent croissants in Los Angeles. The baguettes at République and Clark Street Bakery are top notch. Fries? There are too many local favorites to list. But when it comes to incredibly narrow shops with wine, good mustard and a counter full of all kinds of sausages that smells like feet? Paris is the right place.

During a recent trip, I set out to find the perfect jambon beurre, the exquisite French ham and butter sandwich on a baguette. You can find something like this in almost every bakery in Paris, behind the charcuterie counters and in the cafe in your airport terminal. But when I did a quick search online for the best jambon beurre, the same store dominated the results. An online publication even claimed that Le Petit Vendome's jambon beurre was “the best sandwich in the world,” prompting dozens of influencers to visit the restaurant and proclaim the same.

The best sandwich in the world? I am no stranger to making such outlandish claims in this column. I've guided readers to the best grilled cheese in the universe. I encourage you to travel to Santa Ana for the best sourdough. I stand by these wild announcements. But I was skeptical that this Jambon Beurre in Paris was the best sandwich in the world. I too couldn't resist a visit to see for myself.

But first, I got a recommendation from a trusted source.

On my first morning in Paris, I walked from the Latin Quarter to Le Marais in search of Caractère de Cochon. Los Angeles Times Food deputy editor Betty Hallock recommended the small shop, claiming that it is actually home to the best jambon beurre in Paris. Hallock has impeccable taste. And she's never one to exaggerate a recommendation.

The shop is located in a plum-colored building in the Marais, in the third arrondissement. The woman inside was already helping a couple when I arrived and kindly asked me to wait outside. The room is about the size of a walk-in closet and only one party is allowed at a time.

Bundles of saucisson hang from the ceiling and wine bottles line the walls. A man operates a shiny metal meat cutter behind the counter.

The woman's first question is whether I want a sandwich. Then she leads me to a small refrigerator with tall glass doors and asks me to choose my ham. There's a selection of Jambon de Paris (cooked ham) and French cured ham, with cuts of meat in every shade of pink. They are plain or peppered with things like garlic or rosemary. I choose the plain Parisian ham and then ask her to choose a ham for a second sandwich. She points to a jet-black, raw-cured piece and says simply, “This is the real thing.”

Butter? Naturally. Then she asks me to wait outside while the sandwiches are assembled and helps the next customers.

After about three minutes on the sidewalk, she comes out of the store and hands me my sandwiches.

The baguette pops satisfyingly, then butter pours into my mouth. There's a lovely hint of salt and cream, milky, a little grassy but mostly mild. Then the funk of the cured crude oil floods my senses, fat and powerful like a forgotten gym sock. Everything seems unified, intoxicatingly simple and balanced. It is without a doubt one of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted. Three ingredients. And it costs about $16.

The Jambon de Paris is more like the sandwich I had imagined, raw, mild, tender and almost juicy. Both sandwiches are generously filled with shaved ham and butter.

Surely nothing could be better than that.

The next day I arrive at Le Petit Vendome to find a line of maybe 25 people stretching down the block. The group of four behind me is from Florida. You read online that this is the best sandwich in the world. There are tourists from Germany in front. They had read the same thing.

Le Petit Vendome is a full-service restaurant with a selection of bistro classics in addition to sandwiches. Although there is ample seating on the restaurant's patio, customers are not allowed to order sandwiches at the tables. Even if you order a full meal. If you want to try “the best sandwich in the world,” you’ll have to wait.

After about an hour we reach the start of the queue. There is a woman who both takes orders and prepares the sandwiches. She is kind and patient with anyone who approaches her window with questions in a language not her own.

We order a sandwich with jambon de Paris and another with saucisson.

The baguette is fresh, soft and chewy, but the crust has no cracks or crunch. The raw material is cut into thick slices with a firm, meaty consistency. Although there is a good amount of butter, the ham and the entire sandwich all need salt. The stunning triad of flavors and textures we experienced yesterday was missing.

It's a sandwich I would eat again, but I regret the hour we spent in line.

If you want the Caractère de Cochon sandwich, you'll need to book a flight to Paris. But with a handful of ingredients from stores and restaurants around Los Angeles, you can make something very similar. First you need a good baguette. Clark Street Bakeries and République Restaurant are some of my favorites. They're crispy and airy and have just the right amount of chew. Clark Street also makes its own jambon beurre with Dijon mustard and cornichon.

For butter and ham, The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills carries a selection of French butter and ham. Ask for the best French butter in the store and you will receive a small piece of salted Bordier butter. I took half a pound home to make some sandwiches and eat radishes for the rest of the week.

The shop stocks both cooked and cured hams from France and will be happy to give you a sample to help you decide. Ask to cut it into thin slices.

Generously butter both sides of your baguette. Think of the butter as an ingredient and not as a treatment. You want to be able to taste the butter in every bite. Then layer a few slices of ham on top, but not too many that it overwhelms the bread or butter. The key to this sandwich is the balance and consistency of all the ingredients.

There you have it. The best sandwich in the world, in your own kitchen.