216539 Fri Dec 03 22:27:39 -0800 2004 15 18 Manhattan 0 1152868 I heard they make a good bahn mi sandwich. Wonder if any Chowhounders have tried the sandwich or can recommend other dishes there. Thanks! --PB Fri Dec 03 22:27:39 -0800 2004 0 Pot Belly 1 1152911 Bao Noodles is very good. The Bahn mi sandwich is pretty good. Other favorites there include the sugar cane shrimp, the thai fried rice with chinese sausage, the whole fried fish, and the salt and pepper prawns. Sat Dec 04 13:25:44 -0800 2004 1152868 0 Evan 2 1152952 Ditto. We had the pork and foie sandwiches, and they were excellent. Their spring and summer rolls are some of the best I've had. Most of their stuff is great & relatively unexpensive. Sat Dec 04 22:01:27 -0800 2004 1152911 0 TP 1 1152955 I live a block away from Bao. When I went there for lunch after it first opened, I had a watery pho and was charged $3 for a cup of tea (a generic tea bag). For not much more than $3 I can get a better meal at a Chinese noodle shop. I also believe the Vietnamese joint on 3rd near 25th is far superior. On the other hand, I notice that the place is quite popular and busy. . . . Sat Dec 04 22:15:45 -0800 2004 1152868 0 jbeton22 2 1152957 If you're referring to the Lanh or however it's called on 3rd ave in the upper 20s, I'd disagree. (IF this is the place you mean.) BAO is MUCH better than this place. Sat Dec 04 22:21:45 -0800 2004 1152955 0 TP 2 1153031 Yes, I think the place is Anh closer to 27th. Different strokes for different folks. I think the NYT likes both places for under $25 and they both do a good lunch business. People should try both and decide for themselves. I also would go back to Cyclo on 1st Avenue & 14th or so and Pongsri (Thai not Viet) on 18th & 2nd. Cheers. Sun Dec 05 20:18:02 -0800 2004 1152955 0 jbeton 2 1153032 Yes, I think the place is Anh closer to 27th. Different strokes for different folks. I think the NYT likes both places for under $25 and they both do a good lunch business. People should try both and decide for themselves. I also would go back to Cyclo on 1st Avenue & 14th or so and Pongsri (Thai not Viet) on 18th & 2nd. Cheers. Sun Dec 05 20:18:20 -0800 2004 1152955 0 jbeton 1 1152999 I'm underwhelmed. Relatively small portions with higher prices than merited. The pork sandwich is on beautifully crispy bread, well seasoned but not enough pork to guess the filling. Sun Dec 05 16:53:02 -0800 2004 1152868 0 eater1 1 1153101 Had the Pork sandwich there just last week and received the worst MSG backlash I've ever experienced. Tried the Bun as well and it seemed to be better than the Banh Mi, but I'm still not going back. Mon Dec 06 11:34:34 -0800 2004 1152868 0 alex 2 1153149 MSG shock at BAO NOODLE??!! That sounds terrible! Can you tell them not to make things with MSG? Mon Dec 06 14:17:07 -0800 2004 1153101 0 Slim Pickins 1 3670760 I like the place. It's not exactly high class, but the iron pot fish is really nice, and the prices are so pleasantly affordable...no, wait...I mean CHEAP!! The cha gio are like any Vietnamese place's cha gio, pretty much, although if you want more of an interesting selection and you don't want to pay "Boi" prices, go to Nha Trang (no, not the city of Nha Trang in south Vietnam)--it's in Chinatown. They have great cha gio, as I recall, although it's been a couple of years since I've had 'em. I make cha gio all the time, but I'd much rather have 'em served to me than make them for myself, and Nha Trang is great because it's a hole in the wall and not at all pretentious. Thu May 08 21:37:10 -0700 2008 1152868 36207 RickTheClamBellyFan 1 3670951 Eight words: Spicy Beef and Pork Noodle Soup, Hue Style Good summer rolls, too. Fri May 09 01:48:31 -0700 2008 1152868 28969 D...DF 2 3671864 I like this dish too, except the noodles. They're always mushy and they're too fat for my tastes. Perhaps I'll ask them to use thinner ones... Fri May 09 09:54:05 -0700 2008 3670951 40108 jakew8 1 3671102 Love their beef stew...Solid place www.thelunchbelle.com Fri May 09 05:40:13 -0700 2008 1152868 110996 LeahBaila 2 3672182 They have a sandwich that is slices of pork with Asian vegetables and a ginger/carrot sauce for 5.95 that is amazing. best sandwich in the city IMO. Fri May 09 11:08:54 -0700 2008 3671102 79984 princeofpork 3 3943681 I like this place. I live on 23rd and 1st, so right around the corner and i'd say its a great little neighbourhood vietnemese spot that you can go to when you dont feel like going far away. It's nothing to write home about but they definately do a solid pho, bahn mi for the neighbourhood. Sat Aug 09 14:54:37 -0700 2008 3672182 138244 deepeshbanerji