My first Bahn Mi..

[janzy]

I tried my first Bahn Mi sandwich yesterday from a place on Dorchester Ave on the adjacent corner from the old St Williams church.
It was the combination sandwich.
I have a question. What is the stuff that sort of resembles mayonaisse, but has a clearer look to it?
Thanks

[Kenji]

I think most banh mi places use both Vietnamese mayonnaise and fish sauce.

I *love* banh mi; it's my favorite sandwich. I'm jonesing for one as I type. I've had excellent examples of it at Vietnamese Sandwiches and Bubble Tea; and at New Saigon, both in Boston's Chinatown.

[MC Slim JB]

Not every place puts the mayo-like dressing on every sandwich. Mei Sum, for instance, puts just nước chấm on its BBQ beef bánh mì unless you specify otherwise.

[yumyum]

I know I've had a light schmear of kewpie-like substance on my bahn-mi from Mei Sum in the past. Thin, but detectable if you don't dig the sweet thing.

[alyssap99]

I just asked Mei Sum what they use for their spread, as I was trying to recreate the sandwich at home and failed miserably. They said they make it there using egg yolks and oil. Homemade mayo, basically.

[MC Slim JB]

I dragged a banh mi newbie into Mei Sum one time, so the nice lady behind the counter invited us back there to watch her make them, and she made a point of distinguishing between the dressings: "This one (nuoc cham) on the beef, this other one (mayo) on the tofu." Maybe the construction varies by sandwich maker? This lady was the one I almost always see in there: to my eye, she looks about 50 and Chinese.

[yumyum]

Well you know I didn't get tofu, so perhaps they USED to use the mayo on all the bahn mi (I've been going to Pho Viet lately), or perhaps this was an error, or perhaps I dreamed it. But I grew up in Salt Lake City and have an irrational objection to Miracle whip and Miracle whip analogs.

[alyssap99]

i always get the tofu...so that explains it!

[Bob Dobalina]

"Miracle whip analogs" ....*shudder*...

[galleygirl]

Everyone always seems to say it's mayo, but when I get banh-mi at that place, which is BaLe, BTW, they always ask me if I want butter, when I order a tfu sandwich, asking whether I am vegan. I always assumed it was softened butter.......

[yumyum]

No, I think it's Kewpie, or a kewpie knock-off. Has that slightly sweet taste like miracle whip.

[kewpie]

yep- its kewpie- but i think they thin it out sometimes, good stuff

[girlygirl]

Did you like it?

[janzy]

The next time I think I'll try it without the kewpie.
I'm up in the air whether I like that part of the sandwich.
Overall, I don't think you can beat the quality and price.

[MC Slim JB]

Some places use a commercially prepared mayonnaise from Vietnam which is similar to the Japanese Kewpie brand (thinner and sweeter than American jarred mayo), others use a house-made mayo-like dressing which is basically an emulsion of egg yolks and corn oil or soybean oil. I think I've tasted garlic in this dressing in some places, making it like a Vietnamese aioli.