Banh Mi variations?

[The Librarian]

Today's New York Times food section has a really interesting (and drool-inducing) article on non-traditional banh mi made by younger Vietnamese chefs in New York:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/din...

Variations include banh mi pho and Sloppy Bao. I'm hardly an experienced banh mi eater, but I was wondering if any Bay Area restaurants are branching out and using other ingredients in their bahn mi. Any recommendations? Thanks!

[Robert Lauriston]

I had one at Boccalone, "La Cicciolina" ($7.50). Warm lonza and coppa di testa (cured pork loin and headcheese--"a balance of loin and head," as the owner jokes), spicy, tart salad of pickled carrots, radishes, chiles, and mint, dressing includes colatura di alici, the modern descendent of garum, an ancient Roman sauce similar to nam pla. It was really good.

I wonder if they'd add a schmear of pork butter on request?

[The Librarian]

That sounds incredible!

[P. Punko]

Sea Salt in the East Bay has a BBQ eel. I was just reading that NY Times article.

[chezchristine]

They only had a pork one when I was there last Friday night.

[adrienne156]

Rotating menu. It comes and goes and I haven't quite figured out how they decide whether it's in or out yet.

[Mr_Happy]

I tried the eel banh mi at Sea Salt before they reduced the prices on their menu - It was tasty but didn't really remind me of a banh mi aside from the pickled vegetables - the bun was softer and moister and not as crusty as your typical banh mi bun. It was also about 5x the usual price of a banh mi :O.

[adrienne156]

Yeah... I was pretty skeptical when I heard the price tag, but after a lengthy discussion with Morton the Mousse some years ago, decided to shell out the $14. Although Sea Salt's banh mi wasn't transcendental for me, I distinctly remember thinking how the pickled vegetables and cilantro were much fresher than your typical banh mi and really seemed to pop (it really tasted like that cilantro had just been picked) and who else serves grilled eel on their banh mi? I enjoyed it.

As far as the bread, in the NYT article, it was noted that the texture of the baguettes used is very important and that many banh mi shops go through great lengths to ensure that their rolls are up to par - some even baking several batches a day. Given that Sea Salt isn't a banh mi shop, I forgive them the bread although do agree that they could have toasted it.

[lexdevil]

Many of the options at Cam Huong stray from the traditional, including my favorite, the curry chicken banh mi. Other options include salmon, teriyaki chicken, grilled beef w/ onion, bacon... None of these are upscale, but they are varied, tasty, and all under $3.00.

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Cam Huong Cafe
920 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94607

[chezchristine]

Can you describe the bacon? I was there last week and saw it. Is it smoky?

[lexdevil]

Not so I noticed. It's been a while for me (at least a couple of years since I ordered it), but my memory is that this was similar to the "pork chop" option, but belly cut. Not crispy at all. Despite my love of pork belly, this was merely okay (but I like it crispy).

[Melanie Wong]

"Bacon" refers to the cut of pork that's used, the fatty belly, rather than a smoked meat. It's seasoned and roasted like cha siu, and is quite tender and almost melts in the mouth.

[Adamsimpson]

How the hell do you say Banh Mi?

"Baan me?"

[gordon wing]

the NY Times article says that it is: pronounced BUN-mee.

[tex.s.toast]

which is funny because the usual spelling of the vietnamese noodle salads "bun" is pronounced BOO-n. ah phonetics and transliterations . . .

[pastryqueen]

not in any way trail blazing but you can get a meatball sandwich at Ba Le Banh Mi in Oakland and ask them to add a fried egg to it. It's really simple but just so amazingly delicious! The yolk mixed with the meatball is pure heaven.
Be aware though that one of the ladies who works there in the afternoon does not speak enough English to process that order (actually, I don't speak enough Vietnamese to properly order it!) - I always end up with two sandwiches - a meatball one and a fried egg one. :)