JoJu Modern Vietnamese Sandwiches, Elmhurst

[cnut]

Place opened a week or so back, doing Vietnamese sandwiches. Menu's a bit more varied than the average Sunset Park coffee shop, and the few things I've tried were decent enough. They're still getting used to their systems, so service isn't yet as efficient as I imagine it'll be in a few weeks time.

Located above the former Face karaoke pub. So sad that place is gone.

83-25 Broadway
Elmhurst, NY 11373

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JoJu
83-25 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373

[johnk]

Stopped in last night for a bulgogi & pork bbq banh mi. Both were excellent. They warm the baguette to a perfect crispness... Nice thai iced tea w/milk also. "A" on the window in a neighborhood with so many "B" places.....
Regards,
john k

[squinchy]

I think their sanwiches are getting better. The BBQ pork chop, spicy hits the spot!

[NewYorkNewHaven]

I am very into the bulgogi, the pork belly less so. Jeff's definitely right about the special filler coffee, its pretty kickin. Beware the summer rolls though.

[Polecat]

I'm actually looking forward to trying their Kakuni (or Japanese style pork belly) sandwich. They also do a bulgogi version.
p.

[lambretta76]

Wow - those could either be epic or dreadful. (Hoping for former.)

On the same train of thought -- it would be nice if the Vietnamese sandwich got the "latin-Asian" fusion that tacos got in L.A. via Korean flavors. I could go for an al pastor or lengua banh mi.

[Jeffsayyes]

I'm not really a big bahn mi fan, but i'd say it's neither epic nor dreadful here. bulgogi sandwich I found highly pleasing, though just not sloppy enough for an american like me to blow me away. I do, however, enjoy the iced coffee drinks. I wouldn't call it a destination, although is a refreshing place to try some vietnamese stuff. The staff speaks english as fluent as I do.

as opposed to the former bromo house, they are actually quite busy already. I think we have a winner!

[Polecat]

Wasn't too crazy about the coffee I had there. I asked for it to be more bitter than sweet and what I got was basically just a regular, though bitter, coffee. It came out too fast also to have been the slow drip style. I'm quibbling, though; next time I'll just let them do it the way they do it. For now, Pho Bang makes my favorite strong Viet coffee in the neighborhood. It's a style that I prefer to Thai.

They also use a spicy mayonaise here. I prefer the old green pepper method of spicing. Still, it's about time we got a banh mi shop in Queens. Hope we get one or two more, scattered across the borough.

This is one aspect in which Brooklyn truly kicks our ass - they have their share of banh mi shops. That, and brownstones. We can't be having that.

P.

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Pho Bang
4107 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11355

[Jeffsayyes]

get the "special filter vietnamese coffee". It's twice the cost ($2), but do it custom that way. the regular one is from the drip, polecat - you can't be fooled.

they should give you some green pepper in the hero if you're getting it spicy I'm not sure if they are too conscious about american people not liking Spicy stuff.

[daffyduck]

i haven't compared the two in awhile but I remember liking Pho Bac's viet coffee more than Pho Bang's.

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Pho Bang
4107 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11355

Pho Bac
82-78 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373

[squinchy]

SO I can say that the bulgogi sandwich is actually much better that the traditional banh mi (with the head cheese, ham, pate etc.) It's silly, it bucks traditon, but it tastes good so who cares?

One thing about this place is they don't really have the bread "down" the way Ba Xuyen does (my gold standard for NYC Banh Mi.) I think they use a regular cheap italian styel baguette as opposed so something rice-flour based.

That said, it's a tasty and cheap lunch. I also think they may work out the kinks (e.g. the aforementioned lack of spiciness) in time.

This place, the awesome Uncle Zhou and sweet yummy house are the holy trinity of food in this particular subsection of elmhurst!

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Ba Xuyen
4222 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Sweet Yummy House
83-12 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373

Uncle Zhou
83-29 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373

[daffyduck]

agreed. the Bulgogi sandwich is my favorite followed by the lemongrass chicken. the regular and the pork belly were both dryer than I liked. their coffee flan is not good either.