The a2k Banh Mi Adoration Cult Thread!

can it be a craze when it's been going on for about 30 years?

Excellent point. It's been burning brightly for almost 10 years here in NYC. Not sure how far it has traveled to the suburbs and beyond.

Canada brought a lot of Vietnamese boat people in about 35 years ago - banh mi became a staple in almost all the big cities really quickly - and even in some smaller towns that sponsored Vietnamese families.

I actually think it had a lot to do with a lot of Canajun palates being opened.

There are some nice little banh mi chains around - and nothing like an awesome Vietnamese breakfast.

Never had a Vietnamese breakfast. What's it consist of?

depends on what you'd like to have

you can have pho, or have congee with an egg broken into it
you could order sticky rice or have banh mi or banh bo

if you're lucky enough to find a place that has its own bakery you can have the best fast food french toast ever

I'm not sure if the french toast is traditionally found in Vietnam, but every Vietnamese joint in the food courts in the financial district has the best best best French toast - they start with that awesome square Vietnamese white bread.

One of my favorite restaurants, now long gone, was where, when I last worked in a lab, our checker in of samples person (later to get a phD in biochem from CalTech), told us about her parents' favorite restaurant. The family were from Vietnam not too long before, let me guess this was in '78. Anyway, J and I became pals of the cook (his mother taught him, he used to manage a factory earlier in life) at a place in Chinatown, LA. He later opened his own place (even more a favorite than the first place) in Hollywood and we became pals. Some of the best food I've ever had, bar none.

Banh mi, I don't know much; I've had it once in Abq, and there was too much bread to the other contents, for me. I did like the other contents, so it wasn't all bad.

To drive myself batty with nostalgia and current inaccessability, I'll include a recent article of favorite banh mi places in LA, on the low cost side.

http://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/restaurants/the-best-banh-mi-in-los-angeles

Lots of photos..
I won't pick one to show, I want to try them all.

Also, I might want to remember that website, new to my flog bookmark list. Flog as in food blog, to separate those from blog blogs.
One of these days, I'll start a book mark for plogs (political).

I haven't, yet.

I prefer the lettuce wraps at PF Changs over a sammich any day.

Lettuce wraps, yes. Well, we called them spring rolls.

banh mi - absolutely my favourite lunch.

When we worked in the suburbs we tried out all the local places and found them wanting - and then we found a brilliant place about 2 suburbs away. You had to drive but it was well worth it.

Now we work in the city, surrounded by all manner of restaurants, food courts, etc., and we can't find a good banh mi for love or money. I believe there are some good places in China town - but that's just a bit far to walk for lunch.

The search continues.

Tsar - send details of good places in NYC - so I can indulge when I'm there.

My favorite:
NUM PANG NOMAD (Though technically, it's a Cambodian banh mi sammich shop).
1129 Broadway (Btw. 25th & 26th St)
http://numpangnyc.com/

saw this and thought of you



http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/banh-mi-pork-burgers-with-cucumber-carrots-and-cilantro

I would like those. Frank, I doubt it..

I doubt that Frank (to us) knew about banh mi. Late 70's. Not his way.
We did know his family, but I forget names, though he did tell us. He and his mother before him were in another realm in the kitchen.
This is only a guess, that they were up there in whatever regime.
Too late to be asking now.


On the other hand, he was an entrepeneur, he might have been all for the sammies. I remember him working three jobs.

Ate a delicious portabella mushroom banh mind from Banhmigos

Buzzfeed is really late to the banh mi game.