Baogette, conveniently located across the street from the Curry Hill Armory and location of the Victoria's secret fashion show, was my first foray into Vietnamese sandwich world and had me at hello. Their version of the Sloppy Joe, the "Sloppy Bao," barbecue pork, and catfish options offer a twist on the classic Banh Mi and immediately had me hooked. I quickly dragged Sam to several Chinatown establishments, one of which was located in the back of a jewelry store.
Additionally, Banh Mi Saigon, as it's known, have deli cases full of mysterious Asian drinks, sides, & puddings. Sam and I tried a drink that was full of basil seeds, which was slightly sweet and perfectly tasty, if a little strange texturally.
When our classic banh mi's were finally ready, we had taken inventory on the plethora of colorful décor, from dish tanks to shrines to we're-not-sure-who:
The banh mi itself was the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and soft bread with just-crispy-enough crust:
Most recently we discovered a Banh Mi place right down the street from our apartment, appropriately called "Banh Mi"--there emphasis was on noodles, sandwiches, and bubble tea, which I had always been intrigued by but never bothered ordering. Like the basil seed drink, it came with giant jelly-ish balls floating in it, and an oversized straw to slurp up all the strange goodness. It's like a distant cousin of tapioca pudding, in drink form:
The banh mi's weren't too shabby either, if a little on the too chewy side.
Get thee to your neighborhood Vietnamese sandwich shop yesterday, friends, and take hold of your culinary destiny.
