The words "Bánh mì" are used by Vietnamese to refer to bread. But to we Americans, those words are emblematic of the highly unusual yet quite tasty Vietnamese hoagie. I used to eat them all the time on Philadelphia's Washington Street, where there are pho restaurants and nail supply shops along every block. In the Lehigh Valley, they're hard to find. But recently, I learned they are offered at two American eateries. Mitzi's Table and Wegmans.
I have yet to try the Bánh mì at Mitzi's Table. I'm only up to the peanut butter BLT on their eclectic menu. But I love Wegman's offering. It's very Americanized. It offers ham and turkey with a concoction of pickled vegetables, spicy mayo and a sprinkle of lime juice. Though not quite the same as a true Vietnamese hoagie, it does have that zing.
Though I love it. I suspect my Vietnamese friends will pan it, if I ever get one of them to try it. They think that one bite of anything I offer will make them fat, and they might be right.
The true Vietnamese hoagie could be lined with anything, from pork pate to sardines. It's best to have a Vietnamese friend who likes you to do the ordering.
The Vietnamese aioli spread is a mixture of French and Vietnamese. It includes garlic and lime juice. But instead of olive oil, Vietnamese use nuc mom, a spicy fish sauce that Vietnamese use the way we use butter.
One thing you won't see in a Vietnamese hoagie? Cheese.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Sunday, February 08, 2015
22 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
Banh Mi trung (egg) is my favorite, one egg no pate, everything else. Bernie tickets to HCMC are relatively cheap, there you can get an authentic Banh Mi for 10,000 vietnamese dongs and occasionally the tainted pate will give you a colon cleanse that people in California would pay big bucks for.
ReplyDeleteIt really comes down to the quality of the baguette, if that can be secured then your in business. I presume you've been to the Vietnamese place on Union BLVD, seems to be one of the better ones in our region.
In Vietnam they wrap the Banh Mi in little bits of old newspaper and secure it with a rubber band, used to get one every morning when I was living there as a sex tourist.
I love the Viet food at Loan's bistro, located at the Allentown Farmers Market. I think she was a chef.
ReplyDelete"The true Vietnamese hoagie could be lined with anything, from pork pate to sardines". Cat & dog is also a staple of their diet.
ReplyDeleteNo it is not. Because you are s bigot, you mix up Viets with other Asian cultures. I have deleted your comment one, but you repost it be you are a troll - Mezzacappa, Schaadt or blog mentor
ReplyDeleteWhat's your point? Only reason we don't eat them is they are cute. Europeans eat horsemeat with no second thoughts. Other places eat everything from rats to monkey brains. All in the eye of the beholder.
ReplyDeleteBill, What the troll is trying to do os dehumanize Vietnamese people by making a false claim about them, It is true that in some Asian cultures and areas of N Vietnam, a kind of dog is bred for eating. I imagine any impoverished culture will eat what it can. I know dog meat eas regularly consumed in Europe during WWII.
ReplyDeleteThe comment was made to be nasty.
meow
ReplyDeletethe pig damsel just posted a BOMB.....holy shit
ReplyDeleteoh my, I saw it
ReplyDeleteyowch, me too
ReplyDeleteI wont be visiting WEFP no more
Zzzzzing!
Details please
ReplyDeleteSo did I. In fact, I read her blog, among other things, while I was there. No problem, either. She has blocked entire countries, entire groups and now Wegmans. The Internet is ubiquitous, and with an abundance of smart phones, it is virtually impossible to block someone without blocking everyone.
ReplyDeleteI thought the whole point of a blog is to have your voice and message heard. Because Mezzacappa, an adjudicated liar, distorts the truth, she tried to limit readers to those who agree with her. She is now calling herself a hero, too.
Does your grandson like those hoagies?
ReplyDeleteHe has not tried them yet.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnamese coffee with the condensed milk is pretty nice too.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of cats.I spent 13 months in South Vietnam and never saw one cat.I did however saw hundreds of dogs.I ask every Viet Nam vet I run into if they saw any cats and I usually get a blank stare and an eye roll.I am not offering any opinions here just reporting what I saw.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteActually I've wondered (but I realize I'm strange) why we don't eat certain animals. Seems to me if you are hungry enough you'll eat most anything. Being Vietnamese has nothing to do with it. I didn't have a fun time there in the 60's but their food is still good. They also are much healthier than us fat Americans. I was serious when I said the only reason we don't eat dogs and cats is they are cute. Many people would not eat veal if they saw the source or steak if they raised the cow and saw it every day. Food is food and basically anything lower than us on the food chain is food.
Bill, I was with Dat today and gave him a choice. He could eat a Banh Mi from Wegmans or try the new noodle broth bowls at Panera, which taste a little like Pho. He went with the noodle broth bowl, an apple and water. No pastries. Most of the Vietnamese i know eat very healthy and actually don't like sweets unless it is fruit.
ReplyDeleteI did not realize you are a Vietnam Vet. Thank you for your service to your country. I know the Vietnamese families I know really appreciated the Americans. In fact, America was good enough to give Dat's family a home.
http://phys.org/news/2014-07-vietnam-cat-pets-peril.html
ReplyDeleteDon't mean to imply anything other than I can use google.
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteActually I'm 100% disabled Viet Nam Veteran. Although lots of us have mixed feelings, I met many good people in Viet Nam. A lot of them were great friends and just flat out good folks. I'm sure your dad met many in Europe while going through his bad times.
Like most of my buddies, I'm uncomfortable being thanked for just doing our job at the time. However, it is appreciated and a refreshing change.
Not sure how valid the link you provide is, but I can state the Vietnamese I know are disgusted by the idea of eating a cat or a dog. Note the link discusses a practice in Hanoi, not South Viet Nam.
ReplyDeleteI'm not permitting any more of these OT comments,.
ReplyDelete