Banh Mi

[mamster]

Hey Mamster, that sounds like a fun home experiment. But what do you do with the DNA once you've extracted it? Can you make onion DNA explode or turn into any funny colors?

Good question.  Um, you could run it on a gel with a sample from the crime scene, apply some probes, and see if this particular onion is the suspect you're looking for.  You could definitely stain it many funny colors.  You could also just leave a pile of it in the locker of that kid who beats you up--it's pretty gross.

[PerfectCircle]

Wow. The guy at Banh Mi 88 is dedicated to his craft. Today I asked him about the sauce he uses on the barbeque pork. At first, he merely said "fish sauce" and left it at that. Then, for some reason, he decided to divulge his secret. He takes fish sauce and dilutes it with water and rice vinegar ("too strong, too salty" otherwise), then adds garlic and sugar. Not only does he conjure up his own secret sauce, he showed me his large pan of his own mayonaise made from scratch (which adorns only the combo, by the way). I was so impressed.

Another success today at Saigon Deli with my first try of their Grilled Pork banh mi. Nice big chunks of delicious pork, evenly distributed throughout the sandwich. I almost ordered the sliced barbeque pork by way of comparison, but three sandwiches for lunch borders on extreme....

[col klink]

You can always save a sandwich or two for dinner . . .

PerfectCircle, good work on getting the recipe! I've found it difficult to exchange more than a couple of words with him, but I would bend over backwards for him and would be happy to kill for that man. His bbq pork is still my favorite.

[girl chow]

Anyone know the hours of Banh Mi 88or the Saigon Deli? I'll be crusing near the ID after work today (wish me luck in the Mariner's traffic!). I thought I'd stop by there and grab a sandwich before heading to a meeting downtown.  I'll be sure to sit next to the person I least like and breathe onions all over them :)

[col klink]

Except for one Monday game, they've been open every day I've tried. I guess you have to take a day off every once in a while. I haven't tried on a Thursday night before, but I can't imagine that he wouldn't be open. But if he is closed, go to Saigon Deli, kitty-corner to 88, on the North-East corner of 12th and Jackson (if that isn't Saigon Deli, the location is right). They have more variety and have the second best sandwiches. I enjoyed the chicken and their bbq pork wasn't bad.

[PerfectCircle]

Ah, but saving a sandwich for dinner would require a level of self-control which I am sadly lacking!

I keep meaning to check hours at my fave spots because I've cruised down to that intersection for dinner more than once only to be foiled by relatively early closing times. I think all the sandwich/deli places are open until 6:00, so you should be safe if you're going right after work. Col Klink, haven't you been going before the baseball games on weeknights? Has it been after 6:00?

Oh, and this is off-topic, but evidence of the board at work: I passed along eGullet posts to my vegetarian sweetheart about the meatless options at the Safe. It's his first baseball game in Seattle (maybe ever, actually, if you don't count Little League) and he was wondering if he'd have to get by with only beer for dinner (which wouldn't bother him too much, truth be told, except for the price), so he was glad to hear about the garlic fries.

[col klink]

For the weekend nights I've always managed to get there before 6 so I'm not sure. But with so many establishments serving banh mi, there has to be at least one open.

It is my understanding that the banh mi venders are quite aware of the games and plan on being available at least before. However, smaller outfits like 88 may get tired.

I'm not sure where at Sa-fee-co it is, but supposedly there's a health conscience food stand with granola, yogurt and other non-meat related items. How vegetarian is he? There's always the sushi stand by the bullpen. I can already hear the cries: "blasphemer thou!" But, Man cannot live on garlic and oil alone.

[girl chow]

I was so disappointed yesterday evening when I walked into Banh Mi 88, ready for my banh mi feast. As soon as I got through the door, the guy at the counter (very nice guy), said "I'm out of bread!" He looked more disappointed than me. Poor guy. I could tell he doesn't like turning away customers. I promised him I'd come back.

So, I went into the parking lot and turned around in a circle three times (sort of like my dogs do before they go to sleep), scoping out the view of the other banh mi places within walking distance of Banh Mi 88/Video West. I ruled out Than Vi to the Northwest and looked to the Northeast. Bingo -- Saigon Deli it was.

I walked into Saigon Deli and was greeted with the most delicious aroma -- sort of a ginger mixed with cooking pork smell? My comments here are totally redundant (everyone else has given a similar review) -- but I just have to agree how great these affordable little sandwiches are. I ordered 2 bbq porks (one for me, one for hubby's midnight snack) and a vegetarian (tofu). I watched the counter lady as she smeared a slightly pinkish-cream looking sauce on the cut rolls and piled on the toppings. There were lots! I can't belive these sandwiches are only $1.25. They were loaded with julienned slices of slightly crunchy daikon and carrot, a few slices of jalapenos, bunches of cilantro, sprinkled with pepper and piled with thick slices of barbecued pork (and marinated tofu on the veggie...I detected notes of ginger and garlic in the tofu) and they nicely toasted the bread per my request. I was in heaven! My only complaint was that the sandwiches were a bit too dry for my liking. I like 'em saucy!

I almost grabbed a package of fresh spring rolls. The guy at the counter said they were $1 each, although I got the feeling that price was negotiable. I decided two sandwiches would probably be more than I could handle. I was right. I could only eat half of each. I'm a wimp! Next time, I'm trying the chicken. I still can't believe my bill was $3.75 for dinner and a late night snack. Wow.

I can't wait to eat at Bahn Mi 88!

[mamster]

One time I went into 88 and he was out of pork.  I think the guy (bad mixed metaphor ahead) runs out of things like a fox to keep people coming back.  Not that I am complaining.

GC, the chicken sandwich from Saigon Deli was definitely moister than the typical pork.  88's pork is quite moist, though.

Has anyone else tried the "charbroiled pork" from 88 or elsewhere?  It's quite a different thing, these tasty pink meatballs.

[col klink]

Tried four new sandwiches from Saigon Deli (88 was closed before the game) and although all are delicous, one particularly stood out as simply the best, the grilled pork. It is the closest to 88's bbq pork that I've had and REALLY good with their own bbq sauce and a couple dabs of their own mayonnaise. Also tried the veggie sandwich which, not surprisingly, had two big tofu patties as the base. Certainly the lightest of all the banh mi I've tried. The other two sandwiches were the meatball and the shredded pork. I believe the meatball was an olio of various pork products. I didn't sense that beef played a roll. Quite tasty, if it wasn't for the shredded pork and the grilled pork, it would be my favorite from Saigon Deli. The shredded pork (I'm eating it right now, envious?) has garlic and possibly tripe mixed in. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it's translucent, a little rubbery and it goes well with the pork. Actually, I don't know what I like better, the shredded pork or the grilled pork. Alas! the angst has overcome me.

[tighe]

Okay, let's make it an event.  Is there any place we could gather and eat our banh mi after we accumulate them?

Did the bahn mi crawl discussed B.t. (before tighe) ever happen. I stopped by Pho & Bahn Mi Saigon on Rainier today for lunch, mostly because of the ample parking and while munching my sandwich decided I really needed to have the different competing BBQ pork side by side to be able to decide on a winner. I understand that I could probably run the experiment myself for under $10, but doing it with other bahn mi devotees would be more fun.

By the way, I thought the sandwich today was quite good. The main difference I noticed was a mayonaise based sauce that I don't think 88 has. At $1.75, the sandwiches ARE a little pricier. If you sit down in the restaurant to eat your sandwich, the price jumps to $3.50. The bowls of pho I saw go by looked large and chock full of beef. I'm assuming that this is not the Saigon Deli discussed in this thread?

[col klink]

Don't think so, but thanks for bringing this thread back up. Just this weekend I went back for a banh mi fix at 88 and they were delicious. Everytime I drop in it reminds me of going to an M's game.

[girl chow]

Thanks for bringing back this thread. I have come to really really love Saigon Deli (the one at 12th and Jackson) over the last several months. Even though Malay Satay Hut is nearby and I could just as easily stop in for some fabulous roti canai, I swear the perfectly toasted veggie and pork bahn mi at Saigon Deli beckon me every time. I cannot visit the corner of 12th and Jackson -- the Bahn Mi Nexus -- without my car heading directly for Saigon Deli. It's completely beyond my power. I am one with bahn mi.