Banh Mi

Every once in awhile, I get a banh mi craving. Generally, it coincides with my bouts of homesickness. Banh mi, for me is and always will be a weekend lunch meal. I very clearly remember attending Vietnamese school on Sunday mornings and eating a sandwich for lunch since my parents would come and pick me up along with a bag of a dozen sandwiches. Back then, they were far cheaper. It came warm, fresh and customized to my young appetite (not spicy, no pickled vegetables.) Week after week, it was the same. In fact, this routine became so predictable, I actually got sick of eating them. At one point, I refused to eat them and continued to not eat them for years....

Fast forward several years, banh mi has become an obsession---everywhere. They come in so many different variations (I'm still partial to the classic) and twists. It's amazing to think that this simple food that I grew up eating because it was cheap has become a cult favorite for foodies everywhere.

Being in New York, I find it hard to find good Vietnamese food. This has a lot to do with growing up in a household with delicious home cooking so no place really measures up. However, when a craving strikes, I must satiate. Bad things happen when I ignore the craving monster, i.e. me consuming massive amounts of whatever I was craving. While waiting for a repair at the Apple store this afternoon, I had read an article that listed the top 10 banh mi sandwiches in New York City and the number one banh mi was conveniently located near my apartment at Banh Mi Zon. I've tried the sandwiches here a couple times and have always liked it so figured I could give it another go.

Get in my belly!

 I must say, this sandwich hit the spot. I devoured it quite fast and wanted another. The bread was crunchy and fresh. There was a perfect ratio of pate and meat. It could have used a bit more pickled vegetables and cilantro but that's a minor complaint. 

I'm happy to have reignited my love affair with the banh mi. It will forever hold a dear place in my heart. <3

Joanie Doanie Comes to Town

My sister was in town this past weekend and we did what the Doans do best: eat and shop. Luckily we share the same affinity for comfort food and desserts! She may be little but my sister puts away nearly as much food as I do and I'm half a foot taller than her.

Homage to our Vietnamese roots with a classic banh mi sandwich from Banh Mi Zon. It was one of the more authentic versions I've tasted in New York and completely delicious. At a mere $5.50, I highly recommend it.

We love cheese. I had to take her to Taureau--a new BYOB fondue place in the East Village. The burner is built into the table. Pretty darn cool. Oh yeah, so is saving tons of money by bringing your own booze! I loved this place. Plenty of fondue options, veggies, fruits and bread to dip and also meats to cook in flavored oil.
Pizza Gruppo has really light thin crust pizzas. I love them. Some could argue that there is no crust but there is part of it the dough with no topping on it so there technically is a crust. I also had the bruschetta and a salad. All delicious. Oh and there's a great 2 for 1 drink special from 3-7pm! Score!

I wanted to take her to Prune for brunch but even arriving at noon, which I think is early for New York standards, the wait was an hour. So we rounded the corner and checked out Boca Chica. I was pleasantly surprised. I like the food and the service was great. I had some sort of eggs on top of corn tortillas with black beans, guacamole and bacon. I love ethnically inspired breakfast. You really can't go wrong when all these delicious ingredients are thrown together. My sister had the cuban sandwich--a bit too much pickle for me but still good.

We had dessert after almost every meal. Our last stop was Sugar Sweet Sunshine, one of my favorite cupcake places in New York. Cheap, moist with great frosting. Heaven.