Banh Mi Oh My!

Lots has changed since I last put fingers to keyboard…Got a new job, moved from Pawleys Island down to Charleston, found more baby kitties, etc., etc.  The most exciting part of this new adventure is the fact that I have more than 3 places to eat.

Charleston is a foodies’ town, dare I say the ‘Food Epicenter of the Southeast’? Sorry Nola. There are so many freaking restaurants in the area that it makes it hard to decide where to eat. What a tough life I lead. It’s as though a new spot destined to be the next big thing is opening each week. Food trends are easy to spot because everyone is so vocal about them; smoked this and infused that, the list goes on and on.

One thing that I’m pumped up about seeing is the explosion of Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches that are appearing on menus everywhere. For those not in the know, a Banh Mi is a submarine sandwich with pork (roasted or as a pate), pickled carrots and Daikon radish, jalapenos, cucumbers, cilantro, and mayo served inside a freshly baked baguette. This is the most widely accepted formula, but in no way is etched in stone. I’ve had great versions with lemongrass chicken, beef red curry, and five-spice tofu. This is in my top 3 favorite sandwiches of all time.

It used to be that I could only find them in small Vietnamese restaurants in shady parts of town where the rent is cheap, now I can find them in white tablecloth places in the heart of town. There’s even a banh mi food truck in Charleston called “AutoBanh” which makes one of the best. It was just a few years ago where chefs were putting stylized versions of hamburgers on their menus to be hip and edgy, now it’s the banh mi. Cool with me!

I can remember my first. It was about 8 years ago at Kien Giang in Nashville. I had heard from a coworker that their sandwiches were killer, but I had really no idea what to order. I had never imagined a sandwich at a Vietnamese restaurant. They weren’t even listed as banh mis, in fact I had never heard the name before. My server asked what I wanted so I ordered the #1, a meatball sandwich of some type. In an exaggerated accent, which I still laugh about to this day, she said, “Numba twooo is bettaaaaa!” Little did I know that would be some of the best advice I’ve ever been given.

Now not all banh mis are created equal, some really miss the mark. Just as with a burger, do too much to it or cut corners, there’s a chance it will be screwed up. Take the example of a place that uses repurposed spicy, mayo-based coleslaw in place of the pickled veggies and serves it on Ciabatta bread. Wrong answer! While the exact configuration is to be interpreted, pickled veggies and a French baguette are a must! I’ve even seen folks put Kimchi on them, which isn’t too bad, but let’s not mix too many cultures into one sandwich.

Hopefully this trend will hit other places around the country. I can guess that it’s played out in some spots, but here it’s alive and well. I’m really getting hungry writing this. I think today I’ll go to my favorite banh mi spot in town, Bon Banh Mi, and get the straight up pate version or maybe the Five-spice pork loin. Decisions, decisions.

Ciao down,
Penn