Having now made the same mistake twice, I need to get this down in Google to protect my future self: the “Banh D” sandwich at Sidecar is not only a bad value compared to a $3.50 Ba Xuyen banh mi, it is not even a particularly tasty sandwich, poorly conceived from top to bottom.
Every attempt I’ve encountered to “class up” a banh mi has been a failure. This is perplexing. The banh mi is a very simple sandwich, which offers very simple—though profound—pleasures. It stands to reason a clever cook could “elevate” (to use an obnoxious Top Chef cliché) the banh mi into something both delicious and worth $11. But… no.
I mean, tell me: why ciabatta? Vietnamese baguettes are absolutely delicious: crispy, fluffy, and chewy all at the same time. Ciabatta is not an improvement. Is there any such thing as a good sandwich made better by ciabatta?
In fairness, I will point out that Sidecar’s fried chicken is delicious (though they charge an extra dollar or two for dark meat, which is bullshit). I also hear good things about the burger.
Procrastiblog 
Chris
Have you seen that the old Tea Lounge on 7th and 10th is now going to be a “Bubble Tea and Vietnamese Sandwich” joint?
Hopefully their Banh Mi will be better than Sidecar’s.
Comment by Grace — December 18, 2008 @ 10:13 am
I did see that. I’ve never been the the sister shop in Boerum Hill, but people seem to like it. I’m cautiously optimistic… (There will damn sure not be any ciabatta in sight.)
Comment by Chris — December 18, 2008 @ 11:12 am
[…] #2: Is there a “fancy” bánh mì worth eating? I first posed this question back in December, after having been disappointed (twice!) by the bánh mì simulation on offer at […]
Pingback by The Last Word on Bánh Mì « Procrastiblog — June 14, 2009 @ 1:46 pm