Gastro Traveling

Banh Mi

Looking for an Oriental dish slightly more exotic than Chinese take-out or an Indian buffet?  Then try banh mi.  This tasty Vietnamese sandwich is made with bread, similar to a French baguette, consisting of a blend of rice flour and wheat yielding a fluffy light-as-air interior covered with a thin crispy crust.  Then it’s stuffed with liver pate, sliced jalapenos, daikon pickle, and plenty of intensely flavored Vietnamese charcuterie and grilled meats. 

Ba Xuyên, in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, arguably sells the best of this delicacy.  They seem to have the best of each ingredient: bread with a crunchy yet unburnt crust; flavorful fillings ranging from meatballs to pâté, tangy sweet-tart shredded pickled daikon all sprinkled heavily with fresh cilantro. Squirt on some sweet chili sauce, cool your palate with a cucumber spear, and savor the whole egg mayo throughout…you’re in heaven!  Try the pickled lemon soda if you’re feeling adventurous or stick to the intensely black coffee with condensed milk, hot or iced. 

Ba Xuyen
4222 8th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 633-6601
Nearest subway stop:
9th Ave (D, M)