Cuisine: Vietnamese/Bahn Mi SandwichesLocation(s): 37 St. Mark's Pl b/w 1st & 2nd ave, 241 3rd Ave b/w 19th & 20th St, 120 Christopher St, 9 Maiden Lane & 61 Lexington Ave b/w 25th & 26th st
Phone #: (347) 892 2614
Method(s): Eat in and delivery
Price Range: $
Food: B+
Value: A
Service/Atmosphere: B
Overall Rating: B+
Baoguette is the mastermind creation of Michael "Bao" Huynh (not to be confused with Bao Noodles or Bauhaus which are unrelated to Mr. Huynh). There are 5 locations around Manhattan and Mr. Huynh is certainly bringing heady Vietnamese food to the masses.
What I liked
As an appetizer I had the Vietnamese Crepe ($8), which I thought was fantastic. It contained pork belly and shrimp cooked into a crepe like wrap (hence the name). It also came with a spicy dipping sauce and lettuce wraps to top it off. A totally new flavor for me that I really liked. Another incredible app is the Vietnamese Corn on the Cob ($5/2 pieces) which was coated in chili salt and scallions and was no like no corn I've ever tasted. Spicy, salty and just insane. Try it ASAP.
Food: B+
Value: A
Service/Atmosphere: B
Overall Rating: B+
Baoguette is the mastermind creation of Michael "Bao" Huynh (not to be confused with Bao Noodles or Bauhaus which are unrelated to Mr. Huynh). There are 5 locations around Manhattan and Mr. Huynh is certainly bringing heady Vietnamese food to the masses.
What I liked
As an appetizer I had the Vietnamese Crepe ($8), which I thought was fantastic. It contained pork belly and shrimp cooked into a crepe like wrap (hence the name). It also came with a spicy dipping sauce and lettuce wraps to top it off. A totally new flavor for me that I really liked. Another incredible app is the Vietnamese Corn on the Cob ($5/2 pieces) which was coated in chili salt and scallions and was no like no corn I've ever tasted. Spicy, salty and just insane. Try it ASAP.
Baoguette is best known for the Bahn Mi Sandwiches, which is just another way of saying a Vietnamese sandwich on a French baguette. The signature of a Bahn Mi sandwich is typically the freshness of the bread as well as unique spices like lemongrass and cilantro. I tried the Grilled Pork Chop Sandwich ($8) and it did not disappoint. The pork chop alone was extremely tasty on the fresh, soft baguette, but when you mix in the different tastes of the fried egg and jalapeno as well, you just bought yourself a one-way ticket to flavor-town.
What Could Use Work
Despite being dubbed the "classic" I was just not a fan of the Baoguette Classic. Perhaps it was a mistake choosing this particular variety of bahn mi (pork, terrine, pate & fresh herbs), but the fact that it was their classic convinced me to go for it. The mix of the sweet fresh herbs with the salty pork and bread was a good try, but ultimately failed, in my opinion. Pate in general is just not substantial enough in terms of the amount of food it offers. What's more, the bread was just too crispy this time I got it -- to the point that I started to grow concerned about the mess I was making from eating the sandwich (anyone who knows me can attest this is usually not a concern of mine, so it must have been damn messy). Next time I'm going to play it safe and order one of the BBQ Chicken, Sloppy Bao Beef or Catfish Signature sandwiches.
Killed it!
Ever since I had my first NYC bowl of ramen last year (not the cup o' noodle kind if that's what you were thinking), I have been hearing things about this "other" asian noodle soup called Pho (pronounced "fa" like "phocking good"). I have tried the Pho Special ($8) and the Pho Chin Nac ($8) and let me tell you: Pho lives up to all the hype. It is similar to ramen in that it contains noodles (although shorter and thinner than typical ramen noodles) and other ingredients like pork and/or beef in a spicy broth, but beyond that they are actually quite different. Whereas ramen's overriding flavor is usually the saltiness, pho's overriding flavor is its sweetness (while still being a bit salty). The Pho Special has rare beef, brisket, tendon & anise broth. Don't be frightened by the rare beef, since it cooks plenty in the steaming hot broth. If the "rare" thing freaks you out then stick with the Pho Chin Nac, which contains well done brisket only in an anise broth. Be generous with the sarachi hot sauce and hoisin sauce they include with the order (just dump it all in the broth) and then enjoy this delectable soup.
What Could Use Work
Despite being dubbed the "classic" I was just not a fan of the Baoguette Classic. Perhaps it was a mistake choosing this particular variety of bahn mi (pork, terrine, pate & fresh herbs), but the fact that it was their classic convinced me to go for it. The mix of the sweet fresh herbs with the salty pork and bread was a good try, but ultimately failed, in my opinion. Pate in general is just not substantial enough in terms of the amount of food it offers. What's more, the bread was just too crispy this time I got it -- to the point that I started to grow concerned about the mess I was making from eating the sandwich (anyone who knows me can attest this is usually not a concern of mine, so it must have been damn messy). Next time I'm going to play it safe and order one of the BBQ Chicken, Sloppy Bao Beef or Catfish Signature sandwiches.
Killed it!
Ever since I had my first NYC bowl of ramen last year (not the cup o' noodle kind if that's what you were thinking), I have been hearing things about this "other" asian noodle soup called Pho (pronounced "fa" like "phocking good"). I have tried the Pho Special ($8) and the Pho Chin Nac ($8) and let me tell you: Pho lives up to all the hype. It is similar to ramen in that it contains noodles (although shorter and thinner than typical ramen noodles) and other ingredients like pork and/or beef in a spicy broth, but beyond that they are actually quite different. Whereas ramen's overriding flavor is usually the saltiness, pho's overriding flavor is its sweetness (while still being a bit salty). The Pho Special has rare beef, brisket, tendon & anise broth. Don't be frightened by the rare beef, since it cooks plenty in the steaming hot broth. If the "rare" thing freaks you out then stick with the Pho Chin Nac, which contains well done brisket only in an anise broth. Be generous with the sarachi hot sauce and hoisin sauce they include with the order (just dump it all in the broth) and then enjoy this delectable soup.
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