While the rest of foodie London is in the grip of
an apparently unquenchable mania for hamburgers, with new super-hyped burger
enterprises and even burger iPhone apps emerging by the week (and I should say at this point that I love a good burger as much as the next man), I would have to argue
the case for Bánh mì as
the best sandwich ever invented. Like Phở and other Vietnamese dishes it is a
pleasing and balanced marriage of French and South-East Asian cuisines, a
baguette filled usually with pâté along with a selection of meats, fresh Asian herbs
and vegetables. The Bánh mì is one of those rare foods that is at the same time
delicious and indulgent, but also seemingly wholesome and not altogether
unhealthy. There has to be at least one of the dreaded 'five portions' in every
Bánh mì. The humble carrot, for instance, usually makes an appearance in
julienned form, and I always feel that the carrot has finally found its calling
when I feel it's crunch and sweetness balancing out the other elements in a Bánh
mì.
I first ate Bánh mì on a trip to Vietnam, about a decade ago
now. That first one has assumed a sort of Platonic-ideal status in my memory,
containing as it did little pieces of pork crackling along with a bewildering array of other flavours which somehow integrated into a whole. I remember wondering why
these sandwiches were not available on every corner of every city in the world.
Ten years later and London is, thankfully, pleasantly sprinkled with Bánh mì
outlets of one kind or another, with even the EAT sandwich chain having a go
(and failing dismally). The Bánh mì is not quite as ubiquitous as it deserves
to be (for instance, if I was in charge you would see them in schools and outside football
matches), and in most city offices you will still meet the depressing
sight of people eating petrol-station-style sandwiches from Boots or Tesco. But there is no doubt
there has been a significant step forward for foodie civilisation.
In Islington, we have the tiny Phở Express on Upper St, and
the Bún
Chả Cafe on Exmouth Market. A little further
afield, there are the many good Vietnemese places around Old St and Kingsland Road,
plus a few around the Theobald’s Road and Clerkenwell Road area. The excellent Banhmi11 are also to be found on the 'Eat St' stretch of Kings Boulevard behind Kings Cross station on selected days. In the name of
research, I decided to stage an informal Bánh mì contest between Phở Express
and Bún chả Cafe for the borough’s best.
Phở Express, in case you have missed it, is a tiny, funky place on Upper St, roughly opposite Ottolenghi, with space for one or two diners slurping the Phở which they also serve (hence the name). The Bánh mì here is superb – served in a warm and fresh baguette, baked enough to have the right brown colour and hard crunch with soft bread inside. Fillings are very fresh, and the grilled pork is delicious. Chilli is applied in enough quantity for you to know its there. This little place kicks so many of Upper St’s notoriously mediocre food options into touch, for a fraction of the price.
Bún Chả Cafe is a relatively recent addition to the
veritable embarrassment of foodie riches on Exmouth Market. Perhaps Bún chả (grilled pork
noodle soup) is their thing – I’ll be back another day to check. Not having visited before, I was hoping
for a more exciting Bánh mì contest, and was even planning to document detailed
scores for bread, pork, herbs, and the other ingredients. Unfortunately, the Bánh
mì-off was over as a contest as soon as I saw the bread. There's not much in
this world that gets my goat more than an undercooked baguette (food-wise
anyway). Fillings had a lack of freshness, lack of chilli, and an unappetising
mayo drizzled over the top. If there were Bánh mì top trumps cards, Phở Express
would have won every possible permutation. Still, a definitive outcome at least
– anyone looking for a top-notch Bánh mì in Islington can be confidently
directed to one place: Phở Express. If I lived or worked close to Upper St, I would be
down there on a daily basis. 
Phở Express
149 Upper St
London N1 1RA
Bún Chả Cafe
49 Exmouth Market
London EC1R
No comments:
Post a Comment