Bánh Mì Off – Phở Express v Bún Chả Cafe

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

Medcalf – Please Move To My Street

A delightful restaurant in Islington serving modern British food at fair prices, Medcalf is a seductive sort of place that draws you in as you go through your meal, until you leave thinking yeah, lunch, I really need to do this more often, like actually sitting down and eating lunch with a knife and fork. Maybe even a bit of pud. So why isn’t there more talk about it?

Never having worked in the restaurant trade I’m not sure how these things work, but I can’t help thinking that this place suffers from its location, and specifically its proximity to the mighty Moro, the undisputed Daddy (or should that be Mummy & Daddy) of Exmouth Market dining, and the equally charming Morito. If this restaurant was in, say, Hornsey Road or Tufnell Park, I dare say you would never hear the end of people talking about it. Witness the paroxysms of rapture (mixed metaphors? Whatevs) with which local foodies greeted the arrival of, say, Season Kitchen on Stroud Green Road and Trullo on St Pauls’ Road. Both of those are very good restaurants, but they benefit in reputation and general noise-level from being oases in the middle of relative culinary deserts.

In years to come we may well  look back and laugh or sneer at the whole “small plates” thing as a hilarious and outdated fad of our current era, and in fact there may be advanced, in-the-know foodies out there who have already started the backlash. But I have to say I dig it. I really dig it. I hope it’s here to stay. One of the first things I want in a restaurant is an appetising menu. Any time I find myself in a decent restaurant, I usually want everything on the menu, in fact that’s often one of the measures of what I consider a good restaurant. So to be able to order everything on the menu that takes my fancy is really just the ticket. This place has a kind of British take on the small-plates thing, less out-there and St John-ish than St John Bread & Wine, perhaps more Simon Hopkinson-y in tone if they will forgive me that comparison, which is intended as a compliment. There are a few larger 'mains' on the menu as well.

Those like me who are applauding the wresting of the brewing industry back from the corporate clutches of those who destroyed it (a fancy way of saying “people who like drinking nice beer”) are always cheered to see a decent beer range on offer, and Medcalf has a nicely balanced drinks menu with good wine and beer selections. The inclusion of real ale seems particularly appropriate given the British, hearty style of the food. A Kernel Porter was a perfect match for a plate of oysters on my last visit.

This is a great spot for a spot of lunch. Or dinner. The people involved may be happy to continue to quietly do their thing with skill and style. But I wish they’d move to my street.

Medcalf
40 Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QE