Banh Mi at Saigon Pearl

No need to travel to Montreal when the craving hits. You can finally find a banh mi in Albany with the right kind of bread. Saigon Pearl on Madison Ave. delivers a light and crisp French baguette that shatters upon first bite. The bread has drastically changed since their opening day offering and finally highlights the most important element of a banh mi. You won't find the classic fillings of cha lua bologna or liver pate, but the bbq beef and meatball versions are equally as satisfying, bringing together savory, sweet, and fresh flavors. Plus at $5.00 a sandwich, it's a steal and a much tastier alternative to that generic five dollar foot long. Add a durian milkshake if you're brave enough and you've got yourself a pretty good Vietnamese meal. 

Saigon Pearl

As the weather cools down, there's nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of pho. A few weeks ago, we were dead set on satisfying a craving at Kim's but to our surprise, it was closed for renovations. One week later we saw an Instagram from Bread and Honey that they were testing banh mi bread for a restaurant called Saigon Pearl located at the very same location as the former Kim's Vietnamese. Timing was perfect this weekend as my parents were in town and Saigon Pearl was officially opened for business. 

The newly renovated space was a scene out of Restaurant Impossible, with modern furnishings and a vibrant glass water fountain upon entry. We weren't quite sure whether it was an upgrade for Kim's until we tasted the pho broth. Each Vietnamese chef has their own unique recipe and much to our dismay, the broth was not the same. Leave it to my mom to find out that it was indeed under new ownership. Seasonings and spices were weak and the soup lacked the distinctive flavors of classic pho. While there were generous cuts of eye round, brisket, and meatballs, the soup was missing that rich, beefy flavor we always look for. Granted it was only day two of a brand-new restaurant, we're chalking it up to grand opening kinks.

Even though my parents just brought down Montreal banh mi sandwiches for us, we were too curious to pass up on the $5 Saigon Pearl banh mi. As a grand opening special, sandwiches were two for $5 and we went with choices of Vietnamese meatballs and bbq pork. I suspected that the bread was not quite Bread and Honey's as it was too short for a banh mi, not crusty like the usual loaves, and the crumb too soft. It's no Montreal banh mi but the filling was spot on. Both were very flavorful and the meatball in tomato sauce (xiu mai) was a welcomed banh mi option around here. We have high hopes for bun thit nuong noodle bowls with these kinds of flavors. As for banh mi, while it's not the bread we were hoping for, it's a good enough option for Albany. At least the pork banh mi still had familiar flavors with a schmear of pate with crunchy pickled veggies. A little toasting could go a long way if they're sticking to this bread but perhaps the perfect bread is still in the works. 

Whether it was a complimentary grand opening treat or not, I liked the basket of fried shrimp chips (banh phong tom) a la chips and salsa at Mexican joints that came before our entrees. We also got complimentary fried egg rolls and these were on par in flavor to my mom's and were quite tasty. Although we're sad to see Kim's go, it's nice to see another Vietnamese option in the Capital Region. I think Albany is ready for real Vietnamese flavors without muting authentic flavors. Here's to hoping the restaurant makes some adjustments.

+ Returning Bites: Banh Mi at Saigon Pearl
+ Returning BItes: Hu Tieu Kho Noodles

Good Night Noodle 2.0

Good Night Noodle is officially open! What an exciting journey seeing Good Morning Cafe finally transformed to its Southeast Asian alter-ego. It's been many months since a sneak peak tasting in March and now everyone gets to experience Vietnamese food with a healthier twist. 

We've yet to make it up to Good Morning Cafe for breakfast but despite sharing the same space, its evening counterpart has a very intimate and inviting atmosphere, perfect for date night. The focus of Good Night Noodle is mainly on Vietnamese staples like pho noodle soup and summer rolls sprinkled with Thai favorites like pad thai and other Asian-inspired specials. While flavors are global, the ingredients echo Good Morning's mission to bring locally-sourced organic, fresh, and minimally processed ingredients to your plate. This includes farm-fresh veggies used in the summer rolls and grass-fed beef in the signature meatballs for your pho noodle soup. To boot, for each bowl of pho served, Good Night Noodle will give 25 cents toward the purchase of one pound of rice for the villagers of Poysomroung, their adopted community in Cambodia. Eat good, feel good, do good--it's that simple! 

Flavorwise, I've touched base on the pho before and Chef Linh has managed to improve on its flavor. We each got a bowl of the beef noodle pho. It's not the broth you're looking for at Kim's, Van's, or Saigon Spring but still has familiar flavor profiles. The aromatic soup has a natural beefy flavor with a clear, clean tasting broth that's elevated by the homemade meatballs.  The texture of the meatballs is unlike the ones you get elsewhere. I kind of missed the chewiness of the mass produced ones but the flavors made up for its Italian meatball-like texture. J missed the usual mix of sliced eye round and brisket but he most definitely approved this version. We both agreed that while not completely traditional, it's a welcomed version that's good and good for us. But if you need extra sodium kick like we did, ask for the premium Red Boat fish sauce. Pho is all about adding accoutrements to your liking including a dash of sriracha and Linh's homemade hoisin sauce,  which by the way tastes ten times better than the jarred stuff. 

Creo Restaurant

Do our eyes deceive us? Banh mi AND poutine under one roof? The two dishes we live and die for were both on the lunch menu at Creo Restaurant. It's like they were meant just for us. I was always intimidated by Creo, thinking it was too stuffy to be part of our dining scene.  We frequent Mr. Fuji Sushi and The Meat House on a regular basis but for for some reason or another, we always bypassed Creo at Stuvesant Plaza. Setting our prejudices aside, we set off for to try a new experience. The menu had our names written all over it; how could we pass up on two of our favorite meals?

Our search for poutine in the Capital Region has led us to various interpretations, from The City Beer Hall to Capital City Gastropub, with little success in replicating the flavors and squeakiness of this French Canadian delicacy. They both deserve honorable mentions for use of quality ingredients but the magic is in a certain cheese curd and execution of the dish. It's hard to impress this Canadian-Vietnamese. Thus far, the only place that has been able to perfect the ratio of unmelted cheese curd to crispy fries and gravy has been The Montreal Poutine food truck. The cheese curd I look for has a particular flavor and texture that local cheddar curds here just don't have. Oddly enough, Montreal Poutine truck aside, the only other cheese curd with the exact flavor profile can be found frozen in Trader Joe's version of poutine but the fries and gravy that come with it are atrocious. It's difficult to describe what I'm looking for exactly in terms of flavor but it's almost a cross between mozzarella and cheddar and the texture and squeak of halloumi. So how does Creo's poutine fare? 

Banh Mi Hung Phat

To most people Montreal is synonymous with the French-Canadian delicacy of poutine. J and I have a deep love for poutine but Montreal for us is about exploring my family's Vietnamese roots as well. My mom is an amazing cook and bar none makes the best homemade spring rolls and chicken pho noodle soup. The one dish that is best left to the professionals is the humble but oh so delicious banh mi sandwich. 

Marche Hung Phat has mastered the art of assembling a good 'ole banh mi sandwich. At a mere $3.50 in Canadian dollars/$3.32 in U.S. Dollars at the current exchange rate (that's no typo!), this deal blows the $5 footlong Subway sandwich out of the water. What makes a classic banh mi sandwich so good you ask? Let's break it down: 

- The Baguette: Did you know Vietnamese cuisine has a lot of French influences? Case in point--the very foundation of any sandwich--the bread. Banh mi literally translates to bread. What's unique about the Vietnamese version is that it's made from a combination of wheat and rice flours. The result is a crispy crust yet light innard, the perfect vehicle for meaty accroutrements.

-The Filling: A classic banh mi has a schmear of liver pate and homemade garlic mayo (other very French components) with thinly sliced layers of ham and pork bologna called cha lua. You can actually find cha lua at the Asian markets here in Albany if you want to give a go at making your own homemade banh mi sandwich. 

-The Greens: Must include pickled carrots and daikon, fresh crisp spears of cucumber, cilantro, and slices of bird chillies for a spicy kick. 

A good banh mi is a fine balance of the above elements. It's layers of flavors and textures in a humble sandwich. One bite and it's a party in your mouth: crispy, crunchy, spicy, meaty, salty, sour, umami. Banh mi sandwiches at Marche Hung Phat are that special. Maybe it's because of its location in the heavily French-influenced province of Quebec, or maybe it's because those ladies behind the counter just assemble your sandwich to order with love. By the way, every sandwich is customized to your liking so it really is made with love.  You can even deviate and order other banh mi sandwiches made with chicken, tofu, Vietnamese sausage, or pork meatball or go in a completely different direction with other Vietnamese soup dishes.

But really, make it a point to order yourself a #2 Classic Banh Mi at Marche Hung Phat. It's what they are known for. Best $3.50 you'll ever spend on "fast food".  It's also conveniently located near  Little Italy and Marche Jean Talon's public farmer's market where you'll find more good eats and free samples along the way. -R