Vietnamese Subs

Posted on April 25, 2013 by shipwrekkt

Assorted sub from Sate Sub – Calgary

One of my favourite meals in Calgary was an assorted sub and an avocado bubble tea. Vietnamese sub shops are everywhere in Calgary, and Viet subs are the perfect street food, especially when accompanied by a bubble tea. When I was introduced to this most excellent sandwich, I figured it was to Calgary what donairs are to Halifax, i.e. the omnipresent quintessence of local identity. But Vietnamese subs, or banh mi (pronounced bin-mee), are not unique to Calgary. They are the result of French colonialism in Vietnam, where baguettes, crepes, and pate are now common foods. It was only a matter of time before people started stuffing Vietnamese ingredients, like cilantro and pickled carrots, into personal sized baguette rolls. Popular Calgary varieties include sate beef, pepper chicken, and assorted Vietnamese cold cut. While banh mi are abundantly popular in Calgary, they can be found in any major city.

Except Halifax – Or so I thought. I was preparing myself to move back to a city that had never known the joys of Vietnamese subs. I was all set to settle for shwarma, to fall for falafel, and daringly eat donair – when Lo and Behold! A Vietnamese sub shop opened in Halifax, fully equipped with bubble tea!

Sate chicken sub from Indochine

Indochine is Halifax’s only Viet sub shop, which also serves up fusion tacos and bubble tea smoothies. The food is made from scratch, and local ingredients are emphasized. The baguettes are sourced from Local Source bakery, and the pate is from Ratinaud French Cuisine. In true Haligonian style, there is a multigrain option as well as several vegetarian options like buddha (tofu) and veggie meatball. There is even a vegetarian pate. You won’t find that in Calgary! While I don’t find these subs to be precisely authentic, they do hit the spot with local flare and gourmet pizazz. They are adorned with fresh cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots and daikon radish, and a signature citrus mayo. Make sure to ask for extra chiles!

Pork Meatball Sub at Indochine

My favourite sub from Indochine is the pork meatball, with Ratinaud’s pate. The spiciness of the meatball, the depth of the pate and the crispy tang of the veggies was a flavour explosion. The baguette in the above photo is the organic Local Source baguette that Indochine started using this past January, whereas previously they sourced their bread from 24 Carrots Bakery. The baguettes may not be authentic banh mi, but they still make for a great sandwich. My only complaint is that Indochine doesn’t offer my favourite type of Viet sub: assorted cold cut. Since Indochine takes pride in offering fresh, non-processed product, they do not offer the mystery meat that captured my heart in Calgary.

I got to wondering if there was anywhere else to find banh mi in Halifax…

Assorted sub from Truy Vietnamese Cuisine at the Dartmouth Flea Market

Then one day I got a tip that there was a Vietnamese sub at the Dartmouth flea market, of all places. Truy Vietnamese Cuisine is an unlikely vendor in the shanty town that is the Harbourview Weekend Market. The subs are not freshly toasted, or even fabulously flavoured. But they are authentic, and they are totally full of assorted cold cuts! The friendly Vietnamese couple behind the operation told me that the wife makes the cold cuts from scratch, as she used to do in Vietnam.

Home-made cold cuts, you say?!

I was very pleased to find this sub, so that I can now fill that banh mi craving when it must be authentic and simple. In fact, this sub is so simple it begs of you to add lots of the provided sriracha and soy sauce. It is otherwise topped with butter and pate.

Banh mi lunch special at Gingergrass

I continued my search for local banh mi by scouring the menus of Vietnamese restaurants for the off chance that one of them serves the sandwich of my dreams. I found out that Gingergrass serves a banh mi on their weekday lunch menu (M-F, 11:30am-2pm), with a bowl of wonton soup ($7.95). There is only one variety of sub, which is a basic chicken sub with a tasty citrus hoisin sauce. I ordered it spicy and spicy is what I got! Yum! It was almost challenging to eat my soup with my burning tongue. The soup, by the way, was really nice. The sub itself was a little on the small side, but I left satisfied.

The banh mi at Salt Shaker Deli in Lunenburg

I have heard tell that Brooklyn Warehouse and Fid have served their own renditions of banh mi in the past, but as of now this is only a legend. Just for fun, I’ll talk about the banh mi at the Salt Shaker Deli in Lunenburg, just to show an example of what a gourmet banh mi might look like were one to reappear in Halifax. Salt Shaker Deli has a pork meatball sub with julienne vegetables and sriracha mayo in a split and grilled baguette. As you can see, this is a far cry from the Vietnamese subs I used to enjoy in Calgary. However, it was a very tasty sandwich and gives me hope that Vietnamese subs will one day be more visible in the Halifax sandwich scene. Rumour has it that the chef from Brooklyn Warehouse responsible for their former banh mi menu item is now aboard the Nomad Gourmet food truck… *wink wink, nudge nudge*

In the meantime, I’m a big fan of Indochine and will make occasional trips to the Dartmouth flea market. If anyone out there finds a Viet sub I haven’t discovered, please do bring it to my attention!

My Calgary Vietnamese Sub Recommendations for the Hungry Traveller:

Thi Thi
209 1 St SE, (Chinatown), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Saigon Deli
4527 8 Ave SE (Forrest Lawn), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Kim Anh
626 17 Avenue SW (Uptown 17th Ave), Calgary, AB
Urbanspoon Page

Halifax Banh Mi:

Indochine Banh Mi
1551 South Park St.
Halifax, NS
(902) 407-1222

Harbourview Weekend Market
42 Canal St.
Dartmouth, NS
(902) 407-3323

Gingergrass Thai & Vietnamese Cuisine
1284 Barrington Street
Halifax, NS
(902) 425-8555

Salt Shaker Deli
124 Montague St
Lunenburg, NS
(902) 640-3434

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Sully’s Roast Beef & Smoked Meat

Posted on January 21, 2013 by shipwrekkt

As promised, I ventured into Sully’s today. I brought my good friend MGyver, so that we could go splits on the smoked meat and the roast beef. This no frills restaurant is brightly lit and has only counter space for eating. The one man show behind the counter is friendly, conversational, and slices our meat to order. Meanwhile, we sit on the cherished old stools of the late Ginger’s tavern and watch some tennis on the telly. The beef is roasted to a pinky medium at Certainly Cinnamon, and is handed over to Sully’s for sandwich glory. It is toasted in a sub bun, and then topped with tomato, pickle, onions, lettuce and banana peppers: $6 for 6 inches and $11 for a foot long. Props to you if you can eat a foot long! The meat is really tender and plentiful, and the condiments were flavourful. I was happy with this sandwich, until suddenly I heard moans of delight from my pal MGyver. I looked over and he was already into his first bite of his smoked meat sandwich.

Sully’s smoked meat.

Yay! What a sandwich! Oh, and ignore the slice of cheese. I ordered that as an afterthought but it was completely unnecessary. The meat is shipped in from Montreal and is piled high and sliced thin. The rye bread is from the Fancy Lebanese Bakery, and is steamed before performing its sandwich duties. The steaming seems to make the bread more elastic and durable, helping it to hold the sandwich together rather than being spiteful and dry and falling apart under the harassment of several inches of meat. It is served with a modest side of potato chips, and a good brand of pickle spear, all for $7.50.

Sully’s Roast Beef.

Sully’s also serves Nathan’s hot dogs (authentic NYC) and imports pulled pork from the southern states. More importantly, they have a beverage fridge full of the aloe vera drink to which I am hopelessly addicted! There is talk of setting up a beer tap and maybe serving some Granite beer… maybe… hopefully…? There is also talk of renovations to open up more seating and better kitchen/storage. In time we will see the progression of this business, but for now you might as well go try a sandwich. You won’t be disappointed.

Sully’s Roast Beef & Smoked Meat
3548 Novalea Dr.
Halifax, NS
902-493-5141
Facebook Page

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Hali Deli

Posted on January 13, 2013 by shipwrekkt

When Halifax claims (or reclaims) a food trend, it is serious business. Recently we’ve seen a boom in Korean food, for example, surging from 1 to 6 Korean restaurants in record time. Gourmet hamburgers are another example. In 2012 alone, 4 gourmet burger restaurants opened, and 2 more are on the way. Now I’m seeing a boom in smoked meat, which apparently used to be commonplace in the 1970s or thereabouts, and is seeing a resurgence now. I’ve dined at Schwartz’s in Montreal, and Katz’s in NYC, so you can imagine my excitement when a Jewish deli opened on Agricola Street, complete with matzo ball soup and half-sour pickles (half pickle, half cucumber and totally delicious!)The smoked meat sandwich ($10.99) is piled high with hand-sliced smoked meat, very little bread to hold it together, and mustard at the table for self-application (deli-style and ballpark yellow). I had to reassemble my sandwich due to disproportionate elements, and questionable bread integrity. The platter comes with fries (or sub salad $1.99), coleslaw and a half-sour spear. The French fries did not impress me, and they are way too heavy an ally to these colossal sandwiches. Fortunately, you can substitute them with items from the side menu, such as potato knish, kasha vamishkes, potato latke, and sweet kugel (descriptions of said items are on the back of the menu). If only they would let you substitute soup…Well it certainly looks good, but how does it taste? It’s good! It is nowhere near as good as Schwartz’s, but it’s satisfying. The meat is more moist, and reminds me of a pre-cooked ham more than a house-smoked brisket. I inquired into the source of the smoked meat and was told that it is shipped from a wholesaler in Montreal. Just because it came from Montreal doesn’t make it awesome… in fact, I think in-house smoking would be a vast improvement.

There is also smoked meat in grilled cheese form! (Grilled Cheese Deluxe $9.99).

I was intrigued by the grilled all-beef salami ($10.99). Not bad, but there was just too much of it. Take out a couple slices, add mustard, and then you have a sandwich.

The mixed grill ($12.99) in an onion bun was pretty awesome. The salami is balanced with smoked meat and corned beef and everything fits snugly in the onion bun. This is a winning sandwich! The pastry is the potato-stuffed potato knish.

The other winner was the Reuban ($12.99): corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, Russian dressing on twin grilled rye bread. I only got to have one bite, but I would recommend it.

Despite the fact that I’m not overly impressed by the smoked meat at Hali Deli, it is a welcome addition to the city. The Reuban and the Mixed Grill are worth a return visit. If you read the menu, you will also notice some very exciting breakfast and dinner options, and a rather intriguing hamburger. More “research” is unavoidable. Next week, I will be checking out Sully’s Roast Beef and Smoked Meat as the sandwich war continues!

@NotThatGirl1981′s lunchtime photo… makes me want to get an iphone.

Hali Deli
2389 Agricola St.
Halifax, NS
902-406-2500
Web Site

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

Posted on December 17, 2012 by shipwrekkt

The concept of the “Italian sandwich” is one that is fiercely guarded at various state borders. Some people claim the Italian sandwich is a type of cold cut consisting of Italian deli meats like capicola ham and genoa salami. To others, it is breaded veal and marinara sauce in a bun. In New Orleans, the Muffaletta is the Italian sandwich of legend. A “Maine Italian” uses a soft white bun, ham, American cheese and a ton of vegetables doused with oil and vinegar. But in Chicago, the Italian is a dripping pleasure of beef, sauce and bun.

Thinly shaved roast beef, dunked in beef-based broth, and slapped into a chewy Italian bun with fried peppers. This sandwich is similar to a French Dip but it is much more flavourful and messy. Whereas a French Dip is served au jus for dipping, a Chicago Italian is ladled with the jus. Sometimes the whole sandwich is dunked in it! Aside from fried peppers, a Chicago Italian often comes with giardiniera, a hot pickled mixture of carrots, cauliflower, serrano peppers, celery, olives and herbs.

My first time in Chicago, I went searching for this delicacy in Wrigleyville, and ended up at a random place that served the typical hotdogs, gyros, and hamburgers.

It was an act of desperation, since I had been looking everywhere for Italian Beefs and couldn’t find them, even though they were probably right under my nose.

It was really spicy as it included giardiniera and sport peppers but it wasn’t particularly juicy. The meat looked kinda flappy and was overpowered by the heat. I started thinking maybe this wasn’t the real deal.

On my second trip to Chicago I made sure to follow my research and dine at Al’s #1 Beef, which came highly recommended by local friends, Yelpers and Chowhounds. This time I made sure to request the full baptism of my sandwich and whimsically added provolone. I was confused when I was asked if I wanted spicy and/or sweet peppers, but I waved my hands frantically indicating “Yes, yes, give me everything!” The home-made giardiniera (the spicy), was more complex in flavour than the store-brand version I tried on my last trip, and it benefited from the absence of obnoxious cauliflower chunks. It was well balanced by the “home-made sweet peppers” which were noticeably sweet. The beef was really tender, and the Italian bread held up really well to the juice, which was delightfully greasy.

Italian Beef @ Al’s #1

I actually ordered a “combo” which includes the addition of an Italian sausage. I have to tell the world: this was a life-altering sandwich! The integrity of the broth-soaked bread, the tenderness of the beef, the spicy snap of the sausage, the spicy sweetness of the giardiniera and peppers, and a greasy finish. This is perfection.

Italian Beef Combo @ Al’s #1

You will need to wash your hands and probably go for a jog after you eat this, but definitely eat this! Do not hold back! There are three sizes of Italian Beef available at Al’s #1, ranging from $4.50-$7.50, and the combo is $6.75. Each additional topping (sweet peppers, cheese, giardiniera) is 50 cents each, which I didn’t realize until my ecstasy had subsided. There is little, if any, seating area, cash only, and this particular location lacked any sort of ventilation, so it was ridiculously hot and smoky. I was at the Jackson Street location, but I hear the best sandwich is made at Al’s on Taylor Street, by the University. Hot dogs and sausages are also available, and some locations have a more extensive menu than others.

Al’s #1 Beef
Various locations in Chicago and surrounding areas.
Web Site

For more information on Italian Beef, here is a whole web site dedicated to it:
ItalianBeef.com

Explore Chicago
Official Tourism Site

Eat This Town

A Halifax-Based Food Tourism Blog

Category Archives: Sandwiches

Vietnamese Subs

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Sully’s Roast Beef & Smoked Meat

Halifax Smoked Meat Wars: Hali Deli

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

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