Met up with Sam planning to go to his favorite brunch spot, Wombat, but instead noticed a new Vietnamese sandwich and bubble tea shop across the street –conveniently named “Banh Mi”. I was surprised at how good these banh mi’s were for being a new place in Williamsburg. Their Classic (pork roll, brawn, roasted ground pork & pate $5.50) banh mi ranks up there with ones I’ve had in Chinatown. The Hanoi Catfish (catfish marinated with ginger, Vietnamese spices & dill $8) is a beautifully fried piece of fish and awesome when you get a bite with mayo sauce. Maybe that means I could’ve used more mayo sauce? Another thing is that “spicy” is not too spicy. But perhaps, my mouth is burnt out from all the Ghost Pepper sauce I’ve been eating …and they do have backup with a bottle of Sriracha cock sauce on the tables.
I liked my Taro Black Tea with Tapioca Balls and Sam’s pink Watermelon bubble tea tasted like Hello Kitty, but in a good way.
Banh Mi – 580 Grand St (btwn Lorimer & Leonard St) Brooklyn 11211
If anyone’s favorite brunch place is Wombat, they need an intervention. I’ve never seen a place who relied so heavily on grease for flavor and who did it so badly. If a restaurant can manage to render friggin’ onion rings inedible, it is to be avoided.