Bonnies and Fernet - Devils

The usual suspects and I were out on Saturday night.  After a beers, we decided to eat. This, in it of itself, is blog worthy. We’ve been known to drink our dinner.

It was raining so we just stayed in the neighborhood and hit up our local. Met by a familiar face and a Fernet,  we all ordered burgers, best to go with the devil you know. One of the lads requested some grilled jalapeños for his burger, a respectable request. But, I could tell by the way the bartender said that she’d “try”, it wasn’t going to happen.  The cook, a notoriously stubborn bastard who is also known to grossly over salt everything, isn’t into pleasuring such requests.  In fact, instead just ignoring the appeal, he sent out a plate of raw Scotch Bonnets, one of the hottest peppers on the planet. I interpreted this as the kitchen’s way of saying, don’t order shit that’s not on the menu- tow the line nerds.

You’re probably expecting some story about the heat, the shrieks, the rooster tails. Nah,they ate ‘em, not all of ‘em but, enough.  My buddy with the fabulously irresponsible palate even sliced one up stuck it in his burger. Though he didn’t get his jalapeños, he got some heat and he denied the kitchen even the hint of a sadistic thrill. Me, I stuck with Fernet, the devil I know.

Everyone has stumbled into good eats at one time or another.  But, how often do they find you? In a place like Vietnam with such an abundance of street food it was bound to happen.

One afternoon, KU and I were exploring  Hoi An when we spotted some sort of cart pedaling towards us. KU was quick on the draw.  ”Look little bun cake things. I’m getting one! The bun cake things were  bahn bao, steamed, fist sized dumplings filled with bbq’d pork, bits of sausage, mushrooms and hard boiled egg. We quickly realized why bahn bao is so popular in Vietnam. They’re the perfect snack. As my friend Larry would say, those buns were “bangin’”!

Brain Masala at Chutney

“No! I’m telling you guys. No way! Nope. Not a good idea.  I mean…we’re in the T-Loin and…. just no way.  I just don’t think it’s a good idea. Fuck that! Let’s do something else.”

While  not verbatim, this is a close reenactment of my initial reaction to ordering brain masala at Chutney on Saturday night.  Fortunately for me, Mike and Steve ignored my whining and order it anyways.  They were probably sick of my general bitchiness as displayed earlier in the day when I refused to go into Gussie’s Chicken and Waffles because there wasn’t a line out the door.  For the record, based on the reviews, I did us a favor.

So, brain masala at a Pakistani/Indian joint in the Tenderloin- it was legit!  In fact, it was the second best dish we ordered behind the chicken tikka masala.  Described on the menu as brain of male goat cooked with special herbs, the dish was a blend of tender “meat” simmered in yogurt,  turmeric, onions, garam masala, fresh cilantro, garlic and ginger- as best as I can figure anyways.  It was delicious, a mild tasting yet rich curry dish with an unexpectedly pleasant texture.  I would order it again in a heartbeat.  Props to my boys for pushing the envelope.

Oh, and for the record, Chutney is better than Shalimar and for that matter, Lahore too.  I’ll have to go back to make sure but, that’s my early read.  And, you can bet that I’ll have the brain again.

Instead of writing one monster blog post, I’ve decide to break up the content into smaller bites. The goal here is to highlight some of the more memorable experiences  and to provide some information on how to find them yourself.  If you enjoy this content or are heading to Vietnam and want to learn more, I suggest that you take a look at a blog called Noodlepie.  The author has spent several years chronically his eating exploits in Vietnam and he’s not shy about having an opinion.  Finally, if you’re going to Vietnam and you’re interested in the food, do some homework first and remember some of your best experiences will likely be accidentals.  Go with it.

Pho Sot Vang

Though cult-like in Hanoi,you can find pho everywhere in Vietnam and for the most part, I did.   My favorite was pho sot vang from Quan An Ngan in Hanoi. Loaded with tender chunks of stewed beef, hearty egg noodles, fresh herbs, and a distinct, velvety broth with whispers five spice,  this is the ultimate Vietnamese comfort food.  I enjoyed mine with a squirt of lime, plenty of hot chilies, a good dose of chili sauce and a cold Tiger beer.

Quan An Ngan, Hanoi

Quan An Ngan is certainly worth another mention.  Score one for the good people at Lonely Planet. As one of their recommended spots, their description of Quan An Ngan couldn’t have been more accurate and, lucky for us, our hotel, the Mercure, was literally a block away.  Popular with the locals, Quan An Ngan brings street and market food to the masses.  Minikitchens surround the outdoor eating area turning out, outstanding made-to-order Vietnamese favorites. Each minikitchen specializes in a couple of dishes creating dozens of exciting combinations.  I’m not embarrassed to admit that we ate here nearly a half-dozen times while visiting Hanoi.  Each time we enjoyed a new dishs with the highlights being the pho, bahn bao chay (vegetarian dumplings), and the mi xao hai san (fried egg noodles with seafood and vegetables). The services is helpful, the atmosphere is casual and it’s very inexpensive.

“Do you have any cheesecloth?”

“Not on me,” I replied.

This bizarre exchange  led to an accidental discovery of a delicious pork sandwich. SGH needed to hit Sur la Table for some “equipment” to bottle his homemade Worcestershire sauce, his latest project.  I never need any arm twisting for a visit to Sur la Table.  And, a trip to the Ferry Building typically means one of two things, a roast beef, hot coppa, provolone, and pepperoncini sandwich from Mastrelli’s or carnitas tacos from Mijita.

By the time we reached the Ferry Building,  my heart was set on a deli sandwich. Mastrelli’s is good but notoriously inefficient. Their sando supply chain is completely whack. Take a number, stand around, choose your roll from the communal H1N1 bin, then wait some more. When we went to the door it was clear,we were at least 20 deep. Without discussion, we headed for Mijita.

To get to Mijta, you pass DELICA rf-1, a Japanese Deli.  I’ve eaten here before, but it’s never really registered with me for some reason.  They had a display set up featuring their lunch specials. Japanese lamb curry got my attention, as did the chicken dumplings with sweet chili sauce. Whoa! Pork cutlet sandwich – now were talking. SGH was already in line.

We each ordered a Kurobuta pork cutlet sandwich and a piece of roast beef sushi, a light lunch. Additionally, I tried the miso, while SGH went with a side of wasabi mashed potatoes. We were told that they’d run out of pork cutlets, but they offered to make us a couple  if we wanted to wait.  We waited.

Delica lightly breads a top quality (Kurobuta) pork fillet in homemade panko breadcrumbs, deep fries it, then finishes it with a light layer of fresh cabbage and just the right amount of zippy Tonkatsu sauce. Assembled on fresh pan de mie, a generic, slightly sweet variety of French bread, the sandwich stays together just long enough to eat without making a mess.

If it was “heart smart,” which it’s not, this is a sandwich that I could eat everyday. The best word to describe this sandwich, other than delicious, is balanced.  Though fried crispy, the savory cutlet – the star -isn’t greasy and is complimented perfectly by just the right amount of sweet and tangy sauce, crunchy cabbage, and soft, sweet white bread.   If you’re  a sandwich person, put this one on the list.  It’s unique, thoughtful, and, most importantly, incredibly satisfying.

My clock was off. It was 87 degrees and uber-humid. I wasn’t hungry.  The streets of Old San Juan were already choked with cars.  KU and I left El Convento passing up desayuno at Wendy’s and heading for La Bombenera, a Puerto Rican diner that has been serving simple dishes, pastries, and coffee for over  a 100 years.

La Bombenera is a bustling, old-school diner with a long counter, orange vinyl booths, and hissing coffee machine.   I discovered La Bombenera while researching food in San Juan. It’s remarkably well known and people rave about their famous breakfast sandwiches, mallorcas. Being a long time fan of McMuffin’s, bagel sandos, crisandwiches, and, for that matter, any egg, cheese, and salty breakfast meat between two slices of dough, I wasn’t leaving San Juan without trying a mallorca.

Here’s another example of the wisdom of crowds theory.  The mallorca is a special sandwich, worth the attention. Think Monte Cristo. Think McGriddle without the influence of the evil arches. Imagine a fried egg, a slice of American cheese, and deli ham between two pieces of pan de mallorca, a sweet, flakey pastry dough, all covered in powdered sugar. That’s the mallorca, sweet and savory, a breakfast bomb.  I could’ve eaten a half dozen but that would’ve certainly induced a siesta. I settled on just one. It was too humid to over indulge, more than I already had anyways.

she wanted my mallorca

I’ve been catching some chatter about the food in “Little Saigon” – a couple of streets in the Tenderloin with a dense Vietnamese population.  It’s taken me a while to get down there – not because I’m reluctant to try new stuff or the Tenderloin generally smells like piss – because I’m loyal to my go-to Vietnamese place, Aux Delices, 30 paces from my front door. KU and I hit up Aux Delices a couple of times a month.  It’s our veritable Vietnamese Cheers, where everyone knows our names and we leave our troubles behind over delicate rau xao cari (vegatable curry) and knock-out pho.

Yesterday was a good day to check out what I’ve been missing in Little Saigon.  My friend Mike and I planned to grab some lunch, and I knew he’d be down to try just about anything, so I suggested that we head down to the T-loin to sample some bahn mi from Saigon Sandwich.

Saigon Sandwich has been around forever and apparently attracts quite a following.  Sure enough, when we arrived, there was a line out the door. Mike and I both muttered: “that’s a good sign.”  Jinx.  We stood in a line for a couple of minutes, before the counter lady yelled at us to take our order – efficiency, I like that.

I ordered a pork meatball with everything.  Mike got the “fanci” pork.  We were in and out in 10 minutes. And, each sandwich was $3.00 – stupid-cheap.  I guess the price makes sense: simple ingredients, small menu, low overhead.  We took our food to a bar and ordered a couple of red beers. There’s nowhere to sit at Saigon Sandwich.

I can see why people stand in line. The banh mi here are assembled on light, crusty French rolls filled with savory protein fillings (roasted pork, steamed pork, roasted chicken, pork meatballs, paté or tofu)  then topped with a zippy combination of of julienned, pickled carrot, daikon, sliced jalapeno and fresh cilantro. The hearty pork meatballs with hints of star anise, scallion, and nuoc nam (fish sauce) couldn’t have been more satisfying. I also sampled bahn bao, a steamed dumpling filled with bbq’d chicken, Vietnamese sausage, and a hardboiled egg.  If I’d taken them up on their offer to warm it, I bet it would’ve been even tastier. Next time.  Overall, the experience was unique and worth the trip.

When we finished, I asked Mike if Saigon Sandwich was worth a Filf post.  He suggested that I compare the bahn mi from the T-loin to the real deal in Vietnam.  So, next month, I’m sure I’ll drive KU nuts sampling as many bahn mi as possible in the vairous regions of Vietnam.  Stay tuned.

Saigon Sandwich, 560 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA.

There are all sorts of classifications that folks give to BBQ sauce, most of them regional. Traditionalists would probably categorize my sauce as a “novelty”. I don’t really care much about classifications.  The truth is, I’ve got no aspirations to enter one of those creepy BBQ contests.

Rich substances like coffee, bourbon, soda, blackstrap molasses, and chocolate combined with aromatics and spices give this sauce real body, big taste  and as KU would put it – “some real kick”. I make this sauce especially for pork ribs but end up using it on chicken, lamb and beef. I’ve even tried it on salmon.  The recipe makes nearly 3 pints, plenty to keep around.  I put extra sauce in  plastic squeeze bottles and find that it gets used more often. Homemade BBQ sauce will keep for about a month in the ‘fridge.  Or, if you get a particularly good batch, freeze some in a mason jar.

Seeing as you are making a couple of pints, it’s fun to experiment with different flavors.  I like to divide the finished product into 3 equal quantities and experiment with heat and vinegar levels.  For example, for one recent batch, I diced a scotch bonnet, cooked it for 5 mins and threw it in the blender- HOT.   If you try this, make sure you clean the blender or make this batch last. Otherwise, you’ll end up putting people down.

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

2 cups onion

7 cloves of garlic (set aside 2 cloves for the end of process)

1/2 cup raisins

1 jalapeño, chopped

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup strong coffee

1/2  cup cola ( I use pepsi)

1/2 cup  ketchup

3 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tbs white vinegar

2 tbs tabasco sauce

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs worcester sauce

2 tsp non-sweet cocoa powder or substitute 1 x 1 chunk of bittersweet chocolate chopped @ 1 oz.

2 tbs blackstrap molasses

1 tsp allspice

1 tbs ground mustard

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbs smoked paprika

1 tbs ground black pepper

1 tbs salt ( I use hickory smoked flavored salt)

Instructions

Heat butter and olive oil in a 5 qt pot over medium heat until foam subsides.  Cook onion, garlic (reserve 2 cloves for later), jalapeño and raisins covered, stirring occasionally for 7-9 minutes or until onion begins to brown.

Add bourbon and bring to a boil.  Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (5 mins).  Stir in coffee and cook until mostly evaporated.  Repeat with cola.

Add ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar(s), molasses, Worcestershire, and chocolate and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add spices and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 20-25  minutes until sauce thickens.  The longer you cook the sauce the more the flavors condense.  This by nature is a thick sauce. Cook for a shorter time if you like a thinner sauce.

Remove from heat and cool. Puree in blender and add with 2 remaining cloves of garlic until smooth.  Adjust flavors and consistency in the blender.

I recommend trying vinegar if you are looking for more “tang” or adjusting the consistency with more coffee – not cola or bourbon.