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I can see it happening to me
Aug. 15th, 2006 09:15 amThis movie could save my life.
Aug. 15th, 2006
Huong Binh
Aug. 15th, 2006 09:33 pmCitysearch info
Huong Binh is a standout in the dense competition in Little Saigon, one of 4 vietnamese restaurants in the same strip mall at the Southeast corner of 12th and Jackson. It's small, clean, and efficient, which ensures a lot of regulars will be in. Sometimes I go twice a week.
CONDIMENTS ON THE TABLE
I think their emphasis on central vietnamese cuisine and simplicity in presentation are what lead to their selection of condiments. Each table only has pepper, chili sauce, chili oil, soy sauce, and the brown fish sauce (which I confirmed with them today is fish sauce, I wasn't sure before). They don't serve pho, so I don't mind that they don't have hoisin sauce, but as always, I'd love to see salt.
THE MEAL
Today I had what I order most often, the bun thit nuong (noodles with charbroiled pork). Theirs is just about perfect. In fact, the only reason I often went to An Thin (in the same shopping center, but now closed) is that they offered it with the egg roll, and there are no egg rolls at Huong Binh at all. The bun bo xao (beef) is also very good. The kitchen is so efficient, I was honestly surprised when my food arrived today. The chef rang the bell and I thought, that can't be mine. But there it was, about 3 minutes after I ordered it.
Huong Binh also has something I've never seen anywhere else: a large assortment of candies, cooking ingredients, desserts, preserves, pastries, nuts, and other snacks. It just has to be seen to be believed. There are two coolers out front for cold items, the front window is lined with large glass jars (like the ones in The Man with Two Brains) and the cash register is surrounded by piles of plastic containers stacked in neat rows. It's a neat idea, and obviously works well for them.
The best time to go is when I do, weekdays at 10am. There are usually a few other people there, but it's pretty quiet. Before my schedule changed, and I was going in at noon, it was often a madhouse. I tried to go on a Saturday once, only to find it full of huge families with a couple more waiting to eat. One thing I've noticed, even when there are lots of kids, they're so much quieter than american kids.
Huong Binh is a standout in the dense competition in Little Saigon, one of 4 vietnamese restaurants in the same strip mall at the Southeast corner of 12th and Jackson. It's small, clean, and efficient, which ensures a lot of regulars will be in. Sometimes I go twice a week.
CONDIMENTS ON THE TABLE
I think their emphasis on central vietnamese cuisine and simplicity in presentation are what lead to their selection of condiments. Each table only has pepper, chili sauce, chili oil, soy sauce, and the brown fish sauce (which I confirmed with them today is fish sauce, I wasn't sure before). They don't serve pho, so I don't mind that they don't have hoisin sauce, but as always, I'd love to see salt.
THE MEAL
Today I had what I order most often, the bun thit nuong (noodles with charbroiled pork). Theirs is just about perfect. In fact, the only reason I often went to An Thin (in the same shopping center, but now closed) is that they offered it with the egg roll, and there are no egg rolls at Huong Binh at all. The bun bo xao (beef) is also very good. The kitchen is so efficient, I was honestly surprised when my food arrived today. The chef rang the bell and I thought, that can't be mine. But there it was, about 3 minutes after I ordered it.
Huong Binh also has something I've never seen anywhere else: a large assortment of candies, cooking ingredients, desserts, preserves, pastries, nuts, and other snacks. It just has to be seen to be believed. There are two coolers out front for cold items, the front window is lined with large glass jars (like the ones in The Man with Two Brains) and the cash register is surrounded by piles of plastic containers stacked in neat rows. It's a neat idea, and obviously works well for them.
The best time to go is when I do, weekdays at 10am. There are usually a few other people there, but it's pretty quiet. Before my schedule changed, and I was going in at noon, it was often a madhouse. I tried to go on a Saturday once, only to find it full of huge families with a couple more waiting to eat. One thing I've noticed, even when there are lots of kids, they're so much quieter than american kids.
A face from the past
Aug. 15th, 2006 09:57 pmMy daily stop for bahn mi (vietnamese sandwiches) is Bahn Mi Saigon aka New Saigon Deli. More on the subject of bahn mi later, but the short version is that I go there the most. And by the most, I mean that in 20 work days a month I probably go there 19.
While my sandwiches (one for me, and one for a co-worker who pre-pays me for two weeks at a time) were being made, I heard a familiar voice. I looked back at the sandwich area and was surprised to see one of the women who used to make sandwiches for me at Saigon Gourmet, which I didn't link because it's now closed. And that's a damn shame. I only ate in their restaurant once. The pho was good, but the space was pretty tight and a little filmy. Their sandwich and to-go counter, however, did a brisk business. It wasn't uncommon to see a line of 8 people waiting to order sandwiches, and they were so efficient that it never took long. The slowpokes at Bambuza could learn a lesson or two from them.
I walked over and asked, "Didn't you work at Saigon Gourmet?" and explained to my current sandwich gal that the woman next to her was my ex. I'm not sure if she recognized me, because I hadn't shaved my beard yet when they closed, but she said to make sure to come back to Banh Mi Saigon as I walked out.
Right before I went out the door I heard the other girl say, "He's here every day."
Today is the 227th day of the year. The only reason I know this is that our confirmation numbers at work start with the numbered day of the year, which we incorrectly call the Julian Date. I didn't know until looking for a link for this post what Julian Date actually means. Anyhoo, because today is the 227th day of the year, I had to look at a lot of printouts with the number 227, and couldn't stop thinking about the show, and Jackee. Damn, I'd sure like to see Double Your Pleasure.