7b, 25, 85, 295. "7b, 25, 85, AND 295? All for here?" It's all for here- better leave the menu in case I need more too. My order is written slowly, my waitress looks up between numbers trying to figure out where it's all going to go. She doesn't take too long- there's a full house of starving customers. After all, I've never been in, or walked past Tank Noodle at less than 80% capacity.
My first visit was an eye opener for myself and the wait staff. Theirs was seeing a white kid off the street eat an appetizer, 2 entrees and boba. Mine was going through the 300 item menu. When in such situations, I use my most stomach-pleasing approach- no repeat animals. Fresh shrimp spring rolls, Banh Mi Bo Nuong, and Bun Heo Nuong (Bun Kho) satisfy my pyramid. I considered their signature dish, Pho, but 50 other people were eating that.
Banh Mi is my absolute new favorite sandwich. The foundation is the Banh Mi, a baguette. The baguette is then stuffed with a grilled [marinated] meat, egg, or sardines. Cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, radish, sour carrot, and soy sauce fill in the rest of the space. The Banh Mi [Bo Nuong] I had was filled with grilled beef. The meat is warm, baguette toasty, cucumber chilled, jalapeno crisp and spicey, and the bite ends with the refreshment of cilantro on the back of the palate. These 8" babies also run under $4. Super Sub Route Mart, you lose.
Bun Kho, is a steamed rice noodle dish [without broth] that I first fell for in Los Angeles. There was a small Vietnamese noodle shop by the client that I would frequent at least once a day. In a very dry, hot climate, the dish is substantial but light, and very refreshing. Bun Kho is served with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, mint, and lemon fish sauce. My Bun Kho from this visit featured grilled pork, but it can also be served with grilled beef, prawns, shrimp patty, pork skin- tons of goodies.
Some of you are thinking, "The dish sounded great until you dropped the 'F' bomb on us Stash." Please, allow me first to move you, to sway you. Americans love Worcestershire Sauce. Said sauce is made with anchovies. Americans love Ceasar salad. Ceasar dressing is made with anchovies. If you go to a restaurant, and request Ceasar dressing without anchovies because you think you don't like it, they make the dressing with Worcestershire sauce. A lot of people also adore Pad Thai, the most common entry dish into Thai cuisine. The sauce in Pad Thai is made with Nam pla. Nam pla is fish sauce. Nam pla, fish sauce, is made with anchovy. You should now realize, that all along, your love, anchovy, has always been there with you- in the shadows of your stomach. Remember, the sauce for Bun Kho isn't pure anchovy either- it's lemon fish sauce. The first time I had it in LA I could not decipher how to make it or what it was at all. It comes on sweet, then has a vinegary after taste. This small topping makes the dish. Try it once. If you hate it, I'll finish it for you.
I'm not going to review the Pho because every time I walk in there are 30+ people eating it, which is enough of a review in itself. When the weather declines, I'll be sure to load up. Besides, I'm happy with my choices. Like most restaurants I frequent, I'm greeted with a smile and often by name. The food is also extremely fast. No one waits more than five minutes for their food, or per course in my case. Tank noodle is another wonderful destination at the Argyle stop off the Red Line. However if you're not in the area, I have a back up plan. I've created my very own Banh Mi. It is not nearly as traditional, but arguably as tasty, and as convenient as your kitchen. For now I will call the dish Stash Mi, but due to poor reception, please comment on a potential new name.
Stash Mi
- 4-5 French Baguettes
- 1 English Cucumber, Peeled
- 2 Jalapenos, matchsticks
- Escabeche de Cebolla (Pickled Red Onions)
- 1/2 lb Thinly Sliced Boneless Ribeye
- 1/4 Cup Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 TBL Olive Oil
- Nam Pla for garnish
- Cilantro for garnish
You should be able to buy the onions. If not, here is a recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless:
Escabeche de Cebolla (Picked Red Onions)
- 1 Small (6-ounce) Red Onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1/4 TSP Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 TSP Dried Oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/4 TSP Salt
- 1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar
- Parboiling the onion. Place the thinly sliced red onion in a saucepan with salted water to cover, bring to a boil, time 1 minutes, then removed from the heat and drain.
- The pickling. Coarsely grind the peppercorns and cumin in a mortar or spice grinder, then add to the saucepan, along with the remaining ingredients. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the onions, bring to a boil over medium heat, time 3 minutes, then removed from the heat and pour into a small, noncorrosive bowl. Let stand several hours before using.
Back to Stash Mi:
- Marinate the ribeye with the sweet soy sauce in a zip-lock bag for 1-4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- When done marinating, heat a pan to high with 2 TBL olive oil and pat dry the beef- the key to this dish is getting a great sear. Using a grill would be ideal.
- While the beef is cooking, slice the baguette in half. Hollow out the halves. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Give it very very light brush of olive oil. Put in the oven and keep an eye on it. The goal is to have the baguette thoroughly warmed, crusty, but not brown and crunchy.
- Next, prepare the cucumber. Slice the cucumber in half, hot dog style, then use a spoon to remove all the seeds. Slice the cucumber hot dog style again, so the length of the cucumber is the same length of the baguette. The goal is to have one continuous piece of cucumber throughout the sandwich. It should be about half an inch thick.
- Construct the sandwich. Start by placing a slice of cucumber inside the bread. Next, make a train of jalapeno across the sandwich. Slather on the ribeye. Lightly sprinkle with Nam pla. Top with the Escabeche de Cebolla. Garnish with 2-3 whole sprigs of cilantro.
- Devour.
This isn't as traditional, but follows the same concepts of mixing sweet, sour, heat, temperature, and soul-satisfying goodness. Try not to overload the dish with meat, the flavors will not be as well balanced. Leave the cilantro whole, it looks nice for presentation, plus the stem is full of flavor. If you're a veggie-saurus, replace the protein with fried [runny] eggs, and omit the Nam pla garnish. If you choose to use sardines, don't marinate them in the sweet soy- consider it as a replacement garnish for the Nam pla.
The Escabeche de Cebolla is one of my favorite dishes from Rick's Authentic Mexican cookbook. The key to the dish is having them stand several hours before use. Remember, all those flavors are new to each other. They need time and an icebreaker, like intercourse, to get to know each other. I intentionally make over-sized batches so I have them on hand for sandwiches, eggs- snacks. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 8:39PM 