Baguette Deli, Boise
Shawn Raecke / Idaho Statesman
I bet we Boiseans will eventually start munching on banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches, with the casual regularity of the once exotic taco, pad Thai or pizza (yes, pizza was once exotic). In larger American cities, eaters are already arguing over the virtues of rice over wheat flour banh mi bread with the gusto with which the rest of us debate thick or thin pizza crust.
Banh mi, like the ones made at the new Baguette Deli next to Fred Meyer on Franklin Road, should slip easily into our common culinary lexicon. After all, they’re just sandwiches: A fusion of French colonial ambitions and Southeast Asian ingenuity, a banh mi is basically a French baguette stuffed with Vietnamese good taste. They’re cheap, too.
The House Special ($3.25) at Baguette Deli is a crisp but airy 12-inch baguette (made fresh at Orient Market around the corner) layered with several kinds of pork cold cuts, a little mayo and a smear of pate (very traditional), then topped with a fresh and pickled tangle of sliced carrot, cucumber, jalapeno, daikon and cilantro. It’s not exactly crazy-unusual, but it’s still a welcome departure from the processed-cheese-addled concoctions many of us mistake for sandwiches.
I don’t mean to undersell the banh mi, either. The flavors are subtle yet tongue-teasing in that unique, sweet-sour-hot-cold Southeast Asian way.
Baguette Deli offers 18 variations on their banh mi. That’s as many sandwiches as seats in this small but friendly shop. Order at the counter from the helpful staff and either eat in or take out. It’s fast food for sure, but burdened with less fat, calories and guilt than your average burger or burrito.
I also liked the pork meatball sandwich (made of finely minced pork and spices) and even more the BBQ pork sandwich (both $3.25). The Cajun shrimp sandwich ($4.95) I found less interesting due to the incongruous Cajun spices and the lack of textural contrast the shrimp offered.
I loved the teriyaki chicken banh mi ($5.45). Chicken thigh shredded into a tangled nest of fibers, I can only describe it as tasty packing material. Granted, that may not sound great, but it gives the chicken a uniquely chewy texture. When doused with a dark teriyaki sauce and piled with the condiments that come with every sandwich, it’s delicious.
The shop also serves scrambled egg or vegetarian ham banh mi as well as Western leaning fillings like pesto turkey or pastrami.
Sandwiches may be Baguette Deli’s signature, but other worthy items lurk on the menu.
Way down that menu you’ll find a vermicelli ($4.95) dish described only as “served dry with tasty fish sauce.” Don’t let that dissuade you. It’s actually cold noodles over salad crowned with your choice of two toppings: either sliced egg roll, BBQ pork, grilled pork loaf or grilled beef, then dressed with a sweet, savory, slightly spicy sauce. It’s light yet packed with flavor.
You can order the deep-fried egg roll on its own (85 cents each), too. It’s filled with a lush mince of pork and spices.
The Deli also makes translucent, rice-paper-wrapped spring rolls in several iterations. All are packed with vegies and your choice of meats. I found the shrimp and pork rolls ($3.25) a bit boring, if pretty to look at, but nearly inhaled the grilled beef version ($3.45).
Along with rolls, you’ll also find freshly made meat pies ($1.75) and powder-sugared beignets ($2.50 for four). For sweet drinks that double as dessert, I’d recommend the Vietnamese coffee ($2.50), Boba Thai tea ($2.50) and the truly delicious avocado smoothy ($2.75).
A part of town that once spoke mostly hamburger and hot dog, Boise’s Central Bench now supports a surprising diversity of ethnic foods from Argentina, Bosnia, India, Thailand and more. Baguette Deli adds one more welcome voice. Let the banh mi conversation begin.
For the full story go to the Idaho Statesman: http://www.idahostatesman.com/dining/story/1050419.html
