Like many New Yorkers, I’m a serious devotee of Vietnamese sandwiches known as bahn mi. My usual temple is Viet-Nam Bahn Mi So 1 located on Broome Street, where $3 buys you a meal.
“I’m tempted to come here whenever I’m within an 80-block radius,” my friend Shira declared. And I agree: It may in fact be the eighth wonder of the world. Showing off this closet-sized takeout joint is great for impressing visiting ex-boyfriends with your inside knowledge of NYC, and consuming the baguettes bursting with cilantro, carrots and seasoned meat on a Chinatown stoop is practically a religious experience.
Therefore my standards were high when I decided to try out the newest bahn mi shop, Paris Sandwich. Its most immediate draw was its tables, which meant we wouldn’t have to sit outside in the cold to get our fix. They also have a menu of entrees and appetizers in addition to sandwiches and, with bright paint and sleek computer registers, the place was decidedly more Au Bon Pain than back-alley delight.
When my posse and I approached the counter to order, I quickly feared we were turning into those girls: exasperating, non-Asian patrons with a million requests. However, the staff offered their assistance graciously; they answered our questions, cut our cold rolls and even let us use their employees-only bathroom. Unlike the brisk service that’s standard in Chinatown restaurants, this group wanted to meet us halfway.
For appetizers, order the Grilled Pork or Bobia Cold Rolls ($3), Vietnam’s healthier answer to deep-fried egg rolls. For sandwiches, try the Grilled Pork Baguette ($3.25) or the tasty Vegetarian Chicken Baguette, ($3.25). I’m usually a tough critic of fake meat, however, overall I thought the fillings were a little meager and none left me in the life-altered state of So 1’s bahn mi. Disappointingly, the Paris Special Baguette ($3.25) was nothing to show off to former lovers.
Halfway through our dinner it hit me: spice! Our sandwiches were in dire need of a pick-me-up. Unlike other bahn mi joints that ask you for a spice temperature, these sandwiches automatically come mild. A tragedy. I asked at the counter and eventually hot sauce materialized—the magic elixir. The Vegetarian Chicken instantly became outstanding, and the other sandwiches more flavorful.
Paradoxical to its name, Paris Sandwich did a better job with its entrees. Try the Curry Chicken, a solid steal at $4.50. More like a lullaby than the fire-and-brimstone curries of South India I’m more familiar with, this dish appeared to be cooked with cardamom, a vastly underused flavor. I was happy to put away my love of three-alarm spice for this subtler Southeast Asian cousin. The Pork Chop on Rice ($4.50) had great potential, if only we’d had something other than a plastic fork to cut it with.
As we mulled over what to order for dessert, my deeply ingrained prejudice came in. I typically don’t like East-Asian desserts, so whenever I’m in any Asian restaurant, I skip the sweets. Who wants a pastry filled with bean paste when you could have one filled with chocolate? Since we were only steps from Little Italy, I normally would have beelined for the nearest cannoli.
But I decided to swallow my negative thoughts and gave Paris’ treats a shot. I’m glad I did. The most memorable dessert to come my way in a long time is “Triple Colors” ($2), which can best be described as a slushy gone wild. The owner happily explained its contents: two kinds of beans, green Vietnamese Jell-O, coconut milk and ice. I recognize that on description alone it sounds intimidating, but I found it the right amount of sweetness and pleasantly refreshing. The owner seemed thrilled that we liked it, promising more the next time we came back.
I won’t be dreaming about these sandwiches the way I have about So 1’s, but Paris Sandwich has its merits, like seating and a range of cheap Vietnamese food. And for four underpaid twentysomethings, it’s a special luxury to order decadently off a menu and barely break $30. That will certainly impress anyone.
Paris Sandwich
113 Mott St. (betw. Canal & Hester Sts.)
212-226-7221
