The menu spans the Silk Road from Asian dumplings and savory roast pork buns to ravioli and Tuscan-style bison meatballs. But one dish best exemplifies the culinary crossover: Marco Polo’s signature Moo Goo Gai Panini. Funny name, says Magaddino, but a serious sandwich.
Moo Goo Gai Pan is a basic Cantonese stir-fry consisting primarily of button mushrooms (moo goo) and sliced chicken (gai pan) in a white sauce. For the panini, Magaddino and Jiang opted for shitakes over buttons, which they layer with grilled white meat chicken,Vidalia onions and fontina cheese. An ensemble cast of ingredients makes for an overall well-balanced arrangement—no culture wars here.
The tender marinated chicken conveys hints of ginger and teriyaki without overpowering the unseasoned bites of simply grilled mushrooms. For their part, the meaty shitakes add texture to the mix, while letting the main protein take center stage. Healthy helpings of Vidalias, softened to just this side of caramelized, provide an important burst of acidity while punching up the sandwich with their natural sweetness.The slight tang of melted fontina cuts through the onions and keeps their sugariness in check. At the same time, the cheese’s nuttiness brings out the same in the mushrooms, rounding out the combination.
And of course, like any panini worth its salt, the bread holds this one together literally and figuratively. Sourced from Brooklyn purveyor Aladdin Bakers, the flat bread is toasted to the edge of crispiness on the outside, while the soft white inside absorbs the flavors of the onions and cheese. “Chinese people, we eat rice,” says Jiang, “but the first time I smelled this panini bread I fell in love with it.”
It’s a love anyone would be hard pressed to deny, and one that comes through in the way Jiang and her husband treat their food and their customers.The small BYOB shop seats half a dozen, and the couple runs the place with little outside help, taking, preparing and occasionally delivering orders themselves. Special requests? They’ll work with you.The four (questionably named) Dumplavoli combo dinners were created with specific dumpling-ravioli pairings, but can be customized to your liking. I once ordered dinner to split with a kosher friend.
“You want the Moo Goo Gai Panini without the chicken?” Magaddino asked, friendly but incredulous. “It’s kind of the main part of the sandwich… I’ll put it on the side.” (Even the vegetarian version was delicious.)
Compromise and cooperation: keys to a successful business, a successful marriage—and a successful sandwich.
> Marco Polo Café
102 St. Mark’s Pl. (betw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A.), 212-228-8456
