Ba Xuyen
Sometimes Sietsema and the folks on Chowhound get all creamy over out of the way outer borough eateries, promising salt of the earth, Authentic cuisine not found within the kid glove confines of Manhattan. In the case of Sripraphai, it's absolutely true -- you can't get Thai food anywhere near as good in Manhattan or Brooklyn, as far as I can tell.
But in the case of Ba Xuyen, a Vietnamese sandwich joint just one stop away from me on the D train a little deeper into Sunset Park, I can't believe the hype. The 10" grilled pork and pate bahn mi was perfectly fine, and a bargain at $3. Chewy roast pork and standard pate were layered with sprigs of cilantro, a pile of pickled carrots and daikon, too few slices of ashy jalapeno, with too much butter and a sweet sauce that soaked through the only remarkable thing about the sandwich, the lighter-than-Wonder bread toasted baguette. Unlike this guy, my friends and I requested ours spicy and got some unsatisfyingly mild sandwiches that would have left even the most Scoville unit-sensitive tongues unscathed.
Who knows, maybe we got the dud sandwich maker. I'm definitely willing to give it another go. Perhaps things have changed with the neighborhood's newer residents -- the only other four-top in the tiny place was inhabited by some neighborhood baby hipsters who would have looked right at home by Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches in the East Village. For my money, the bahn mi storefront on Broome St. in Nolita is still better -- the bread may not be as ethereal, but the fillings are more flavorful, and even for a Sunset Parker like me, the location is more convenient. Would I be psyched to have Ba Xuyen within walking distance of my house instead of KFC and White Castle? Absolutely. But is it worth the D train ride out to Sunset Park? I'll have to get back to you after I try it again.
Ba Xuyen
4222 Eighth Avenue
between 42nd and 43rd St.
718.633.6601
D train to 9th Ave.
Comments
What about An Dong? Have you been? It's at 5424 Eighth Ave. in Sunset Park. I think it's Nicky's father's place. I haven't been, but the address has been sitting on my whiteboard here at home as a reminder to try it.
Posted by: Adam | October 24, 2005 12:33 AM
I'm down. Let's go!
Posted by: ganda | October 24, 2005 08:54 AM
I think An Dong is long gone. If I'm correct, it's just a cell phone store now. I'm one of those folks who is a Ba Xuyen fanatic, though I don't get to Sunset Park as much as I used to (though on my last visit I did notice a hipster couple, which was kind of scary). I also like that they have a wide selection of treats, both the spring and summer rolls are top notch. I always pick up some random thing from the front table and am never disappointed.
Posted by: Krista | October 24, 2005 03:09 PM
i want to try it again. the bone structure seemed right. and the bread was super lovely.
Posted by: ganda | October 24, 2005 05:18 PM
Yeah there's nothing like a good vietnamese sandwich. The one one Broome street if I think it is the same one you are talking about has that really cool neon sign of a vietnamese sandwich. But the BBQ pork doesn't taste very fresh. I've had better out in LA and San Diego. There is one other that my friend took me to years ago in the lower east side. Got to get the name for that place.
Posted by: simon | October 25, 2005 12:47 PM