Nha Toi

In another installment in my quest to find the perfect Brooklyn made banh mi sandwich: Nha Toi. This restaurant, whose name means "my house", offers up both traditional and unique takes on the classic banh mi sandwich, as well as a wide variety of summer rolls. Some of the more creative sandwich choices include the Seared Basa Fish , and the "Pho."(which fills the sandwich with the classic Vietnamese soup ingredients: Thai basil, cilantro, cucumber, bean sprouts, and beef short rib) I decided to order from Nha Toi after reading Time Out New York's 100 best things to eat and drink, which mentioned Nha Toi's Braised Beef sandwich.
I originally planned to go into the restaurant, but the downpour of rain encouraged me to order in. The man on the phone was exceptionally nice and helpful; I ordered the Braised Beef sandwich ($7), but then couldn't decide which of the summer rolls to try. He walked me through all of their most popular ones, encouraging me to try the Beef and Kimchee Roll ($4).
My order arrived quickly, easily in under a half hour. I was surprised at how big the sandwich was!

Combined with the summer rolls, I definitely had enough for two meals for only $11. I started with the Beef and Kimchee summer rolls, which were absolutely amazing. The beef was tangy and salty-which paired well with the spiciness of the kimchee. The vegetables provided the perfect crisp and freshness to balance out the heaviness of the other flavors. The dipping sauces were also amazing-although I couldn't tell you what type they were!

I moved on to my sandwich, which was still pipping hot and fresh. The bread was a little soggy-but that's to be expected when ordering a sandwich like this for delivery. The beef was well cooked, but a little too salty for my liking. Otherwise, I enjoyed the smoky flavors of the beef, and the vegetable/meat ratio.

All in all, I was really happy with my experience with Nha Toi. The summer rolls were definitely the star of the meal, but the sandwich was also quite good. I wouldn't say my search is over, but this is definitely a safe bet if I find myself craving banh mi in the future.

Address: 160 Havemeyer St. Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-599-1820
Average Price: $3-4 for summer rolls, $6-8 for sandwich
Grade: B+

Republic (Union Square)

Even though I lived only minutes away from Republic last year, I never ventured in because I thought it looked too generic and hip to possibly have good food. Man was I wrong! As their website states, Republic boasts a menu that "combines various ingredients, spices, and cooking methods from Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Japan." The menu is divided into small plates,vegetarian dishes, broth noodles,noodles,rice dishes, and Vietnamese sandwiches. In each category there was a visible range in the flavors used and the country where the dish originated, which I really like seeing. Dishes that particularly stood out to me were the Seared Marinated Salmon with lemongrass,curried rice with raisin, pickled carrots, daikon, and cucumber and the Grilled Japanese Eggplant with lime juice, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and scallions. Both of these dishes looked a little too hearty for me to enjoy for lunch, so I decided to go with one of the Vietnamese sandwiches. The sandwich menu has both the classic Vietnamese style sandwich, as well some more unusual versions like the Asian Sausage (served with black bean sauce, pickled papaya and carrots, cucumber, cilantro, fried shallots, and jalapenos) and the Grilled Beef (marinated in peanut sauce with the same toppings as the sausage). During lunch hours, the sandwiches are $10 and come with a choice of soup or salad. I decided to order the Beef Vegetable soup and the Grilled Beef sandwich, which were ready in under 5 minutes.

I started with the Grilled Beef, and from the first bite was hooked. The vegetables were crispy, and the meat was super juicy and smothered in one of the sweetest tangy peanut sauces I have ever had. The bread wasn't the freshest, but the powerful flavors from the sauce made it so I barely noticed. I finished the whole thing before I even really looked at the soup; it was that good! After that, the Beef Vegetable soup was a pretty big disappointment. The beef tasted a little old, the vegetables were clearly canned, and the flavors in the broth were bland and not any different from your normal American vegetable broth. Next time I would try the Green Papaya Salad (papaya, mango, mint, bean sprouts, shallots, carrots, peanuts, and tamarind dressing) instead.
Address:37 Union Square West
Phone: 212 627 7172
Average Price: $11
Grade: B+