While not technically in the borders of Chinatown (Broadway is the border, and Vietnam sits on the other side of the street), I would be remiss not to include this oft visited spot.
Due to it's location in North Beach, this tiny spot gets over it's fair share of drunken revelers after 11pm.
An aside about North Beach and Broadway.
North Beach, for those not familiar, is essentially a tourist stroll during the day, and an Italian themed frat party by night. Broadway marks the end of the line for most of the clientele, stumbling out of the bars and spilling onto the streets shouting and yelling. Broadway has a red light district feel; with neon signs 3 stories high, strip clubs and awful bars; and alleyways inviting a whole manner of drug use. Despite this it is more of a red-light theme park than an actual seedy district, so diluted and costly has the message become. Top tip - for real sex workers and scary drug use visit The Tenderloin; specifically Leavenworth between Turk and O'Farrell. It's the constant threat of robbery that allows a red light district to thrive without too many drunken tourists.
But back to Vietnam.
A small and cramped space, most of it taken up by the bar for counter service, and 2 tables in the back. Walking into to space one is greeted with the savory and delightful smell of grilling meats and steaming broth.
The secret to this place is it's long hours of operation, I have actually yet to see it closed. They begin the day with chicken stock, beef stock and pork stock boiling away on the tiny stove. A grill next to it is constantly brushed but never soaped, seasoned with the meat from last night. The chicken is marinated after poaching (without fully cooking) in the stock. As the meat cools the outside becomes more permeable and the chicken sucks in the marinade of (I think) soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce et al; while releasing some cooked chicken jus. As the day progresses the chicken is sandbagged without being overcooked, and the exclusively thigh meat leak their juices all over each other into the marinade, adding to the flavor. When the time comes to finish the chicken it's reheated and grilled over high flame giving it a charred outside and soft inside, coated with the goop into a semi-sweet glaze as the flame evaporates the non essential elements.
Because the chicken is the most popular meat here; it has the most flavorful stock and leftovers, that go on to flavor the next chicken.
However, any of the Banh mi are safe bets - cold cuts (pate, head cheese, salami) and hot (pork, beef, chicken) with a bunch of quick-pickled carrots, cucumber, mayonnaise and jalapenos. Also -$4, come on.
The Pho broth is the same basic concept. Most Pho places, and indeed most restaurants who use long simmering liquids, will have the broths made at the beginning of the day (with some leftover from last night, but never older than 1 day), and as they cook their potency increases. However, as with stock there is a law of diminishing returns; most veggies give all their flavor after cooking for an hour, and most bones for 5 or 6, then it's just wasted space. But, if one is constantly poaching chicken, blanching veggies, steaming pork, cooking noodles in the broth then it will be continually flavored and thickened. Never order pho before 1/2 way through dinner service, your soup is just flavor for the next people. That's why, at 3am - as the drunks try to haggle for a beer well after last call and the pho broth happily simmers away with lunch and dinner flavors, that is the time for the finest broth, the thick, almost demi-glas mouth feel and the rich beef bone taste.
They also have a beverage selection of weird crisped rice, bright purple jelly things and condensed milk which is sort of great. They make Thai Iced Tea and Vietnamese Iced Coffee, and they sell beer.
All of these beverage choices became secondary when a friend and I invented the Vietnamese Michelada, using exactly one Vietnamese ingredient, a Mexican name and coming from the USA it should really be called the "Faux-pan-southeast asian-michelada". I realize the addition of fish sauce may seem unbecoming, but recall that Micheladas use Clamato juice, so seafood is not unheard of.
The Vietnam Michelada
1 bottle of tsing tao
1 slice of lime
3 shakes of salt
3 squirts of siracha
2 tsp fish sauce.
Mix well then drink over ice. Watch out for the nucleation of lime juice and salt with beer, don't make a mess.
You are welcome.
Due to it's location in North Beach, this tiny spot gets over it's fair share of drunken revelers after 11pm.
An aside about North Beach and Broadway.
North Beach, for those not familiar, is essentially a tourist stroll during the day, and an Italian themed frat party by night. Broadway marks the end of the line for most of the clientele, stumbling out of the bars and spilling onto the streets shouting and yelling. Broadway has a red light district feel; with neon signs 3 stories high, strip clubs and awful bars; and alleyways inviting a whole manner of drug use. Despite this it is more of a red-light theme park than an actual seedy district, so diluted and costly has the message become. Top tip - for real sex workers and scary drug use visit The Tenderloin; specifically Leavenworth between Turk and O'Farrell. It's the constant threat of robbery that allows a red light district to thrive without too many drunken tourists.
But back to Vietnam.
A small and cramped space, most of it taken up by the bar for counter service, and 2 tables in the back. Walking into to space one is greeted with the savory and delightful smell of grilling meats and steaming broth.
The secret to this place is it's long hours of operation, I have actually yet to see it closed. They begin the day with chicken stock, beef stock and pork stock boiling away on the tiny stove. A grill next to it is constantly brushed but never soaped, seasoned with the meat from last night. The chicken is marinated after poaching (without fully cooking) in the stock. As the meat cools the outside becomes more permeable and the chicken sucks in the marinade of (I think) soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce et al; while releasing some cooked chicken jus. As the day progresses the chicken is sandbagged without being overcooked, and the exclusively thigh meat leak their juices all over each other into the marinade, adding to the flavor. When the time comes to finish the chicken it's reheated and grilled over high flame giving it a charred outside and soft inside, coated with the goop into a semi-sweet glaze as the flame evaporates the non essential elements.
Because the chicken is the most popular meat here; it has the most flavorful stock and leftovers, that go on to flavor the next chicken.
However, any of the Banh mi are safe bets - cold cuts (pate, head cheese, salami) and hot (pork, beef, chicken) with a bunch of quick-pickled carrots, cucumber, mayonnaise and jalapenos. Also -$4, come on.
The Pho broth is the same basic concept. Most Pho places, and indeed most restaurants who use long simmering liquids, will have the broths made at the beginning of the day (with some leftover from last night, but never older than 1 day), and as they cook their potency increases. However, as with stock there is a law of diminishing returns; most veggies give all their flavor after cooking for an hour, and most bones for 5 or 6, then it's just wasted space. But, if one is constantly poaching chicken, blanching veggies, steaming pork, cooking noodles in the broth then it will be continually flavored and thickened. Never order pho before 1/2 way through dinner service, your soup is just flavor for the next people. That's why, at 3am - as the drunks try to haggle for a beer well after last call and the pho broth happily simmers away with lunch and dinner flavors, that is the time for the finest broth, the thick, almost demi-glas mouth feel and the rich beef bone taste.
They also have a beverage selection of weird crisped rice, bright purple jelly things and condensed milk which is sort of great. They make Thai Iced Tea and Vietnamese Iced Coffee, and they sell beer.
All of these beverage choices became secondary when a friend and I invented the Vietnamese Michelada, using exactly one Vietnamese ingredient, a Mexican name and coming from the USA it should really be called the "Faux-pan-southeast asian-michelada". I realize the addition of fish sauce may seem unbecoming, but recall that Micheladas use Clamato juice, so seafood is not unheard of.
The Vietnam Michelada
1 bottle of tsing tao
1 slice of lime
3 shakes of salt
3 squirts of siracha
2 tsp fish sauce.
Mix well then drink over ice. Watch out for the nucleation of lime juice and salt with beer, don't make a mess.
You are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment