City Paper

How will the Vietnamese hoagie fare in 2012? Stick your predictions in the comments.

Photo by Chris Shott

Photo courtesy of Froggy Bottom Pub

All the proteins are prepared sous-vide, but the proprietors didn't want to get too fancy with the menu. "We really kept in mind, 'What is the American palate going to eat?'" says Lynne Jacoby, a partner in the company JBH Advisory Group that has conceptualized the new 40-seat eatery. "You know, we didn't do the pate, we didn't do the head cheese, which is more traditional of bánh mì."

The company is planning to open at least two more locations in the D.C. area before possibly expanding elsewhere. "We definitely want it to be a franchise model," she says.

The District is an ideal launching pad for the concept, according to Jacoby. "We did a lot of demographic studies and, actually, D.C. is the best place for restaurants to open, believe it or not," she says. "Unemployment is very low here, it's a very eclectic group of people here, and there's a high concentration of educated people....There's a lot of things that kind of drove us here."

Check out the menu below:

Photo by Chris Shott

"It's probably the healthiest way to cook," says Lynne Jacoby, a partner in the company JBH Advisory Group that has conceptualized the new 40-seat Vietnamese-style sandwich shop, opening this coming Monday, Oct. 24, at 900 19th Street NW. "You're just putting spices in the proteins. You're not adding oils or anything."

Of course, there's a good business reason, too. "From a build-out perspective, I don't need ventilation," Jacoby notes.

If you're not familiar with the hassles of installing a hood system, just ask your neighborhood doughnut or burger shop operator.

"The only equipment we have back there are these sous-vide machines, these water baths," she says. "No grill, no microwave—nothing."

Marinated proteins (the menu includes chicken, pork, brisket, tofu and butternut squash) are sealed in bags and submerged in the baths. The cook presses a few buttons, sets the timer and waits. That's it. "You can't screw it up," Jacoby says.

The cooking method is so hassle-free, she adds, that future franchisees won't even need to bother hiring chefs.

Ah, but what if the person monitoring the baths falls asleep and the stuff is left to soak even longer than necessary?

"Well, then you've got a problem," she laughs.

Jacoby's team has been developing the concept for BONMi for about the past year and a half. "We really wanted to bring a concept that we thought was flavorful and healthy to the general public," she says. "You know, not everybody gets down to Chinatown and a lot of these places, unless you're local, you probably wouldn't even go into, because they're junky little places. The food is great, but...."

How did the partners feel when they heard that Chipotle was working on a similar fast-casual-style bánh mì concept?

"Actually, we were really happy about it," Jacoby says, "because bánh mì is starting to become a little more mainstream. I mean, I turn away 50 to 60 people every day we're here."

Photos by Chris Shott

Photo by Szurdak&Pepin/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Photo by mahr/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Full details in press release form below:

BONMi Opens in October Bringing Vietnamese Banh Mi to Washington, DC

Washington, D.C., (September 21, 2011) — Bahn Mi LLC is pleased to announce BONMi, a Vietnamese sandwich and salad shop, opening in October at 900 19th Street, NW.  Located in the downtown Golden Triangle Improvement Business District, BONMi will be a welcome stop for those looking for affordable, healthy, fresh food as the entire menu is priced under $10.  BONMi will feature traditional Vietnamese sandwiches called bánh mì, as well as an assortment of summer rolls and innovative salads.  Local businesses can enjoy BONMi at the office, as they will offer catering for meetings and events for groups of all sizes.  Each menu item will be crafted, in-house from scratch, using high quality natural products with a focus on healthfulness and flavor.

Gourmet bánh mì sandwiches, the core of the menu, are served on a crisp Vietnamese baguette with house-made pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber, cilantro and chili-lime mayonnaise.  Each sandwich is made with a protein that has been marinated for hours.  Offerings include the signature BONMi chicken, garlic lemongrass chicken, five-spice chicken, pork meatball, garlic black pepper pork and the BONMi brisket. Vegetarians can choose from chile-garlic tofu or butternut squash.  At BONMi all the proteins use a method of cooking called sous-vide which cooks the food featured protein in water baths at a low temperature for an extended time.  This method is not only healthy (as little oil is required), but the process allows the flavors of the proteins and marinades to intensify.  Sandwiches are priced from $6 to $7.50.

BONMi will also offer customizable salad options.  Each salad is made with mixed greens, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and a choice of BONMi Chicken, Butternut Squash or Chile-garlic Tofu.  BONMi salads will take on a unique flavor with dressing options such as citrus chipotle, pineapple Caesar, or sesame citrus.  Guests will enjoy the house special, Kickshaw Salad made with vermicelli noodles, cabbage, fresh herbs, cucumbers, bean sprouts, pickled vegetables and blended with a peanut dressing.  Salads are priced from $6.50.

Traditional Vietnamese summer rolls are also a healthy snack for those on the run.  Each delectable bite is made with soft rice paper, julienne vegetables, fresh herbs and vermicelli noodles and served with a hoisin or peanut dipping sauce.  Fillings include BONMi chicken and butternut squash and summer rolls are offered for $2.50 each.

The design firm Mangan Group Architects is responsible for creating the welcoming dining space inspired by BONMi’s food and a broader vision.  The use of natural and sustainable materials such as granite, bamboo, glass and ceramic tile are incorporated throughout the restaurant.  Hints of sleek stainless steel tie the age-old culture of the cuisine to the modern context of BONMi.  A wonderful oversized graphic of a Vietnamese market covers the main wall of the dining area that seats 40.  An outdoor patio accommodating 20 guests will be enjoyed during the spring and summer months.

BONMi is located at 900 19th Street, NW, two blocks from the Farragut West metro station and is accessible on the Orange and Blue lines.  For additional information please visit www.EatBONMi.com.

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Photo by Chris Shott

Last week, my Young & Hungry colleague Scott Reitz pondered the different variables that influence, skew, and otherwise shape a restaurant review.

Well, here's a good working example to dig into: Ba Bay's lunchtime bánh mì sandwich, which Reitz wrote about recently, along with The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema in his First Bite column this week.

Let's compare, shall we?

On Reitz's visit, he wrote that "Ba Bay's bánh mì is an all out belly buster, with flavors that ricochet from earthy to bright and back again. With a few bites left on my plate, I had to admit defeat."

Sietsema:

The kitchen at Ba Bay is small, says [Khoa] Nguyen, and the Vietnamese sandwich, which uses house-made charcuterie, is fairly labor-intensive. Though the bread is admirably crusty, even the pickled vegetables tucked inside were overwhelmed by too much mayonnaise.

Now, I have not had a chance to try that belly-busting bánh mì at Ba Bay, so I cannot accurately assess whether there's an unnecessary over-slathering of mayo, as Sietsema suggests. Nevertheless, I feel like a glutton since I've been known to consume two of these delectable Vietnamese sandwiches in one sitting, usually after intense outer-borough hikes through Brooklyn and Queens. My stomach feels full just thinking about that.

I guess I'll just have to try one of Ba Bay's bánh mì sandwiches and taste for myself.

Photo by Scott Reitz

UPDATED: 6:16 p.m. 11/16/2010

Cousins Khoa Nguyen and Denise Nguyen are set to debut their modern Vietnamese restaurant, Ba Bay, tomorrow at its location in the former Locanda space on Capitol Hill. The operation is outfitted with 49 seats, Denise Nguyen warns, but only 35 will be available during its soft opening. The restaurant won't be taking reservations, either.

In other words: Get there early for lunch if you want a taste of former Sonoma chef Nick Sharpe's Westernized take on Vietnamese cooking. (Incidentally, Ba Bay will make all 49 seats available on Wednesday, Nov. 24, when the establishment makes its official debut.)

Sharpe's menu will be relatively small, about 25 dishes, including house-made charcuterie, pho, grilled shrimp on sugarcane skewers, and braised chicken in caramel sauce with local oysters. Plates are shareable and will range in price from $6 to $22.

Ba Bay has also decided on a direction for its cocktail and wine programs. The cousins hired Owen Thomson (Bourbon/Cafe Atlantico) and Joseph Ambrose (POV at the W Hotel) to craft its cocktails; the pair are, according to a release, "taking colonial cocktail techniques and combining it with traditional Vietnamese ingredients." An example? Try a cocktail made from Brugal White Label rum, St. Germain, fresh culantro, and a coconut citrus infusion.

Yep, I'll see you at the bar.

For more information on Ba Bay, check out Metrocurean's preview.

Ba Bay, 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, (202) 547-1787