I'm always up for trying something new and today it was a Banh Mi Flatbread Sandwich from Gourmet Food to Go on the Plaza Level of 580 Walnut Street.
According to Wikipedia:
Bánh mì (
/ /;
Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɓǎɲ mî]) is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of
bread. The word is derived from
bánh and
mì (wheat). Bread, or more specifically the
baguette, was introduced by the French during its colonial period.
[1] The bread most commonly found in Vietnam is a single-serving baguette, therefore the term
bánh mì is synonymous with this type of bread. The
bánh mì is usually more airy than its Western counterpart, with a thinner crust. It is sometimes
metonymous with a food item known as a "Vietnamese sandwich" (or, in
Louisiana, as a "Vietnamese
po' boy"
[2] or in
Philadelphia as a "Vietnamese
hoagie"
[3]), for which the
bánh mì serves as the bread wrapper.
The classic version of a
Banh Mi Sandwich,
bánh mì thịt nguội, is made with various Vietnamese
cold cuts, such as sliced pork or pork bellies,
chả lụa (pork sausage), and
head cheese, along with the liver
pâté and vegetables like carrot or cucumbers.
[11]
Okay, enough of the technical stuff and back to my lunch.
At Gourmet Food To Go, you order and pay for your items at a little kiosk. You then proceed to a "Chipotle-like" assembly line where they custom cr(eat)e each order. I started with the Homemade Turkish Flatbread, Shredded Slow Roasted Pork and Asian Ginger Sauce. Some shredded Provolone Cheese was sprinkled on top and then it was placed in a conveyor type oven and h(eat)ed. When the flatbread came out the other side of the oven the fresh toppings were piled on. Upon the staff's recommendation, I got carrot slices, julienne cucumbers, edamame and some House Lettuce Blend (Romaine, Kale and Napa Cabbage).
The sandwich was served with a side of Saratoga Medley, crispy, thin, perfectly seasoned, mix of hand sliced potatoes and sweet potatoes along with a cup of yummy BBQ sauce. The other (equally yummy) side item choice was Homemade Tabbouleh--but I enjoyed that during my last visit.
My Banh Mi Flatbread Sandwich was GR(EAT)!
I ate half of the sandwich and every one of the chips for lunch and enjoyed an encore appearance of the other half for dinner. How thrifty of me---Lunch AND Dinner for only $7.49 plus tax!
COMMENTS:
-
The Homemade Flatbread is so good that I haven't tried any of their other bread choices.
-
Their
meats are slow roasted in house. As they say, " We don't believe in
deli meat...instead we slow roast to perfection to give a flavorful home
cooked meal."
-
The Asian Ginger Sauce was slightly sweet, tangy and had a nice slow sriracha chili sauce kick.
-
The
fresh toppings were crisp, cold, crunchy and were prepared by someone
with some seriously good knife skills. Everything was uniformly cut and
the perfect size and shape!
-
Since the sandwich is good for two meals, I'll get both side dishes next time.
Gourmet Food To Go
580 Walnut Street, Plaza Level
Cincinnati, OH 45202
-
Phone number
(513) 500-7273
