Midtown Village’s modern Asian restaurant Sampan started offering a delicious lunch menu last week. “Our variety of banh mi sandwiches, noodles and salads are perfect for a fast, affordable lunch,” says Chef Michael Schulson. We had the opportunity to stop by and try all six brand-new delicious banh mi.

Schulson came to Philadelphia roughly twelve years ago and along his many stops to try out the local fare he happened upon the banh mi sandwiches available at a few Vietnamese restaurants and bakeries along Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. Drawing from these sandwiches as inspiration, he created several of his own using fresh and exotic ingredients to bring about intensely robust flavors. Influenced not only by Vietnamese cuisine, Sampan’s “Banh Midtown” are truly a representation of not only pan-Asian cuisine but domestic offerings such as the cheesesteak and meatball sub. Schulson and his banh mi were recently featured on the NBC’s Today Show and The Philadelphia Inquirer cited Sampan’s version as “one of the wonders of the sandwich world.”

However, now we get to feast upon six wonders. The Pork features Berkshire belly sitting on a bed of lettuce, cucumber and carrot strips. The Chicken, which is decidedly Japanese in origin, contains katsu-style fried chicken breast and Oshinko (pickled Chinese cabbage) with a mustard spread. The Tuna, of Thai origin, is a medley of tuna, pickled cucumber, scallion and Thai basil.

For more of an Asian-fusion experience, Sampan also offers fluke; it completes the flavor of the breaded, fried fish with bacon, BBQ potato chips and tartar sauce. The steak version is truly an exquisite offering with the complement of spicy shallot, tomato and a sunny-side egg. For an Italian spin, the meatball takes red sauce, parmesan cheese with the addition of Thai basil, fish sauce and lettuce.

With lunch offered from 11:30am-5pm, a menu extending well-beyond just these six sandwiches and with prices ranging from $6 to $9, including not only sandwiches but ramen and more, we’re sure Sampan’s new lunch menu will be a hit.

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Sampan
124 S. 13th Street – Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Google Map)
(215) 732-3501
Twitter: @MichaelSchulson

We’ve just discovered why sous chef Ann Suk Miller’s Korean Short Rib Tacos are much talked-about. Under the guise of an unpretentious name, they’re now on special at Meritage in Philly’s Graduate Hospital area, having found their way from the now-closed Ansill in Queen Village. The practicality in the dish’s name is where the simplicity stops. The tacos are extraordinarily delicious.

Made from braised beef short ribs lathered in a spicy Korean chili sauce and topped with kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage) and served on a crispy flour tortilla, these Korean tacos are nothing short of amazing. Pleasantly spiced, the tacos go well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for the ultimate experience. What’s also unbelievable is the fact that they’re at the absurdly affordable price of only three dollars a piece. Ordering two or three or even half a dozen is still an absolute steal. While only on special for two weeks, we can only hope they become recurring characters alongside Meritage’s already-impressive cast.

We doubled up on our order of pork bites and went with the BBQ Pork Sliders, the same juicy pulled pork but in a more neutral barbecue sauce. They’re served on toasted brioche buns and Asian coleslaw. Unfortunately absent from creating a triple-header of pork goodness during our visit were the also-new Steamed Pork Buns with pickled Napa cabbage, Hoisin sauce and scallion.

Located on the southwest corner of 20th & Lombard, Meritage is open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday 5-10pm, and Friday through Saturday 5-11pm. Aside from the delectable pork bites we feasted upon, they feature a full menu of Asian-fusion goodness with a wine selection to support it.

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Meritage Restaurant & Wine Bar
500 S. 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)
(215) 985-1922
Twitter: @MeritagePHL

While many of us are unfortunately unable to attend this year’s 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, we can still participate in competition and Canadian-esque celebrations. Five local bars in five neighborhoods (Smiths Restaurant and Lounge, the Kite and Key, the New Wave Café, the South Philly Bar & Grill and the Swift Half Pub) are participating in selling $3 bottles of Vancouver’s Molson Canadian throughout this month in the “Barstool Olympics” with proceeds to benefit the Fraternal Order of Police Survivors Fund.

The Barstool Olympics is the brainchild of Smiths Restaurant executive chef and owner, Brendan Smith. “Last year was a particularly hard year for the Philadelphia police and we are honored to be able to support them through a little friendly neighborhood competition,” says Smith. “We encourage everyone to visit one of the participating Barstool Olympics bars during the 2010 Winter Olympics to root for the USA, drink some Molsons and raise funds for the families of fallen officers. Adds Ken Brownell, owner of South Philly Bar & Grill, “We’d also like to thank our partners, the Molson Coors company and Origlio Beverage for their support and generosity.”

We had a chance to stop in at Smiths Restaurant and Lounge during their kickoff and sample some of the Canadian-themed food specials. The Canadian Bacon Sliders featured fresh miniature rolls, grill-toasted with ground beef, Canadian bacon and cheese blissfully combining the two, topped with lettuce and tomato. The seafood inclined will be pleased with the Maple-Glazed Salmon, served as either a salad or a sandwich. We of course opted the for sandwich, a hearty portion of grilled salmon covered with creamy fresh guacamole containing large chunks of avocado. Both sandwiches went very well paired with Canada’s premium lager.

Be sure to stop into Smiths or any of the other participating venues from now through Sunday, February 28th, watch the 2010 Winter Olympics and help raise money for the FOP Survivors Fund. The announcement of the three winning bars (Gold, Silver and Bronze) and check presentation of the proceeds to the FOP will be held in early March.

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Smiths Restaurant and Lounge (representing Rittenhouse Square)
39-41 S. 19th St., Philadelphia PA 19103

The Kite and Key (representing the Art Museum area)
1836 Callowhill St., Philadelphia, PA 19130

New Wave Café (representing Queen Village)
784 South 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147

South Philly Bar & Grill (representing South Philadelphia)
1235-37 East Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19147

Swift Half Pub (representing Northern Liberties)
1001 North 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19123

For a few months now we’ve been privy to Peter McAndrews’ and Nathan Baynes’ plans to introduce an Italian Market location of their wildly successful Paesano’s Philly Style. Last week word spread that the shop was nearing an open. Hastily, lunch plans were made for that Friday. However, those plans had to regretfully be postponed. Today, after impatiently waiting for five very long days, we were able to stop into the new location on the northwest corner of 9th and Christian, on their first day open to the public.

Following in the footsteps of the first shop on Girard Ave., the owners of Modo Mio have once again impressed us with a little bit of sandwich heaven. Generously, heaven has added four new angels on its menu: The Liveracce, Bolagnese, Meatloaf Parmesan and Pesce Fritti. Aside from new sandwiches, Minestrone soup and a Chopp salad will also find their place as fixtures. With the new location comes a larger kitchen and a dining area that will allow customers to sit down, and enjoy every breathtaking bite.

Like their predecessors, these sandwiches all have an explosive multitude of flavor in each and every bite, stemming from Chef McAndrews’ slow cooked approach. The Liveracce is seared beef liver topped with sauteed onions, iceberg lettuce, roasted tomato and gorgonzola on an Italian long roll with a spread of garlic mayo. Baynes remarked that as always, the sandwiches are constantly being improved, and told us that the Liveracce will most likely be finalized with the addition of hot sauce and salami in the near future.

The Bolagnese, is something of a guilty pleasure for McAndrews, apparently, he’s eaten it forever — and we sure are glad he’s decided to release it to the public. Crispy-fried lasagna bolagnese is dotted with smoked parmesan and topped with the chef’s favorite, a fried egg. Baynes tells us that it would be delicious when paired with red wine. A subtle hint that the shop is BYO? The Meatloaf Parmesan sandwich is, you guessed it, Italian-style meatloaf with Modo Mio’s signature Sunday gravy and fresh mozzarella. Finally, there’s the Pesce Fritti a fried Tilapia fillet with lettuce, tomato, onion, caper maionese and sharp provolone.

A majority of the original menu from the first location has also been brought down into South Philly, some of the notable favorites offered include the Arista (whole roasted suckling pig, broccoli rabe, italian long hots and sharp provolone), the Diavlo (spicy chicken breast, salami, herb cheddar, roasted tomato and broccoli rabe), the Daddywad (their award-winning Italian hoagie) and of course the namesake Paesano (slow-cooked beef brisket, roasted tomato, sharp provolone, horseradish mayo, topped with a fried egg). The rumored Paesano Burger hasn’t made the menu just yet, but is sure to come sometime soon, topped with fries, pancetta, gorgonzola and an aged balsamic vinegar mayo.

With locations north and south of Center City, downtown Philly has essentially become “sandwiched” in pure bliss. The South Philly location will have its hours of operation eventually fixed from 11am to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday. While the folks over at Paesano’s have no intention of starting a separate brunch menu, we can only imagine that this availability on the weekend might just draw some patrons away from waiting in the long lines just across the street.

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Paesano’s Philly Style
901 Christian Street – Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)

Its origins are subject to debate, but there is no question that the Reuben is one of the country’s most popular and most delicious sandwiches.  Crispy buttered rye with russian dressing, sauerkraut, corned beef and swiss, the Reuben is a staple of deli cuisine, but two different Reubens claim to have created the eponymous sandwich.

Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocery owner from Omaha, is often credited with creating the sandwich at a poker game in 1925.  Arnold Reuben, a German-Jewish delicatessen owner in New York, also is believed to have invented the sandwich as early as 1914.  No matter what the true history of the sandwich may be, the Reuben can now be found on menus around the country, and is a quick and easy sandwich for the home cook.

But for those who really want to go the extra mile, try making your own corned beef or sauerkraut.

Submitted by Unbreaded reader Shane D. Have a sandwich you love? Submit it to us and we’ll post it on the site.

Philadelphia might be the home of the cheesesteak, but again, and again, we are seeing a rise in popularity of the Italian roast pork sandwich. According to Shane D., you don’t have to be downtown to find a delicious take on this sandwich:

Wasko’s, located at 223 Gay St. in Phoenixville, Pa. has, in my opinion, one of the best roast pork sandwiches in Chester County. I’m a regular customer and have consumed a number of the sandwiches there (the Ultimate Italian, Hot Italian and meatball), but by far the roast pork is the marquee item. It starts with a great, fresh roll from the Conshohocken Bakery. Jim Wasko, the proprietor, then lines the roll with some fresh onion slices before dipping each slice of pork au jus, but that’s not the end of it. The sandwich is then topped with sharp provolone and placed in the oven until the cheese melts. The final touch is the roasted long, hot Italian peppers, which are made in-house. You could opt for broccoli rabe instead, but I prefer the hots. The end result is absolutely brilliant! Other options for the sandwich include getting it juicy (I usually go dry), but if you’re in the Phoenixville area, I definitely recommend it. Also, if pork isn’t your choice of meat, I’ve heard that the prime rib sandwich is great.

This is the first time we’ve heard of a roast pork being placed in an oven, a brilliant idea for that perfect gooey, melted cheese and toasty bread.

Wasko’s
223 Gay Street – Phoenixville, PA 19460 (Google Map)

Union Trust is one of the most dramatic restaurant spaces in Philadelphia, and their new $7.17 menu is a dramatic deal for budget-conscious diners.  Featuring a kobe beef burger (in addition to other drink and food specials,) Union Trust is making the classic steakhouse burger more affordable and accessible.

Chef de Cuisine Chaz Brown’s 8oz kobe burger is served on a brioche bun with a sweet onion jam, tomato compote and cheddar.  The Akaushi beef (a direct descendant of the Mount Aso herds from Japan) is sourced from Heartbrand Beef in Texas.  The meat is all natural and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than other brands of beef.

Also on the Union Trust menu, though not part of the $7.17 special, is a ribeye sandwich dusted with cajun seasoning and cooked to temperature, served with crispy fried onions and choice of cheese on a torpedo roll.  Vegetarians can savor the marinated portobello sandwich with roasted red pepper, spinach, basil pesto and a heaping slice of Claudio’s fresh buffalo mozzarella.

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Union Trust Steakhouse
717 Chestnut St. – Philadelphia, PA 19106 (Google Map)

When Annie Tran opened Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich a year ago, she wanted to offer a banh mi that was closer to the authentic sandwiches than anything she could find in South Philadelphia.  And to ensure that the food was true to the traditional, she brought in her mother, whose recipes come directly from cooking at her temple in Vietnam.

Having  tried all of the local bread producers, Annie settled on a bakery in New Jersey whose rolls are crispy, soft, and “not too bready.”   Lightly toasted before serving, it is a perfect canvas for the mayo, cucumber, pickled carrot, jalapeno and cilantro that accompany the selection of proteins.

The house special, a combination of Vietnamese ham (cha lua), slow cooked BBQ pork (nem nuong), and pork ears (thit nguoi), is served with a spread of pork liver pate.  Other meat options include pork, chicken or beef that is marinated in lemongrass and fish sauce before being grilled.  Vegetarians have a couple options of fried tofu sandwiches – which are kept entirely separate from meat sandwiches – prepared either with a lemongrass marinade or sautéed with onions and mushrooms.  And for those who still cannot decide, ask for a half-and-half with two fillings.

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Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich
48 N. 10th St., Philadelphia PA 19107 (Google Map)

It is fitting that on a street as rich with history as Philadelphia’s Camac Street that Terra’s Chef Eric Paraskevas channels his own history in the form of a trio of miniature sandwiches.

The Cubano represents his background in Latin cuisine from his time at Lolita.  It features sliced house-roasted turkey, pulled pork carnitas in Chef’s own chipotles, and adobo seasoning with a pickle and cheese, on a buttery crisp toasted ciabatta.  The local beef burger, which speaks to his support of the local foods movement, is served simply with tangy cheddar on a brioche bun.  As a nod to Chef’s Greek heritage, a lamb burger is paired with fig aioli, and served on a Parker House dinner roll.

And now, bursting with World Series excitement, Chef Paraskevas has added a plate of mini Schmitters to the menu; though in our experience, when it comes to Schmitters, bigger is better.

Terra
243 S Camac St Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Google Map)

On a sunny corner of South Street that straddles Washington West and Bella Vista, seemingly miles removed from the blaring car stereos a few blocks to the east, Supper’s new lunch menu boldly re-imagines classic sandwiches with a welcoming, come as you are attitude.

Acclaimed Chef Mitch Prensky strives to create “the ultimate version” of iconic sandwiches, adding his own stamp to a Reuben, a French Dip, a Hot Dog and a Banh Mi.  Having once worked as Sous Chef for the lunch service at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (in addition to his classic French training and New York fine dining experience,) Chef Prensky truly loves the action at lunch and needed to get his ideas for sandwiches out onto plates.  Now available Monday through Saturday, Supper’s lunch menu has some serious sandwich action.

Supper’s version of the Reuben is served on Famous 4th Street rye bread, sliced thick and brushed with bacon fat and a mustard aoili.  Fried carnitas-style pork belly is tossed with thousand island dressing, and toasted with cooked sauerkraut under a layer of gruyere.  Chef tops the open-faced sandwich with apple chutney because pork, apple and gruyere work so well together, even when served as a reuben with a side of pastrami chips.

The Banh Mi features crispy fried Malaysian-inspired squid with bits of spicy Sichuan sausage, heaps of cilantro, lettuce and pickled peppers on a baguette that was baked fresh a few blocks away at Ba Le Bakery, paired with five spice chips.

The Supper Dog is made in house from 100% pork shoulder – “all killer, no filler” – on a house baked, buttered bun.  Wrapped in bacon and deep fried, it is served with grain mustard, BBQ onions, kraut and buttermilk fried pickles.  The Lamb French Dip, served with Herbs de Provence chips, is made from house-prepared lamb pastrami and lamb jus, is served with feta and olives on a baguette cut on a bias to help with the dipping.

The menu also features a burger borrowed from the dinner menu with horseradish cream, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, gruyere and a side of duck fat fingerlings. The lobster roll is served as a tried and true classic and paired with Old Bay chips.  Traditional fresh steamed lobster is mixed with lemon aioli, chopped celery, salt and pepper on a top-loaded buttered bun.

Chef Prensky is openly enthusiastic about sandwiches because in his opinion, the layers of ingredients combine to make each bite the perfect bite.  Among his local favorites are John’s Roast Pork, Sarcone’s, Jim’s Steaks, Ba Le Bakery, even a late night panini at Old Nelson.  He stresses that people should not overlook the bread when making sandwiches – you want the right type, the right thickness, and sometimes, like with their house made charcuterie, older bread can better than fresh.

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Supper
926 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)