Unbreaded

Baoguette’s Sloppy Bao Kicks Joe To The Curb

Flocks of people wait in line outside Baoguette, a recently opened Vietnamese sandwich spot in Murray Hill but it wasn’t the banh mi we were here for. Although their traditional Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi means baguette) is raved about by many, it is the Sloppy Bao that really had us intrigued.

At the heart of the sandwich is minced beef which is stewed in a variety of ingredients including lemongrass, red curry paste, garlic and basil. It is then topped with julienned mangoes, red onion, sliced jalapenos and topped with cilantro. The baguettes are delivered half-baked from Wenner’s, so they can be freshly baked and served to the steady line of patrons throughout the day. When ordering the sandwich you are only given two options: spicy or not. We opted for the spicy and must advise: if you’ve never experienced Vietnamese cooking, then don’t think you’re about to bite into a Manwich. The first bite reveals saucy, tangy meat with a cool taste of mango. Then the heat kicks in, and we found ourselves pawing for our iced coffee.

Call us masochists but we loved every minute of pain endured while eating the Sloppy Bao. Never have we experienced such a balanced combination of spicy and sweet flavors at a Vietnamese shop.

Baoguette
61 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10010 (Google Map)