Midtown Lunch

My very first review for this site was the banh mi at Mangez Avec Moi Express on W. Broadway (btw Warren & Murray). Well, that was more than three years ago and I’ve never gone back. Since then they have changed their name to Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich and added steamed buns and dumplings to the menu. 

We’ve already reviewed the lemongrass pork chop and chicken sate models so this time I went for the traditional ($6.50), although the corned beef one sounds intriguing.

The major difference in the sandwiches here is the inclusion of greens and the thick slices of pate in the middle rather than lining the sides of the bread like similar banh mi at other shops. There was a small amount of ground pork on the bottom but not enough to taste and the spiciness here comes from sliced jalapeño and not sriracha sauce. The one thing I didn’t particularly like was the large amount of mayo on the top that kind of overwhelmed the pork flavor and made the bread soggy.

Unlike at most banh mi purveyors, I actually prefer the less conventional versions over the traditional. However, if you like pate and don’t mind the large spears of cucumber and inclusion of lettuce then the price is certainly right at Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich.

Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich (formerly Mangez Avec Moi Express), 73 W. Broadway (btw Warren and Murray streets), (212) 385-0251