Vietwich Banh Mi - A John Nechman Discovery

 

John Writes: "I was in the Missouri City area tracking down a new place to eat (go figure), when I saw a FB message from one of my favorite people in the world, raving about a bánh mì spot in Stafford called Vietwich. She described it as the best she has ever had and so good that they regularly run out. Pretty much all I needed to read to make the detour to Stafford.

Vietwich (https://vietwich.co/menu) is on the corner of a small strip shopping center at 203 Dulles near 90, and the menu features several sandwich versions that can be customized to your liking. I ordered a couple of "Mom's egg rolls," a cà phê xưa da, and a meatball (xiu mai) bánh mì with added homemade kimchi and pâté and a soft-fried egg.

In the case of my lunch today, this comes as much from the tastebuds as from the heart:

"This is among the very best bánh mì in Houston, made with obvious care that you taste in every bite--the sweet little chunks of onion and jicama that permate the xiu mai. The delicate, still-crisp slivers of carrot, cukes, and daikon that adorn the meats. The bread that is perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft within. The homemade, almost buttery mayo. The added zest of lemongrass. Everything comes together perfectly in this sandwich, and I can't wait to return to try more."

The owner, Viet, started hawking sandwiches out of a gas station (there are pictures on the wall of the original Vietwich), and the place became so popular that he opened this stand-alone store. Try one of these beauts, and you're going to be like me, praying that he can duplicate these sandwiches all around this mighty metropolis of ours.

They really are that good."

San Dong Noodle and Dumpling - A Houston Tradition

 

Many years ago, a friend to one of our parties brought frozen dumplings from San Dong Noodle, then located in the Diho Center. He showed us how to drop the dumplings into boiling water, and how they were ready when they floated to the top. He taught us how to make a dipping sauce with ginger, rice vinegar and soy sauce. A couple of weeks later I made my first trip to San Dong. At that time I sensed that the staff at the register were a little uncomfortable speaking English and I found that I could pop around and chat in Spanish with the kitchen staff in order to learn the differences in the dumplings and what could be ordered. I had many meals there and when Robb Walsh and I first met, it was the first place I thought of to take him to. All of these years later, it is still a favorite spot for dumplings, along with Northern Pasta, and several others that the extraordinary food explorer, Michael Shum has introduced me to. Today, he and I met up at San Dong, each of us going for the dumplings in a rich beef broth soup. I remarked at one point "This broth would be perfect for a French onion soup!". We talked about the Guillermo del Toro movie, philosophy, ethics, as is our style. Here's a photo of the dumpling soup from today. #17 on the menu. Around $9.00, and a real bargain.

Plan to buy several bags of frozen dumplings to keep in your freezer for emergency meals, snacks or parties.

San Dong will have bottles of rice vinegar and soy sauce so that you can make your own dipping sauce, so plan to also try some pan fried dumplings while you are there.

Fried Chicken - The Best Fried Chicken Recipe

Back in 2013, I set out to reverse engineer the recipe for Gus's Fried Chicken (Memphis, Tennessee). I came close on several occasions and re-dedicated myself to cracking the code this year. A recent visit to Memphis allowed me to give the chicken one more taste, being able to pull data from my experiments and reach a final conclusion.

Here follows the recipe. It is based on just one boneless, skinless chicken breast weighing in at 1 pound, and cut into three pieces. It can be adjusted for larger quantities of chicken.

Here is the link to The Fried Chicken Blog (More Information and Comments)

Gus’s Fried Chicken

#1 November 17, 2017

 24 hour marinade. Begin the day before you plan to fry the chicken
(Increase these quantities, depending on how much chicken you plan to make)

1 lb (one) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into three pieces

1 cup corn starch

¼ cup (4 tablespoons) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup water (note: 1 ½ cups is too much. I actually ended up with 1 ¼ cup water and poured off a little water in the morning that had gathered on top of the marinade)

Marinade for 24 hours.

Fry at 325-350 F. Use a neutral vegetable or corn oil. I do not recommend canola oil as it smells like frying fish and adds an unpleasant fish taste to fried foods.

Note, when the exterior crust looks perfect, the interior may still be uncooked. It is the curse of these huge chickens that they sell now. Try your best to buy a 2.5-3 lb chicken.

If it isn't spicy enough, "salt" with Tony Chachere creole seasoning. Next time you make it, increase the amount of cayenne, and/or, add chopped whole serrano chiles or habanero chiles to the marinade.


Now, it is possible that you don't want to fry chicken at home and you are asking, "Where does Jay go in Houston for fried chicken?"
If people are visiting from out of town, I will take them to Barbecue Inn on Crosstimbers at Yale, as it is historically significant and a Houston institution. We don't get barbecue here. We get fried chicken.

Frenchies is another historically significant Houston destination for fried chicken. For my taste, it is too salty. But I am in the minority. Frenchies on Scott Street near TSU should definitely be on your list to try.

Oil and Vinegar - Central Market Offers Hundreds of Options

Central Market has done an amazing remodel. I noted an expansion of their coffee section. Also, they are now importing raw cacao and making chocolate in house (bean to bar). They have expanded their oil and wine section and it is remarkable as these photos indicate. HEB advised me that they have in place a testing committee to assure the oils have not been adulterated with cheaper oils.

We are so fortunate, here in Houston, to have such great shopping options such as Central Market (and Phoenicia, H-Mart, etc.  Check out my ethnic markets map here:
 Jay's Ethnic Markets Listings  )

There is a selection of fruit vinegars that still have the "mother", in case you would like to start making vinegar yourself at home.

Vietnamese - Pho Ve Dem - A Michael Shum Discovery

Michael Shum says: " This used to be my top favorite Pho spot, but I haden’t been back for a while because the quality was not consistent. Now that it was revisited with father-in-law, I got a chance to find out the current status. When I took my first spoon of the broth, I was instantly impressed, because the clear beef broth was complex, and had wonderful, strong herbal accents. It was packed with layers of flavors that kept coming through. The fatty oil that I asked for also enhanced the richness of the broth. Beef could have been better but it was not bad at all. I loved the nroth, and it’s still the type of heavy herbal aroma broth I prefer. 

"Don’t forget to get their durian ice cream for dessert. It’s fantastic!"

The Best Flour Tortillas in Town - Trigo's Mexican Restaurant on Fulton

On my most recent visit, in April 2022, I had a most excellent pozole and some more of the flour tortillas that I write about, following this newest photo:

I came across Trigo's Mexican Restaurant a few years back when I was exploring Irvington and Fulton and I fell in love with this place. Great ambience, wonderful staff, and a style of cooking reminiscent of the northern part of Mexico. I have not strayed too far from my beloved order of chile relleno here. It comes either with a ground beef (picadillo) filling or a cheese filling accompanied by rice, beans and a small salad. And it is wonderful.

The flour tortillas here are so delicious, so perfectly realized, that it makes me want to cry. Too many places serve up flour tortillas that are so soaked in oil and so greasy that you could swear you can see through them in places. Not here. Fluffy, not too salty. Just perfect.

Highly recommended. Note: this is a breakfast and lunch place. They close at 3:00.

Here are some additional photographs from my recent visits solo, with friends, Joanne, Greg, Angie, my wife Irene, and with our good friend Don Jesús Avila from Zacatecas.

Airline Farmer's Market - (Formerly Canino's) (Houston Most Authentic Farmer's Market IMHO)

When Canino's closed several years ago, no one was sure what would happen to this space. Happily a group of investors with a real commitment to Houston and history went in and rebuilt it better than ever, adding several places to eat, a meat market, and much more parking. It is wonderful to visit. One of my favorite things is to shop for really red and ripe Roma tomatoes in order to make my own sauces, and get away from the canned tomatoes that use citric acid to keep everything fresh and bacteria free.

" Canino's on Airline. Created decades ago in the 50's as a cooperative for local farmers to sell their locally produced fruits and vegetables. Hempstead melons and more. I recently chatted with the owners who gave me the following information. They have been in operation since June of 1958. At that time, the Canino's complex was about 3,800 square feet and it is now grown to over 20,000 square feet. Over time the complex has evolved. Around the periphery on this part of Airline Drive just south of 610 are the wholesale produce companies. In back of Canino's are smaller vendors, individual stalls that are so reminiscent of the markets in Mexico. This is where you come for the harder to find products used in Mexican cooking. You can find guaje, epazote, huazontle, dried and fresh chiles, and more. There is one vendor who specializes in pineapples and their prices are always significantly lower than anywhere else. Here is where you come for perfectly ripe, ready to use the day of, fruits and vegetables. And Flores Spices has an outlet here for all of your spice needs. Next door, is another long warehouse of independent vendors. And back along the eastern side you will find even more as well as several excellent taquerias."

"Canino's proper is a one stop shop for your fruits and vegetables. And worth noting is that, unlike most grocery stores that discard of their produce when the first hint that it is over ripe occurs, Canino's puts theirs out at extreme price reductions. Imagine. 4 lbs of bananas for $1.  A big bucket of perfect yellow squash also for $1. I find that I can come here and build the ingredients for a giant soup or stew for less than $5. The clearance section of Canino's is next door where they used to sell flowers, instead of directly behind Canino's as it used to be."

Photos for Canino's from Google Maps

Oh, and by the way. I offer free walking tours of the market for groups of three or more. No charge. If you want to meet up with me with your friends, contact me at ( houstonfoodexplorer@yahoo.com ) to arrange a date and time. If you would like, we can also add a lunch at Tampico Seafood or another place in the area.

Before we move on to your photo guided tour of this area, check out some of these typical bargains:

And now, on to the food tour. These photos were taken recently when chef friends and I hit the markets to buy goods for an upcoming cooking class. Photos to follow, including some shorts from El Bolillo Bakery and Reyes Produce, just down the street. Click on them to see a larger version.

Mexico - Regional Dishes - A Greg Buchold Adventure

Aguascalientes (Tablelands)

48 Green enchiladas

212 Pickled chiles and vegetables

Zacatecas (Tablelands)

138 Cabrito chile ancho

Queretero (Tablelands)

154 Seasoned veal

Guanajuato (Tablelands)

242 Caramel crepes

Puebla

80 Vegetable soup with radish sauce

89 Mole de olla

114 Turkey mole poblano

118 Oregano chicken

131 Rags of mestiza eggs

136 Pork loin with tomato sauce and green pepper

148 Tinga poblana

150 Pork stuffed with chiles, chipotles, and prunes

214 Chile en nogada

216 Chiles rellenos de queso

216 Chiles anchos rellenos

236 Torrejas (fried bread)

237 Candied sweet potatoes

238 Orange polvorones

246 Royal eggs

246 Prune nougat

Oaxaca

48 Enchiladas rojas

53 Champurado

55 Agua de horchata

84 Lentils with fruit

90 Arroz negro

96 Mole crepes

112 Chicken mountain herbs

117 Chicken mole pipian

123 Manchamanteles

124 eggs Oaxaquenos

126 Festive Chicken

131 Tomatillo eggs

132 Picadillo

134 Pork leg adobo

137 Albondigas

141 Beef stew

144 Yellow amarillo mole

144 Mole colaradito

174 Crab and cactus paddle cocktail

178 Dried shrimp potatoes

200 Salsa endablada

210 zucchini and corn

210 zucchini and cauliflower fried in batter

230 Mamey or peach cake

236 Almond cake

236 Egg bread

Morelos (Central)

91 Green rice with poblano strips

206 chayote salad

210 potato patties

Tlaxcala (Central)

79 Squash blossom soup

87 Tamale pie

123 eggs and poblanos in cazuelitas

Hidalgo (Central)

79 Pecan soup with chipotle

142 Barbacoa

240 Almond gelatin

Estado de Mexico (Central)

41 Enfrijoladas

44 tostadas ceviche

86 black bean soup

128 eggs with chorizo

208 chard potatoes chorizo

210 mushrooms epazote

Districto Federal/CDMX (Central)

51 Chicken tamales verde

74 cilantro soup

75 huitlacoche soup

80 oyster chipotle soup

83 Tlalpeno soup

84 chard soup

87 chile poblano almond soup

91 Aztec casserole

93 chorizo fideos

95 zucchini pudding

96 huitlacoche crepes poblano

114 chicken peanut sauce

122 pistachio mole

124 chicken parsley sauce

139 steak and onions

146 pot roast with bacon

149 ground meat casserole

150 ropa vieja

174 lobster salad with guava

186 dried cod Mexican style

203 ancho chile salad with cheese

204 Rosaura salad

205 cactus and jicama salad

207 escabeche vegetables

214 chile strips in cream

216 chile rellenos picadillo

240 coffee gelatin

244 tequila mousse

Guerero (Western)

40 masa sopes

50 tamales in banana leaves

54 fruit punch

55 agua jamaica

56 jicama with pineapple

70 chilatole soup

76 zucchini soup

88 posole

93 rice costeno

109 butterfly quail

119 duck breasts plum sauce

124 chicken chipotle

142 filet adobado

168 marinated fish strips

170 fish filets baked in foil, tomatoes, cilantro, red onions

172 red snapper parsley cream

173 grilled red snapper

175 cold red snapper

180 garlic shrimp

181 shrimp escabeche

182 fish almondrado

198 chile costena

201 guajillo chile sauce

205 spinach salad with jamaica dressing

208 new potatoes with garlic

213 chiles rellenos stuffed with tuna

229 tres leches

243 meringue with mango and soft custard

249 ice cream cake with caramel sauce

Restaurants Recommendations - Great Places to Eat In Houston and Elsewhere ( A Work in Progress )

I follow several Houston food groups on Facebook. One of my absolute favorite groups to belong to is the one moderated by Houston treasure and consummate foodie, Cleverley Stone (see links to your right).

I've noticed that one some, the same questions about "where to eat" come up every couple of months. And many of the same recommendations from people for their favorite places.

So I thought, "why not start just capturing the recs here?".

So this page will be a work in progress. I am going to be a little lazy and just list the names. Most of us are internet literate enough to know how to do a web search or a Yelp/Zomato search to find more information on a place that interests us. Feel free to add comments in the comments section below.

Galveston:
Gaido's Seafood
Olympia Grill
Shrimp and Stuff
Benno's Restaurant
Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar
BLVD Seafood
Black Pearl Oyster Bar
Miller's Seawall Grill
Fish Tales

League City:
El Dorado #2 Mexican Restaurant
El Indio Mexican Restaurant

Pho:
Les Noo'dle (Montrose)
Cafe TH (Downtown)
Saigon Cafe (Downtown)
Pho Hoang
Pho Binh
Pho Dien
Pho Saigon (Midtown)
Pho Thanh Long
Pho Danh
Local Pho (Sawyer Heights)

Healthy Options:
Local Foods
Ruggles Green or Black
Bella Green
True Foods
Sud Italia

Huntsville:
1836 Steakhouse
Farmhouse
Mr. Hamburger
Toasted
City Hall Cafe and Pie Bar
Carbonero Rotisserie


Bourbon and Whiskey Bars:
Reserve 101
Bosscat Kitchen
Poison Girl
8 Row Flint
Anvil
Federal American Grill


Sichuan:
Mala Sichuan Bistro
Chef Liu Houston
Chengdu Taste
Pepper Twins
Cooking Girl
Chuan's Chinese
Sichuan Noodles
One Dragon

Dim Sum:
Fung's Kitchen
Golden Dim Sum
HK Dim Sum
Ocean Palace Restaurant

MascalzoneChargrilled Pork Spring Rolls:
Vietnam Coast
Bo Luc Lac

Sugarland:
Sabai Thai Cafe

Nachos:
El Tiempo Cantina
Los Tios
Goode Company Taqueria
Yucatan Taco Stand
Cyclone Anaya
Pico's
Chaco's
Alma Latina
La Finca Mexican Restaurant
El Dorado #1 and #2

Mediterranean / Middle Eastern:
Abdallah's Lebanese Bakery and Restaurant
Al Aseel
Aladdine (Montrose)
Al's Quick Stop (Montrose)
Cafe Lili
Dimassi's
Droubi's
Ekko's Greek American Deli
Ephesus (Katy)
Fadi's
Mezza Grille
Phoenicia
Sayad's
Tangerine
Zabak's

Egyptian Style Pizza (Feteerah, or, King Tut Pizza):
Dandanah Cafe


Butcher Shops:
B&W Meat Market (North Shepherd)

Southern and Comfort Food:
Barbecue Inn
Cleburne Cafeteria
Dot Coffee Shop
Frank's Americana
Gus's Fried Chicken
Kelley's Country Cooking
Kitchen 713
Mikki's
Punk's
Sweetie Pies

Pizza:
El Canton (Guadalajara style pizza)
Coltivare
Pi Pizza
Mascalzone


Bread From Other Countries:
Simit and Poacha (Turkish breads - Westheimer)
Droubi's (various locations)
Phoenicia (Westheimer and Downtown)
Artisana Bread (Pinemont)
Alvand Bakery (Iranian breads - Westheimer)

Mexico Style Regional Mexican Food:
Pico's
Xochi
Hugo's
Caracol
Los Morales

Coffee Outside the Loop:
Barbazzar (Clear Lake / Webster)
Pearland Coffee (Pearland)
Blockhouse (Richmond)
Momentum Coffee (Spring)
Barbarossa Coffee (Louetta Road)
Tout Suite (Memorial City location)
1000 Hills Coffee (Barker-Cypress Road)
Blendin Coffee Club (Sugarland)
Holy Roast (Rosenberg)