baguette box

Friends, allow me to once again sing the praises of Eric Banh, chef to the Gods.  Not only is he the genius behind the best Vietnamese restaurant on the West Coast, but he has also gifted us with one of the finest sandwich shops in town – Baguette Box.  Located just over the I-5 at Pine and Minor, Baguette Box is worth a trip for lunch no matter where you work in the City.  Take your coworkers, take your friends.  You’re going to need help making your way through an incredibly decadent side order of truffle oil and sea salt french fries.

And while those hand-cut truffle fries might just be worth a trip in themselves, the real stars are the imaginative sandwiches served up on huge chewy demi-baguettes from Le Panier at Pike Place Market.  The bread is firm, the crust is crispy and the sandwiches hold together extremely well (unlike say, the grilled pork cuban at Paseo, which requires a roll of paper towels to eat and you’ll still be wearing half of it on your shirt when you’re finished, but more on that some other time).  And while the Paseo grilled pork may be the undisputed No. 1 King of the Seattle Sandwich Scene, the runner-up is easily the much esteemed Crispy Drunken Chicken at Baguette Box.  Bite-sized chunks of battered chicken are deep-fried on the spot, coated with a sticky, gooey glaze of sweet-and-sour sauce, paired up with caramelized onions and a sprig of fresh cilantro and then masterfully arranged in the baguette.  Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still need plenty of napkins, but you won’t need to hose yourself down after eating this brilliant sandwich.

I’m particularly partial to the coconut braised tofu baguette.  Reminiscent of a traditional Vietnamese banh mi, but so much better.  The marinated tofu is pan-fried and brushed with aioli, then served with red onion, pickled daikon carrots and that signature sprig of cilantro.  It’s probably my favorite vegetarian sandwich in town.  I also enjoy the grilled ‘basque’ chorizo baguette, which is hot and spicy and served with harissa and onions.  I’m less fond of the braised pork shoulder and red wine baguette – it sounds absolutely delicious with coriander clove and sweet red peppers, but I found the ground filling to be way too greasy.  Your mileage may vary.  There’s also a rotating sandwich on the menu featuring assorted charcuterie from Armandino Batali’s famed Salumi Artisan Cured Meats (which make some damn fine sandwiches themselves).

Compared to the truffle fries, the other side dishes available for order are much simpler, but equally tasty.  Beets with olive oil.  Red potato salad and stone-ground mustard.  Seasonal greens.  But everything is fresh and delicious and worth exploring.

The space itself is sparse and minimal, with a bare concrete floor and a large central communal dining table and a couple of tiny 2-seaters along the walls.  Marvel at the strange dog paintings.  Have a glass of wine (the pedigree from Monsoon continues at Baguette Box, but on a radically smaller scale).  Eat a sandwich on Capitol Hill.  If you’re absolutely desperate, there is a second Baguette Box in Fremont (lovingly referred to as the “douche-Baguette Box”, no thanks to the impossibly obnoxious on-site management).  EDIT:  I’ve been meaning to update this for a while now, but G.M. Douche-baguette has long since left the building.  Eric Banh don’t suffer no fools!  The kids currently working at the Fremont location are all friendly and talented and will whip you up a sandwich in record time.  It’s right next door to PCC on the ground floor of the single ugliest building in Seattle (you know the one).

P.S. and slightly off-topic: For the Eric Banh fans… Last Monday, Monsoon began serving “Alive @ 5”, a happy hour featuring a $5 food and wine menu and highlighting new creations from the culinary team in advance of Monsoon East’s opening.  Weekdays from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.  I’ll see you there.

monsoon

*Psst*… I’m going to tell you a secret.  Monsoon on 19th Ave. E. has the best dim sum in Seattle, and quite possibly on all of the West Coast.  Eric Banh is truly a master chef.  Together with his sister Sophie, the two of the them craft some of the most innovative “french colonial” vietnamese cuisine I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.

It’s probably not even fair to compare the dim sum at Monsoon with anything else.  It’s really the platonic ideal of dim sum, far from the carts and the roar of the International District during weekend brunch.  Go first thing on a Saturday or Sunday morning and order the assorted dim sum — daikon cakes, lotus leaf wrapped sticky rice, steamed bbq pork buns, shrimp dumplings and pork shu mai.  You will be tempted to order more… but then you’d miss out on the rest of the menu which is equally stellar.  Specifically, the masterful bowl of oxtail pho with wagyu brisket and flank steak.  The broth is left to simmer for 16 hours prior to serving, which creates a ridiculously deep and soul satisfying flavor.

For the last few months of summer, they’ve also been serving $3 glasses of rosé over brunch which is simply madness considering the pedigree of their wine list.  In fact, on a roughly quarterly schedule, the Banhs host a multi-course prix-fixe wine dinner.  Earlier this Spring, I was thrilled to attend the “Rosé Roust!”, which featured some absolutely outstanding French rosés.  In particular, I’ve been hunting for this domaine de chateau du puligny-montrachet 2007 bourgogne pinot noir rosé ever since it crossed my lips.  That particular wine was paired with pan seared black cod & morning glory salad.  I can still taste that fish melting in my mouth.

Which brings me to my favorite dish on the menu at Monsoon, and one of the greatest in the City: the caramelized louisiana catfish claypot with fresh coconut juice and green onions.  Decided to drop by on a whim a couple of weeks ago, and was told the restaurant was completely booked for the night!  There were a couple of tables open on the patio however, and it was a lovely evening so I was all over that.  Tried the crispy imperial rolls with berkshire pork, shrimp and glass noodles for the first time.  These were served with fresh lettuce leaves and basil to wrap and dip in the accompanying sweet sauce.  I inevitably ordered the claypot catfish, with a side of jasmine rice to sop up all of the incredible sauce.  You really cannot miss this fish — served straight out of the hot claypot, it is tender and sweet and sticky with a constant low level spicy burn.  Was warned about the single hot pepper in my bowl, but ate it anyway.  Didn’t quite see God, but there was a brief out-of-body moment.  Finished with the famous spongy banana cake and crème fraîche.  It was actually surprisingly substantial and not nearly as sweet as I had feared.

Go now.  Go twice.  Rumors continue to circulate around the sale of the building Monsoon has resided in for the past decade, with condos and retail space slated to open after demolition.  (UPDATE: Hooray!  Looks like the deal fell through!).  Eric Banh has stated that he’d like to remain in Seattle, but with Monsoon East preparing to open soon in Bellevue, there’s no time like the present.  You won’t regret it.  Just don’t tell anyone else.