What a trip down memory lane it was to once again enjoythe fabulous flavors of Jordan Kahn’s Red Medicine.
Other than the prawn crackers (which get mushy when packed in a container with the hot Brussels sprouts - really ought to be packaged separately) every thing else was great. The smokey brisket and the Coconut Bavarian, and the congee were standouts.
Big portions, lots of dishes, yummy.
Pick Up @ Vespertine - the wind chimes and weird music were playing through the slightly chilly evening in the spookily deserted Hayden Tract
Grilled Cuumber and Ma-Zu Purple Eggplant
The fish sauce dressing and veggies were terrific. Sorry the top billed Cukes and Eggplant are buried in by supporting cast
I remember going to Red Medicine once, a long time ago, late at night. I had something that gave me the impression of kaffir, lemongrass, or fruit loops.
I visited Vietnam before. A good friend of mine has family who lives there, and they showed us around. Quite often in the mornings, my breakfast would be at these little food stands, sometimes in a ‘garage’, where they cook an egg on a pan with herbs.
They also offer Banh Mi, in which there’s very little meat presence, maybe a slice of loaf (fake ham?) and a smeer of pate. But in some ways, that might actually help, because it stands out to me from all the fully loaded versions of the sandwich I’ve had in America.
But on your inquiry about the bread, it was always very ‘airy’ with a crispy surface. Very different from the trend elsewhere, where baguette is very heavy or chewy, and has a lot of weight. I was told, because they were inhabited by French people, they kept the culture of making bread this way. A lot of people I asked also said the same, that this was the ‘proper’ way to make this kind of bread. I’d like to emphasize, the light airy quality of it. Personally, I like modernized sandwiches, but this made me appreciate Banh Mi more.
Could be! I’m not an expert, you probably know more than me. All I can recall is how paper thin it was sliced, compared to the rest of the herbs and topping in the sandwich.
The bahn mi bread he used to use at Red Medicine was a recipe developed by a Thomas Keller alumni whom Jordan knew but for a $50 dinner set I can’t imagine he’s gonna put that much effort into the bread.
The bread wasn’t bad but…
A) it wasn’t good compared to an average Little Saigon grab and go/eat
Or
B) something totally different - and delicious - like the pineapple bread/roll (sadly I have not had it yet) you are doing w/ the pork chop.
But I loved the rest of the meal, prawn chips excluded.
