Good to hear Ba Le is still going strong. I had my first banh mi there when I moved from San Francisco to Argyle St. ca. '97. Even after leaving the neighborhood for the wilds of Wicker Park and The Gold Coast, whenever I'd venture back to visit friends and/or shop the SE Asian markets...I'd stop by for their sandwiches(extra jalapenos, please).

Christopher Gordon wrote:Good to hear Ba Le is still going strong.

Not just going strong -- they're expanding.

Never had anything but fresh and delicious bread there either. Lemongrass sausage and pork meatballs are both excellent and the che rule. One of my favorites.

Oh, my: lemongrass pork banh mi, shrimp spring rolls, and sticky rice with Chinese sausage ... I'm suffering with envy. We really need a place like this on the far SW side. At least I have another excuse to visit my cousins in Ravenswood, who are only a mile or so away from Nhu' Lan.

webdiva


Whaddya mean, I can't get that to go??!

JeffB wrote:Count me as a fan of Ba Le (not that I'm not a fan of Nhu Lan). I get there early whenever I need a decent substitute for Cuban bread. The house charcuterie is also solid. They deserve some credit for doing this stuff forever. Nothing wrong with cheap, fresh, fast sandwiches from an old neighborhood anchor. (See Bari.)

I love Nhu Lan. We used to live very close. But Ba Le to me is just as good. I have never had a bad experience at either place. I would not want to use either as a club with which to beat the other. To me, to like one does not necessarily mean you have to demean the other. It's All Good.

I don't feel the need to beat one with the other - just relating my experience. In fact, all the sandwiches I received from Ba Le were premade, so the fresh made-to-order ones from Nhu Lan were a revelation. Have they ceased premaking the sandwiches in the intervening years?

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I don't feel the need to beat one with the other - just relating my experience. In fact, all the sandwiches I received from Ba Le were premade, so the fresh made-to-order ones from Nhu Lan were a revelation. Have they ceased premaking the sandwiches in the intervening years?

Whenever I've been to Ba Le, the sandwiches were made to order. I've not been to Nhu' Lan but it's at the top of my LTH rec list. Looking forward to that taste test!

Years ago, Ba Le's sandwiches were pre-made and housed in the open cooler that now holds various salads, spring roll, and meat and rice dishes. All sandwiches are now made to order. Give them a try.

Ba Le really needs its own thread. Next time I go I'll try to snap some pictures and start one.

Nhu Lan is great, I don't mean to discourage anyone from going there. If you don't eat pork, Nhu Lan's chicken is superior and more flavorful than Ba Le's.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I don't feel the need to beat one with the other - just relating my experience. In fact, all the sandwiches I received from Ba Le were premade, so the fresh made-to-order ones from Nhu Lan were a revelation. Have they ceased premaking the sandwiches in the intervening years?

I've never had a sandwich at Ba Le that was not made to order.

trpt2345 wrote:

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I don't feel the need to beat one with the other - just relating my experience. In fact, all the sandwiches I received from Ba Le were premade, so the fresh made-to-order ones from Nhu Lan were a revelation. Have they ceased premaking the sandwiches in the intervening years?

I've never had a sandwich at Ba Le that was not made to order.

I dont feel the need to beat one with the other either... but opinions are what make this board, after all (and help one choose between one joint and another of a similar type

Ba Le always holds a special place, because it was where I had my first bahn mi - and it kept my business for a very long time. In fact, when Nhu Lan opened I didnt go for ages, because I was pretty happy with Ba Le. I did eventually, however - and now I go to Nhu Lan more than Ba Le, happen to agree its "better", basically. (Though I'll still happily stop in at Ba Le when in the Argyle area). The lemongrass stuff is better at Nhu Lan IMHO - as Habibi says, more aggressively seasoned. Same with the veggie stuff too.. the lemongrass and ginger tofu's at Nhu Lan are shocking, the only place where I willingly eat a veggie sandwich every once in a while (though only once in a while - was there 2 days ago and stuck with the pork-belly and lemongrass pork, for example).

As for "pre-made" - Ba Le always used to offer sandwiches made maybe a few minutes earlier.. generally during busy periods. But I almost never had a pre-made sandwich at Ba Le regardless, because of the Zim-Ordering-Technique... always ask for something customized, to get a specially made sandwich, he said, and thats always worked for me (at Ba Le I always asked for "extra jalapenos", thus always resulting in a made-to-order sandwich, it even worked at a couple of Vietnamese Grocery Stores on Argyle; at Mcdonald's, BTW, I ask for my McChicken sandwich "cooked extra crispy, slightly easy on the mayo" - and it almost always results in a slightly extra wait, but a warm fresher sandwich as opposed to one thats been sitting under the heat-lamp).

c8w

A good friend told me that this morning she went to Nhu Lan and tried to order a #10 (lemongrass tofu) and was told it's no longer available. Has anyone heard anything about this? It was my go-to order and I'd be really disappointed to see it disappear.

-Dan

dansch wrote:A good friend told me that this morning she went to Nhu Lan and tried to order a #10 (lemongrass tofu) and was told it's no longer available. Has anyone heard anything about this? It was my go-to order and I'd be really disappointed to see it disappear.

-Dan

I tried ordering it two days ago and they just said they were out. Hmm, that would be disappointing if it is off the menu.

A good friend told me that this morning she went to Nhu Lan and tried to order a #10 (lemongrass tofu) and was told it's no longer available. Has anyone heard anything about this? It was my go-to order and I'd be really disappointed to see it disappear.

-Dan

I tried ordering it two days ago and they just said they were out. Hmm, that would be disappointing if it is off the menu.

They might just not be making it consistently. They told me they were out when I went about a month ago, but they did have it a few weeks ago. However, the fact that they didn't have it a month ago prompted me to try the Ginger Tofu sandwich, which I now like even better.

They didn't have it yesterday, either. In fact, they were out of the ingredients for most of the vegetarian sandwiches...so I got the #5, which was fantastic.

This is not up for GNR? Really?

petite_gourmande wrote:This is not up for GNR? Really?

Not yet. Next year. It was only named a GNR in 2009, so it won't be up for renewal until 2011.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

petite_gourmande wrote:This is not up for GNR? Really?

Not yet. Next year. It was only named a GNR in 2009, so it won't be up for renewal until 2011.

=R=

I knew there was some rules/guidelines I missed. Thanks!

petite_gourmande wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

petite_gourmande wrote:This is not up for GNR? Really?

Not yet. Next year. It was only named a GNR in 2009, so it won't be up for renewal until 2011.

=R=

I knew there was some rules/guidelines I missed. Thanks!

Gee. I'm not sure how that's possible. The guidelines are only 4,000 words long.

eatchicago wrote:Gee. I'm not sure how that's possible. The guidelines are only 4,000 words long.

Where are the pictures for those of us adversed to Iliad-esque epics?

dansch wrote:A good friend told me that this morning she went to Nhu Lan and tried to order a #10 (lemongrass tofu) and was told it's no longer available. Has anyone heard anything about this? It was my go-to order and I'd be really disappointed to see it disappear.

The Lemongrass Tofu is most definitely still available. I picked up one for lunch today - as delicious as always. Still-warm bread makes just about any sandwich better, and this is one that starts out great.

-Dan

petite_gourmande wrote:Where are the pictures for those of us adversed to Iliad-esque epics?

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Steve,

Fantastic photos! I'm still full from my late lunch at Nhu Lan, but now want to go back and have a pate chaud:

stevez wrote:

They sure are tasty and that photo makes my stomach grumble for one...

-Dan

Stevez - Great piccies! Now we all know why Buddha is smiling great big with his happy belly.

Dansch - Pate chaud is one of my favorite, as good as these are, imagine when they are made even better with a touch of liver pate to add to the richness. Grew up with these suckers, and remains one of my favorite food of all times.

LTH,

Was on the way home from (very) minor food surgery recently wanted something quick that I could take home and did not have to walk far from the car to the shop to get, Nhu Lan fit the bill perfectly and deliciously. Not only did I pick up lunch for me, but for $20 I had lunch for one, dinner for two and a snack to boot. (Two banh mi, two rice in lotus leaf, two spring rolls)

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:minor food surgery

I must know. Is this a typo? If not, could you elaborate?

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:

G Wiv wrote:minor food surgery

I must know. Is this a typo? If not, could you elaborate?

I'm imagining something like this: Roy's Food Repair

G Wiv wrote:minor food surgery

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I must know. Is this a typo? If not, could you elaborate?

Typo, I meant to write foot. Must have been a foodian slip.

G Wiv wrote:

G Wiv wrote:minor food surgery

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I must know. Is this a typo? If not, could you elaborate?

Typo, I meant to write foot. Must have been a foodian slip.

I'm actually kind of disappointed

First time visit to Nhu' lan.
Everything said about the lemongrass tofu banh mi is true - amazing, fresh sandwich and so cheap. Despite being full, I polished off the sticky rice with chicken, chinese sausage, and shrimp.

Stopped in yesterday to scratch a bahn mi/sticky rice itch. And...

New flavors!

They've put the ginger and lemongrass tofu on the menu sheet, and added the following bahn mi:

- Veggie (pate and ham)*
- Sugarcane Shrimp
- Shredded pork
- Sardines in tomato sauce
- Pate, ham and eggs

Didn't try any of 'em, but I'm sure I will soon. I could totally do a pate/ham/egg for breakfast on a regular basis.

*Yeah, I don't get it either, but that's what it said. Didn't think to ask.

- Veggie (pate and ham)*
- Sugarcane Shrimp
- Shredded pork
- Sardines in tomato sauce
- Pate, ham and eggs

good news for all. plus, 4 of the 5 sound terrific to me. now, if only i could remember not to stop in there on tuesdays...joan