Lost Vegetarian Presents… Banh Canh Noodles At Bricolage

I love Vietnamese food, but there can be a lot of pitfalls for vegetarians. Even innocuous-sounding dishes may have a healthy sprinkle of fish sauce in them. At Bricolage in Park Slope, though, Chef Lien Lin has a number of great (fish sauce-free) vegetarian options like banh xeo (a crepe made with rice flour) and a veggie banh mi. Even better is the dish she made for us in the newest episode of Lost Vegetarian: banh canh noodles with tofu. The dish, which is meant to be eaten at room temperature, features a great mix of textures and flavors. The noodles, made with a mix of tapioca and rice flours, are dense and chewy, while the vegetables are crisp and light. The coconut-based sauce adds just the right amount of seasoning, offset by the bright acidity of the pickles.

My collaborators:
Camera – Donny Tsang (http://www.donnytsang.com/)
Camera – Scott Lindrup (http://www.scottlindrup.com/)
Music – Bayard Russell (https://bayardrussell.wordpress.com/)

Bricolage — 162 5th Ave

Lost Vegetarian Presents… Grains of the Day at Nha Minh

When I asked for suggestions about restaurants that might be good to feature on Lost Vegetarian, James Boo was quick to recommend Nha Minh, a Vietnamese restaurant in Bushwick. Chef/owner Fred Hua constructs these amazing create-your-own rice bowls, which are huge and filling but somehow light and energizing. He uses the best ingredients he can find and cooks them simply, and then everything is combined with a medley of rice, grains, and pickled veggies. Then you can top the bowl with a wide variety of delicious freshly-made sauces, with options like coffee hoisin and fermented black bean with tahini. In this episode, Hua makes a vegan, gluten free bowl topped with Barry’s Tempeh. I’ve been to Nha Minh twice now, and both times everything was excellent. Enjoy!

My collaborators:
Camera – Donny Tsang (http://www.donnytsang.com/)
Camera – Scott Lindrup (http://www.scottlindrup.com/)
Music – Bayard Russell (https://bayardrussell.wordpress.com/)

Nha Minh — 485 Morgan Av

Roberta’s Takeout & Delivery

It’s not unusual to have a 2 hour wait time for Roberta’s now. I have come to accept this. It’s a lot easier to deal with the wait with the bar in the back. Also they are offering the full menu in the garden, which you order at the bar and grab a seat at any of the tables.

But! Roberta’s recently opened a takeout & delivery spot next to the restaurant. There’s no line, no waiting (except for your pizza to be made), and the great thing is, you can take it over to their garden. Besides a full pizza menu, they also have baked goods, sandwiches, fried chicken, and breakfast items. This might actually make me go to Roberta’s more often…at least I have to go back for the fried chicken.

– Roberta’s, 261 Moore St. Bushwick, Brooklyn

Meat Hook Sandwich

After months of drooling over photos of The Meat Hook crew testing out potential sandwiches, they finally opened their sandwich shop to the public.

Their menu is short and simple, consisting of 6 different sandwiches. Gyro, Italian, roast pork, roast beef, ham and cheese, and a chicken sandwich. I sort had my heart set on the roast beef sandwich, until I got to see the more detailed menu at the counter. The chicken sandwich wasn’t just a chicken sandwich but a hot fried chicken sandwich ($12). Ding! You know I can’t say no to a fried chicken sandwich. This sandwich was massive and I loved every bite of it. Spicy, crunchy, flavorful, sauce dripping, and everything held together nicely by a very nice bun.

Though just heads up, when Robert Sietsema of Eater went, I noticed the cannibal sandwich had replaced the chicken sandwich. What da what?! On Instagram, Brent Young told me that the menu will rotate like crazy. I’m glad I was able to try the chicken sandwich and can now move onto try the other sandwiches.

Their hours are 11 – 4p everyday.

Meat Hook Sandwich 495 Lorimer St. Williamsburg, Brooklyn