When we are in Phnom Phen, one of our favorite places to pop in for lunch is The Shop Café and Bakery. The Shop is a delightfully cozy café on one of Cambodia’s leafy little shopping streets. Its combination modern yet rustic décor makes it the prefect place to retreat from the hustle and bustle of Phnom Phen. In fact, it reminds us a little bit of a California sandwich shop….airy, light, with loads of fresh ingredients. And I think this is the secret to The Shop’s popularity…the quality and fresh, clean flavors transform visitors into dining regulars.

When we visit we like to savor refreshing lemonades, creamy fruit smoothies, perfectly prepared cappuccinos and Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches on freshly made, thick-cut breads. Also, don’t miss the quiche, pizza and focaccia breads.

And while the food is in fact delicious, what is most impressive is the endless assortment of tantalizing pastries and sweet treats. We often marvel at the pastry counter for a full 10 minutes before we were able to make a choice. Try a mini fruit tart, pain au chocolate or a seriously fudgy brownie with a steaming cup of café au lait. You will soon understand why the Shop Café a Bakery is not to be missed when visiting Phnom Phen.

The Shop Café & Bakery
No. 39 Street 240
Telephone: +855 23 986964

I landed in Hanoi with a short list of things to do. Bia Hoi (unpasteurized beer), Pho (duh), Bobby Chin (don’t really know why), and at the top of the list was Banh My. I’d read so much about it over the last few months… how people were following the carts that peddle the sandwich on Twitter, restaurants devoted exclusively to it. Was this just an American thing with little resemblance to the local reality?

I did a quick bit of research and found a NYT article on Banh My in Hanoi.

An unlikely variation on the sandwich is thriving in the Vietnamese capital: the banh mi doner kebab, which incorporates elements of a doner kebab, the Turkish staple, tucking shaved pork, pickled vegetables and chili sauce inside a warm baguette. Turkish doner kebabs are usually halal, meaning pork-free. Is this version culinary sacrilege? Perhaps, but a tasty one.

Sounded good. We didn’t have many meals in Hanoi proper (due to traveling outside of town as well) and so opted for the best in town… the article left out one small detail though. This Banh My is a food stand. Thankfully I dined with a well-traveled group (coincidentally most of our Sunday brunch crew) so copping a squat on kid’s sized chairs in the street was more enjoyable than sitting removed from the action in an air conditioned room. But this could put some off of the ordeal.

We arrived and looked for the building address to find the following cart.

Actually there’s three of them to handle the loads of locals driving past on their motorcycles after work. Think Vietnamese fast food

We watched as the sandwich maker quickly and skillfully carved the meat from the spit. We weren’t sure what the meat was at first though and so I sampled a piece to make sure it wasn’t lamb (some in our group don’t enjoy the gamey taste of lamb). It was pork… but that doesn’t do it justice. It was juicy, with an appropriate amount of fat, tender, seasoned to perfection… everything pork can be. I wanted to run off with the whole hunk of meat, but opted instead to patiently await the sandwich.

We didn’t go with the traditional baguette but went instead with the round flat bread. It seemed easier to hold and eat… and looked fresher It was a good choice.

The sandwich is stuffed with pork, red cabage, sweet slaw, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumber and heaping amounts of white sauce (a flavored mayonnaise) and red chili sauce. It should have been messier than it was, but held up in the sandwich nicely. After stuffing the sandwich undergoes a very secret, ancient technique for finishing which I’ll reveal at the end of the post.

To wash it all down there’s freshly made sugar cane juice just around the corner if you’d like.

But we had been walking a while… and sweat warrants beer. They didn’t have any on hand, but a nice old Vietnamese woman ran around the block to get us some Hanoi Beer (Bia Hanoi – not the same as Bia Hoi) and ice. I’m still not convinced ice belongs anywhere near a beer, but since she went through such efforts to get it for us I dropped a few in my glass.

Eating Banh My on the street was easily one of my greatest travel highlights ever. It seems so silly, but it’s true. Our food vendor warmed to me when he saw my arm sleeve tattoo (he also had one). I communicated through a series of grunts and gestures and learned his English name was Michael. I wondered if he knew that his little stand was featured in the NYT? If he understood why all the white people would be coming by his little shop?

We sat and watched a wedding going on across the street. The families of the bride and groom exploded tubes full of confetti to announce the event and decorate the street as a reminder for those who walked past later of the event that had taken place.

Across the corner a marketing team had hired break dancers to promote a new motorcycle in front of the local mall. Yup, break dancers in Vietnam… I think my travel surprises have ended!

I can’t say that our short trip to Hanoi gave us significant insight into the culture of Vietnam. I can say though that sitting there on that corner, sipping watered down beers, and sharing a cigarette with my new friend Micheal while watching the mix of ancient traditions juxtaposed with emerging commercialism… well I saw more there than I would have in a french restaurant geared for foreign tourists (though undoubtedly serving great food).

And this sandwich I’ve been writing about. It’s 15,000 Dong. Less than 1 USD! Well, that’s what the locals were paying. We were charged what we can only imagine to be the foreigner rate… 20,000 Dong. It hurt to pay more when 15,000 was right there on the front of the vending cart… but that 5,000 Dong amounts to .30 Cents USD so who’s complaining. And maybe that was because we sat down at their fancy tables

If you go to Hanoi. Get a Banh My here… and look for Micheal. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Banh My Van
Address: 306 Ba Trieu Street (a bit too far of a walk from the Old Square, best to just get a cab)
Phone: 84-9-36-57-39-39

Paul

Bonus – The secret ancient finishing technique for a Hanoi Banh Mi.Ta Da!

That’s right. It’s pressed by none other than an ancient, old.. George Forman’s Lean, Mean, Fat Grilling Machine

Also check out the uber-healthy condiment storage rack! Yup that’s mayo in that bag, out in the elements.

This week Joanna joined me for my weekly Moomba Tuckshop series. Since she joined we were able to cover two sandwiches this week.

The problem with running a food blog is sometimes you have to order things you wouldn’t normally… or in this case order separate things for maximum coverage. Both Joanna and I were eyeing the Veggie sandwich. The description just sounded fresh and healthy. Being a gentleman I changed to the Roast Beef.

Sometimes being a gentleman really pays off. Though a kind of thin, unappealing sandwich in photos, the Roast Beef was full of flavor… thanks in no small part to the mustard mayonnaise or whatever it is. On the menu its referred to as a mustard mayonnaise…normally I’m not a fan of mustard, but this was smooth and flavorful, with an appropriately small bite to it. The sauce worked well with the caramelized onions. I chose the walnut loaf for my bread and everything just worked well.

Joanna went with the Vegibite with Portabello Mushrooms. The sandwich was refreshingly varied in flavors and textures for a veggie sandwich. It’s nice to find a suitable healthy sandwich that doesn’t remind you with every bite that it’s healthy

We split a Walnut Carrot Cake to finish the lunch off. Looking at the pastry in the window I didn’t even see the carrot cake thanks to the heaping portion of walnuts on top. The walnuts were a bit too sugary for me if I have to nitpick (I don’t, but am choosing to) and again the cake portion was a bit dry with the same consistency of the chocolate muffin from last week. So it must be the flour or some other common ingredient used in their pastries. It’s not bad in flavor, but it’s definitely something enjoyed with a glass of milk.

I was a lot happier with both sandwiches this week for the money. Great value and taste – I think both were right at 9 SGD.

The Moomba Tuckshop

Bank of China Building #B1-01
4 Battery Road
Phone: 6536 5235
Raffles Place

I love sandwiches…a lot. I eat one for breakfast and have since I was about 4 years old. Recently I stumbled across Time Out Magazine’s round up of Singapore’s tops in different categories. Saw The Moomba Tuckshop listed as top sandwich shop. Seeing as The Moomba is just a 15-minute walk from the apartment and we know the owner, I decided to see what all the excitement was about.

The Moomba Tuckshop is located in the basement of the Bank of China Building in the CBD (Central Business District) of Singapore. It’s an extension of the Aussie-themed regular restaurant just down the road on Circular. Breads are made fresh in the shop as are an assortment of pastries.

On my first visit I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection. Also I chose to walk down at the height of the CBD lunch rush so couldn’t spend much time perusing the menu. Decided it’d be best if this was a weekly or bi-weekly column… so each week I’ll head down the Tuckshop and report back on one of the sandwiches on offer.

This week was the signature Wagyu Pastrami sandwich. I recently ate at the Moomba Restaurant and had amazingly delicious wagyu…almost a roast in flavor and tenderness. I also love pastrami, so this was a no-brainer sandwich for me, even though it is the most expensive sandwich on the menu at 13 SGD. I opted for the olive focaccia bread (I know that’s not the pastrami bread selection of choice but it looked good on the counter).

The breads on offer at The Moomba Tuckshop

The meat was good but not great. The flavors seemed to alternate on each bite…one bite I’d get the peppery bite I love of pastrami and the next I’d get a taste of Wagyu. Maybe it was me, but the two didn’t seem to want to really compliment each other but exhist sepeartely. The sandwich was topped with a modest amount of mustard and dressings, so the meat and bread were allowed to shine. Bread was fresh and tasty.

All in all it was a good sandwich. I don’t know if I’ll personally order it again (though I really do like pastrami) because I don’t know if the upgrade to wagyu is really worth it with pastrami, but I respect the effort.

From the pastry shelf I selected a chocolate muffin and carried it home for enjoyment later. A bit of a drier muffin style. It wasn’t unfresh, it was just the style of the muffin. Heated up a bit the chocolate worked with the crumbles and made for a great snack.

Tune in next week for another sandwich from Moomba and please comment on your favorite sandwiches / meats / etc in the comments.

The Moomba Tuckshop

Bank of China Building #B1-01
4 Battery Road
Phone: 6536 5235
Raffles Place

It was a sunny Saturday typical of Singapore. Paul, myself and some friends had just finished a 3-hour hike in MacRitchie reservoir and were all craving a hearty sandwich and an ice-cold drink. Without a particular restaurant in mind, we grabbed a cab to Dempsey Hill. Converted from old army barracks, Dempsey Hill, also known as Tanglin Village, is a favored destination area for weekend dining and shopping in Singapore. It’s a rather unique area that draws me back time and time again due to the incredibly diverse array of options.

After strolling through the area, the rustic farmhouse style of CA California Deli & Bakery Artisans caught our eye.CA California Deli & Bakery Artisans is co-located with Ben& Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop in Block 8 of Dempsey Hill. The menu was on chalkboard and the dry goods artfully arranged on rough hewn shelves. While it boasted California as its style- reference, it actually reminded me of the kind of super cute place one sees in an American New England beach town (say Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket) where you stop off on your bike en route to the beach to grab a homemade sandwich and some snacks. Set up in a grocer / market style I noticed brands I hadn’t seen outside of New England – Cape Cod brand potato chips and Nantucket Nectars brand juices.

Two of us ordered the Open-Face Woodside Mushroom with Cream Cheese on Focaccia. Paul had the Tuna Salad with Green Apples on Thick-cut Farmhouse Bread and another friend tried the Mango and Turkey on Baguette. While most folks were so thirsty from the walk that they had water, I opted to try the Peach Iced Tea. The sandwiches were hearty and filling…a solid lunch time offering. I would definitely go back for this. I was however, a little disappointed with the ice tea which tasted like it was from a bottle rather than homemade.

Still hungry from the hike, we decided to split the Peach Crumble dessert. Unfortunately this was the greatest disappointment of all. 1) because I had to get up and order it from the bakery counter as I could not catch any of the service staff’s attention for a prolonged period of time and 2)because after all that effort, the crumble was incredibly mediocre. I struggled to find the peach that it was purported to contain and the crumble itself lacked any of the distinctive flavor that a good crumble has…the expected blend of cinnamon, butter and brown sugar.

With that said, I would recommend CA Deli & Bakery for the sandwiches. But I would not go in a hurry (service is spotty and slow)….nor would I have dessert (just walk the 3 meters to Ben & Jerry’s).  Maybe the best option would be to grab some sandwiches before heading off to a picnic on the beach or at the Botanical Gardens.

Location:
Dempsey Hill (Tanglin Village) Block 8, #01-14, co-located with Ben & Jerry’s

Telephone: (65) 6473 3231

Hours:
Mon: 15.00hr – 23.00hr
Sun, Tue – Thu: 11.00hr – 23.00hr
Fri and Sat: 11.00hr – 24.30hr

Website:
www.cacalifornia.us