Photo by Robert Fernandez Welcome back to The Bite, Sheepshead Bites ’ weekly column where we explore the foodstuffs of Sheepshead Bay. Each workweek we ’ ll check out a different offer from one of the many restaurants, delicatessen, food carts, bakeries, butchers, pisces mongers, or grocers in our neighborhood. If it ’ s comestible, we ’ ll take a pungency. Bun Cha Gio Bo Lui, or Grilled Beef and Spring Rolls with Sesame Seasoning and Lettuce on Rice Vermicelli, is the dish that introduced me to vietnamese cuisine. For the uninitiate, vietnamese food can be a bit mysterious, but it is a vibrant mix of Chinese, Thai and French foods which are all blended into its own alone genre. With this dish ’ randomness collection of form rolls, grilled gripe and rice vermicelli there ’ s nothing unfamiliar about Cha Gio Bo Lui other than its name. As my acquaintance told me when she introduced it to me, “ It ’ s condom for a non-Asian. ” While familiar, the flavors of the components of Bun Cha Gio Bo Lui ( $ 6.25 ) are not at all what I expected. When I ordered “ Spring Rolls ” I was expecting something similar to a taiwanese take-out egg wind, but rather of the familiar greasy cabbage filled roll, I was given three small, perfectly fried, densely pork-packed crisp cigars. Each roll was grease-free and crisp, while the pork barrel stuffing remained damp and flavorful. I ’ m not certain of the ingredients, but I tasted garlic, fish sauce and possibly a little onion in the meat. Each roll is best when corrode in the traditional style, wrapped in boodle and mint leaves, which unfortunately the restaurant does not provide to its take-out guests. Be indisputable to ask for it.
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The grill gripe was besides a surprise. I expected slices of grill kernel but Pho Hoai served three rolls of thinly shaved marinated beef wrapped around a nugget of an strange crunchy vegetable. Don ’ t get that scare you off. The vegetable is pretty tasteless, but adds a nice texture to the mailboat of meat.
The sesame season is barely a bunch together of chop peanuts scattered with fresh cut scallions over the dish, which when interracial with the cold bland rice vermicelli underneath makes an concern salad. The Bun Cha Gio Bo Lui comes with a sweetness dip sauce that is light, sugared and refreshing. The serve is complemented with some pickle carrots, onions, pilfer and other assorted vegetables that add a brightness to the meal. Pho Hoai Vietnamese Restaurant, 1906 Avenue U, ( 718 ) 616-1233 .
