Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches are a quick, inexpensive meal that relies on the quality of a few ingredients: lightly pickled vegetables, grilled or roasted meats, pâté, and shatteringly crisp French rolls. With its large Vietnamese community, San Jose, California—capital of Silicon Valley—is a prime banh mi destination, where the sandwich quality is high, prices are low, and the competition is fierce. Here, in alphabetical order, are the top picks on Chowhound:
1. CAM HUNG
903 Reed Avenue, Sunnyvale
408-735-8989
This friendly café offers a dozen banh mi, including two vegetarian options.
2. DAKAO
98 East San Salvador Street, San Jose
408-286-7260
Chowhounds agree that this Downtown spot is quick, cheap, and tasty.
3. HUONG LAN
1655 Tully Road, San Jose
408-258-8868
The grilled pork sandwich at this Chowhound favorite hits the right balance of meaty and fatty. READ MORE
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on Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Teriyaki is everywhere in Seattle. That's not surprising, since Seattle's the birthplace of American teriyaki, an adaptation of Japanese yakitori featuring a soy glaze heavily sweetened with sugar instead of mirin. (In 2007, Seattle Weekly traced the city's teriyaki history, beginning in the mid-1970s.) Here, in alphabetical order, is a list of nine Seattle-area teriyaki joints that Chowhound users think are the region's best.
JOY TERIYAKI
12334 Lake City Way NE, Seattle
206-361-5188
Teriyaki chicken is an option here, but Chowhounds know that it's the authentic Mongolian specialties that make this Lake City restaurant a worthy destination.
#1 on map
KONA KITCHEN
8501 Fifth Avenue NE, Seattle
206-517-5662
This Hawaiian and Japanese fusion restaurant serves up delicious teriyaki beef; it's skewered with pineapple, mushrooms, and other veggies.
#2 on map
OKINAWA TERIYAKI
1100 Western Avenue, Seattle
206-447-2648
This downtown favorite rises above the average teriyaki joint. Lunch always draws a crowd.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Monday, October 22nd, 2012
Koreatown in Los Angeles is one of the densest urban areas in the United States. It’s packed with people, coffee shops, designer boutiques, markets, and nightclubs, but the restaurants—some of which are open 24 hours—are its biggest draw. So who has the best Korean barbecue? Here’s an alphabetical list of top spots from Chowhound.
CHOSUN GALBEE
3330 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles
323-734-3330
This venerated restaurant is upscale and pricey, but the high-quality meats and panchan are worth every penny.
#1 on map
DWIT GOL MOK/DGM
3101 West 8th Street, Los Angeles
213-388-0067
Famous for its bo ssam (steamed pork wrapped in lettuce or cabbage) and fried chicken wings, this busy, Korean-style pub also does barbecue. Beware the large smoking section on the terrace.
#2 on map
GENWA
5115 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
323-549-0760
Recently expanded, this go-to spot dishes out over 20 panchan plates. Go for the barbecue, but don’t miss the bibimbap!
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Monday, October 15th, 2012
New York is deep in first-class falafel, from trucks, takeout dives, Israeli-style lunch counters, and homey Lebanese kitchens, among other places. Here's an alphabetical list of some of Chowhounds' favorite places to get it:
ALFANOOSE
8 Maiden Lane (between Broadway and Nassau Street), Manhattan
212-528-4669
This Syrian-Lebanese restaurant, a longtime Financial District lunch hangout, rolls out fresh, cumin-spiced falafel.
#1 on map
AZURI CAFÉ
465 W. 51st Street (near 10th Avenue), Manhattan
212-262-2920
Even the famously cranky proprietor doesn't deter hounds from these Israeli-style falafel sandwiches and standout salads.
#2 on map
DARNA FALAFEL
200 Court Street (between Warren and Wyckoff streets), Brooklyn
347-799-1673
This cozy café adds portobellos and roasted peppers to its well-constructed falafel wrap.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Monday, October 8th, 2012
Did the Great Recession help the doughnut's rise? These days, a $3 "gourmet" doughnut can be an affordable luxury for an underemployed hipster or a family on a budget. Whatever the reason, Portland, Oregon's doughnut culture is booming, ranging from Middle Eastern specialties to tongue-in-cheek, candy-loaded gems. Here's an alphabetical list of Chowhound favorites:
ACME DONUTS
2929 SE Powell Boulevard, Portland
503-233-6688
Known for flavors like PB&J and a great selection of vegan doughnuts.
#1 on map
ANNIE'S DONUTS
3449 NE 72nd Avenue, Portland
503-284-2752
A cake doughnut is the way to go at Annie's.
#2 on map
COCO DONUTS
709 SW 17th Avenue, Portland
503-360-1456
"Do you want interesting donuts or good ones?" Chowhounds ask. If the answer is good, get the Coco doughnut, a glazed beauty with a dusting of cacao.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Monday, October 1st, 2012
It's not even close, America—Chicago is the nation's hot dog capital. Here, it's an all-beef wiener with a snappy natural casing, buried under a virtual salad of ingredients, all topped with celery salt—just don't add ketchup! Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of nine hot dog joints that Chowhounds love.
BYRON'S HOTDOGS
1017 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago
773-271-0900
Conveniently close to Wrigley Field; for a Chicago-style dog, ask them to hold the lettuce.
#1 on map
FRANKS 'N' DAWGS
1863 N. Clybourn Avenue, Chicago
312-281-5187
The hot dogs are worth a try, but the heart of the menu is the array of tasty sausages.
#2 on map
GENE & JUDE'S
2720 River Road, River Grove
708-452-7634
A must-stop for hot dog purists: The only condiments you'll find here are mustard, relish, onions, peppers, and pickle.
#3 on map
READ MORE
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on Monday, September 24th, 2012
Check out these nine spots in New York City where the Asian-style chicken wings rule, according to buzz on the Manhattan and Outer Boroughs Chowhound boards. We've listed them in alphabetical order:
BONCHON CHICKEN
325 Fifth Avenue (between 32nd and 33rd streets), Manhattan
212-686-8282
The first Korean fried-chicken specialist to land in New York still rocks, spicy or soy-garlic style.
#1 on map
KUMA INN
113 Ludlow Street (between Delancey and Rivington streets), Manhattan
212-353-8866
The signature Filipino-style wings are slow-cooked à la adobo, crisped in the fryer, and topped with coconut sauce.
#2 on map
MISSION CHINESE FOOD
154 Orchard Street (between Rivington and Stanton streets), Manhattan
212-529-8800
Chongqing wings get a fiery rub of Sichuan pepper, cumin, and more. Crisp-fried tripe puts them over the top.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Friday, September 7th, 2012
When it comes to barbecue in Austin, the only thing Chowhounds can agree on is that anyone wanting to find the best should leave time to try as many spots as possible. Behold, in alphabetical order, 12 places that have racked up praise on Chowhound in the past nine months.
BLACK'S BARBECUE
215 N. Main Street, Lockhart
512-398-2712
It's worth a drive just for the beef ribs.
#1 on map
COOPER'S OLD TIME PIT BAR-B-QUE
604 W. Young Street, Llano
325-247-5713
A nice drive in the springtime, go for the mesquite barbecue brisket and sausage.
#2 on map
FRANKLIN BARBECUE
900 E. 11th Street, Austin
512-653-1187
Featured on CHOW Tour Austin, it's a current barbecue hot spot. Get there early.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Friday, August 31st, 2012
San Francisco is one of America's best cities for draining a pint. Here, in alphabetical order, is a list of Bay Area craft beer places Chowhounds are talking about. Visit Chowhound to join the discussion.
AMSTERDAM CAFE
937 Geary Street, San Francisco
415-409-1111
This low-key bar in the Tenderloin is within walking distance of many Union Square hotels—enjoy the open-air café atmosphere and the extensive bottle list.
#1 on map
BEER REVOLUTION
464 3rd Street, Oakland
510-452-2337
One of Oakland's "ridiculously awesome" beer bars.
#2 on map
CHURCH KEY
1402 Grant Avenue, San Francisco
415-963-1713
While there are only a few beers on tap, they're all quality choices, and the extensive bottle list helps round out your choices at this seldom-crowded North Beach bar.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Friday, August 24th, 2012
Here, in alphabetical order, are nine ramen shops generating excitement recently on Chowhound. What are the places where you like to slurp? Jump into a discussion on the Los Angeles Chowhound board.
JIDAIYA
18537 South Western Avenue, Gardena
310-532-0999
A favorite for tonkotsu, with thick, noncurly noodles that pack a real punch.
#1 on map
KOTOYA RAMEN
11901 Santa Monica Boulevard #111, Los Angeles
310-477-1199
The tonkotsu broth got great reviews during this restaurant's soft opening.
#2 on map
MENYA IROHA
1740 West Artesia Boulevard, Gardena
No phone number available
The first US branch of a famous Japanese chain, known for its delicate chicken-based soy broth.
#3 on map READ MORE
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on Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
