Uni ‘Banh Mi’ Is Hors d’oeuvres Done Decadently Right

New York City is a town no stranger to fine dining done in inventive ways. The most creative of food items pop up with frenetic speed and make the news cycle on a daily basis. So it goes without saying that only the most genuinely unique new dishes end up distinguishing themselves as noteworthy. Even at the smallest of bites, hors d’oeuvres and appetizers like to resist the confines of conventional and every now and then and traipse into memorable territory.

Enter the uni “banh mi” at East Village Vietnamese eatery, Hanoi House. Much of the menu here is Chef John Nguyen’s way of combining Vietnamese classics, like banh mi, with a twist, like using the uni.

Though the concept for this nouveau take on an hors d’oeuvre isn’t exactly a banh mi, it’s essence is capture well via a toasted baguette, pate, and pickled veggies. The uni is just the decadent topping to catapult this bite into flavor nirvana.

Photos: Janet Kang