Vietnamese food

Limeduck tries out the new bricks-and-mortar version of Bon Me in Kendall Square (same building as the Friendly Toast):

The BBQ pork was zesty, the bread crusty, the carrots crunchy, the pate livery, the mayo spicy, the cilantro uppity, everything in its place and as it should be, dare I say it maybe a tiny bit better than at the truck. This is a $6 sandwich, $8 if you somehow think you need "extra meat," and really, I love this stuff, but I'm pretty sure you do not need extra meat. Same price as at the truck, and you get a roof over your head and music, too.

Van B. Tang goes before the Boston Licensing Board next week for permission to open a Vietnamese sandwich shop in a stretch of Centre Street that has become a culinary mecca for the neighborhood.

Tang's proposed Banh Mi Ngon would open at 1759 Centre St., next to Christo's and down the street from Thai Spice, Los Amigos, Red-Eyed Pig, Himalayan Bistro, West on Centre and the Upper Crust.

Banh Mi Ngon would be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to its license request.

The board's hearings start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in its eighth-floor hearing room at City Hall.

Boston Gastronauts reports on the head-cheese subs at Sub City on Beach Street in Chinatown:

All together the sandwich presented me with a unique flavor and texture combination. The amount of veggies on this thing was intense but adding that to the bologna-y jello-y texture of the headcheese and you've got something interesting going on in your mouth.

David explains why there's a reason they don't call it Tofu Pasteur.

Prices up at Saigon Hut, some say the food's not as good, but Jimbo didn't notice much of a difference.

Lynne says Dante in Cambridge offers good Mediterranean food to go with some great views.

Jen Langley says El Pelon in the Fenway has the best tacos I've ever had.

Boston Restaurant Talk: Decent Boneless Buffalo Wings at Donohue's in Watertown

Dave Alpert says The Grill in Brockton (yes) has the best ribs in the Boston area.

Michelle says she won't be returning to Tin Alley Grill in Framingham due to the stench from the kitchen on a recent visit.

Chris and Erin love brunch at the Ashmont Grill in Dorchester.

Eat and Destroy says Le's in Harvard Square isn't as good as other Vietnamese joints, but it's cheap.

Bridey says Shawarma King in Brookline has lackluster shawarma and is just not in the same league as Rami's.

Matthew C. Smith: Al's State Street Cafe ... the BEST place for a cheap sub during lunch.

Yoave Shapira says Sauciety at the Westin next to the convention center is fun but hardly among the top 50 restaurants in the city. They offer only a small number of entrees but a large number of sauces (hence the name) to put on them.

Spatch says he won't be returning to Pho Hoa on Beach Street, even if it did up the weirdness quotient by replacing Vietnamese music with the Bee Gees:

... The pho wasn't made fresh to order, which amazed me. How lazy do you have to be to insist upon, as your working model, bowls o' pho just sitting around doing nothing? I mean, it's okay to have vats of the broth on burners waiting to go (and what a pleasant and comforting thought that is!) but not fully constructed bowls of soup. ...

Marcus raves:

Pho Lynn, the Vietnamese restaurant on Munroe St. Across from the Munroe St. Lofts has the BEST Vietnamese food I have ever tasted. ...