Edamame and wontons from Bao Vietnamese Kitchen
While the entire menu at Bao is delectable, the appetizers are something special. There’s shrimp and pork spring rolls, chicken lettuce wraps, bang bang shrimp, egg rolls and chicken wings. But, at a recent sunny summer lunch, I opted for the garlic butter edamame and sate wontons for the table.
Edamame may be a basic, traditional appetizer to order at a Vietnamese restaurant, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. It’s a classic for a reason, and the garlic butter and red pepper flakes at Bao make the dish that much better.
The wontons are another winner, made with pork and covered in a house chili oil sauce, which, for me, teetered the line perfectly of hot but not too hot. I even requested some for my leftover vermicelli bowl that I ordered for an entrée. Served with lettuce and cabbage, the wontons are also topped with sesame seeds, chives and cilantro. They’re refreshing, punchy and perfect for a crowd.
Bao Vietnamese Kitchen, 8342 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge (Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator)
Chicken club sandwich from Bin 77
What’s better than a fried chicken sandwich on a Friday? Nothing.
The chicken club at Bin 77 is available blackened or fried, but fried chicken between two buttered pieces of Texas toast just does something for me. Other than the tender chicken thighs, the sandwich is made with hickory-smoked ham, applewood-smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, tomato, house honey mustard and roasted red pepper aioli. Everything comes together on a sandwich that creates one hell of a crunch when bitten into…