All The Details on Dang Banh Mi, Opening This Summer

There's a new banh mi shop coming to Austin from an unlikely team: the three founders of Pluckers Wing Bar. The restaurant, called Dang Banh Mi, will serve up banh mi, bun, and pho, all of which are based on research and recipes from Vietnam. Pluckers co-owner Dave Paul travels often in Vietnam, and the three saw the need for a restaurant serving what Paul calls in a press release, "authentic Vietnamese cuisine that is approachable and easily accessible."

Eater spoke with co-owners Dave Paul, Sean Greenberg and Mark Greenberg, who say the shop came out of their mutual love for banh mi, and it is not intended to expand Pluckers-style. The banh mi will be made using recipes from the Bánh Mì Phuong street stand in Hội An. Paul says the stand's owner agreed to share her 100-year-old recipes in part because "she loved the idea of people in America enjoying her food."

Paul and the brothers Greenberg hope these recipes and the restaurant's focus on scratch preparation appeals to "die hard banh mi fans." They also hope to draw in people who have never tried Vietnamese food before with a "well-designed" space. Check out the full opening release, which includes a menu, below.

DANG BANH MI DEBUTS THIS JULY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

AUSTIN, TX (May 29, 2014) – Dang Bánh Mì is pleased to announce that it will open its doors this July. The north Austin restaurant will offer a variety of bánh mì sandwiches as well as with pho, bun noodle bowls, pork and shrimp spring rolls and som tam along with other Vietnamese dishes, beverages and snacks served in an approachable fast-casual setting.

Austinites Dave Paul, Sean Greenberg and Mark Greenberg – all bánh mì fanatics – were inspired to create Dang Bánh Mì after Dave, a frequent traveler to Southeast Asia, visited Vietnam with a mission to find the world's best bánh mì. Dave discovered the bánh mì that inspired the Dang Bánh Mì concept at the popular Bánh Mì Phuong street stand in Hội An. Thrilled to meet someone with a true passion for Vietnamese cuisine, street stand owner Phuong agreed to share her 100-year-old recipes with Dave. After countless long distance phone calls with Phuong and several follow-up trips to Hội An for hands-on training, Dave mastered the art of the bánh mì. And so, Dang was born.

"We are opening Dang Bánh Mì because we see a need for authentic Vietnamese cuisine that is approachable and easily accessible in Austin," says Dang Bánh Mì co-owner Dave Paul.

Dang Bánh Mì's menu features a variety of bánh mì sandwiches:

• The Dang original (Char Siu pork belly, steamed pork tenderloin, ground pork, homemade pate, mint, cilantro, green onion, cucumber, tomato, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots, topped with a fried egg)
• Char Siu Chicken (chicken thighs, homemade pate, mint, cilantro, cucumber, white onion, kaffir lime, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots, topped with a fried egg)
• Oxtail (10 hours braised oxtail from homemade pho stock, homemade pate, mint, cilantro, white onion, cucumber, tomato, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots, topped with a fried egg)
• Lemongrass Beef (Lemongrass beef, homemade pate, mint, cilantro, white onion, cucumber, tomato, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots, topped with a fried egg)
• Lemongrass Tofu (Lemongrass marinated tofu, mint, cilantro, white onion, cucumber, tomato, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots, topped with a fried egg)
• Egg Mì (two fried eggs, green onion, white onion, cilantro, white onion, cucumber, tomato, Char Siu sauce, Sate, Japanese mayo, pickled papaya & carrots)

Dang Bánh Mì also serves traditional Vietnamese pho and bun noodle bowls, pork and shrimp spring rolls, and som tam. Asian snacks and fresh baked baguettes are available for purchase. Dang's beverage menu includes Vietnamese coffee (hot & cold), Vietnamese iced tea, fountain drinks, and import and domestic beers.

The menu focuses on quality ingredients, made in-house. The Dang Sauce (a housemade siracha), pâté and baguettes are just a few of the ingredients made fresh daily in the Dang Bánh Mì kitchen.

The design for the restaurant was inspired by the energy, colors and textures found in traditional Vietnamese street market culture. Designer Joel Mozersky of One.Eleven.Design. incorporated these elements with a sleek, modern design scheme to bring the space to life. Featuring reclaimed wood floors and unique street basket inspired lighting, the restaurant evokes a contemporary spin on Vietnamese culture. Local artisan, Michalovic Wood Art created a unique wall of art that epitomizes the juxtaposition of the food's warmth and comfort with the beauty and sophistication of its freshness and deep culinary flavors.

Dang Bánh Mì is located at 9070 Research Blvd. Suite 201-C, Austin, Texas 78758. The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner, from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, please call (512) 234-2121 or visit www.dangbanhmi.com. You can also find Dang Bánh Mì at www.facebook.com/dangbanhmi.