Fitzwilliam D.
Yelp
"If you like Banh mi, you should try Street Side in Fishtown", she suggested to me.
By now, I'd come to trust her food recommendations, and, still unfamiliar with all that Philly has to offer, looked up the menu online -and cringed. "That's pretty insensitive" (I'm sure I used a different word) as I pointed to parts of the menu that leapt off the page. "Well, it can't be insensitive" (again, different word), she insisted, secure in her conviction: It's their native cuisine. The food is very good.
I'm glad I listened, and ignored a superficial first impression, for the food at Street Side IS very good. And, unfortunate menu word choice apart (I'm not the only one to note that, see their Philly.Com review), whomever amongst the staff that I've met in the restaurant has been simply lovely: Smiling. Helpful. Polite. Patient. Considerate. Service is absolutely top notch.
The restaurant has some unusual items on the Banh Mi menu, hinting, perhaps, at their Cambodian / Khmer roots. This is most evident from the Kroeung Beef, which I sampled in the skewers. I've never tried this before and had to look up the ingredients for the paste (lemongrass, bay leaves, thyme, lemon zest, lime zest, ginger, garlic, turmeric, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and cinnamon) as the flavors were complex even if it all looked simple.
I also really liked their Banh mi. Other than the Coconut Shrimp Banh mi, which was the least of my favorites, I enjoyed all the others: in particular, Lemongrass chicken and the (fried) Five Spice Tofu. I believe the bread they use is from Ba Le bakery, but the Banh Mi has a nice spicy kick to it, and it's not just from the garlic mayo.
I wish I'd also tried their Viet Flan, but there are too many quality options for dessert nearby: most notably, Weckerly Ice Cream and Cake Life Bakeshop. So, there was no "Happy Ending" (from the menu) for me. Still, particularly given their budget price points, I strongly recommend Street Side to anyone in the area, and check out their website's claim of being a: 'Promiscuous' adaptation reflecting the best eats, beats, and vibes of Southeast Asia...