Yes! I remember that couple and their stand. There was a long period pre-pandemic when I’d mix up my travels to NY by adding the bus (“World Wide Bus” at the time, I seem to recall, then “Go”) that went between Alewife to a convenient stop nearish Penn Station. I’d walk to Alewife – it was only slightly further than walking to Porter or Harvard then Redlining it – and I’d always grab a samosa and a Jamaican patty from that stand. My last trip that way was on March 2, 2020. The world as I knew it ended a week or so later. After the severest of the lockdowns ended I still had to travel to NY that frightening fall of 2020, but I traveled first class on Amtrak. They were practically giving tickets away, and they blocked off seats so nobody sat next to you or in the row in front of or behind you. It used to be eerie arriving in an empty Moynihan Hall (new then).
I haven’t been on the bus since, so don’t know either if that stand is still there.
I must withdraw my recommendation. When fresh, these samosas are still top notch, but guaranteeing that they are fresh has become iffy. They now seem to get deliveries on days (from a sister restaurant) other than Friday, so you are just as likely to get dangerously stale stuff as you are fresh. Occasionally, the person at the register will tell you honestly if the ones they have out are fresh or not, but they will just as often lie. I’ve been gambling, and tossing at home the ones that are obviously old, but I really can’t recommend that you do.
To add my own slight contribution:
The tofu banh mi at Clear Flour bakery is worth going out of your way for. Not out of the way as in booking a private jet from Hanoi to Boston, but worth veering off Harvard or Brighton or Brookline or Commonwealth or any nearby Ave. It’s well seasoned, with copious amounts of cilantro, not a token wisp – I’m glaring at you Bon Me – and nicely cut and proportioned cucumber, radish and carrot. Once or twice the tofu has been too-thick-sliced, but I quibble. Every bite is a perfect balance of crunch, spice and softness. The sesame baguette piece they use is perfect.
If you don’t eat it now don’t complain to me later that you’ve never lived.
OK, I’m on a sandwich rave. What else do I like so that you can decide if my judgments are sound. Off the top of what I fondly call my head, and in no particular order: roast beef at Flour (with horseradish and crisp shallots), the Hi-Riser breakfast sandwich at Hi-Rise (an elevated BEC), prosciutto-arugula on focaccia at La Saison (the bread makes the sandwich here), the Kent (turkey, bacon, roasted tomato, greens and sriracha) at Forge.
Curious - is the tofu banh mi always available at Clear Flour, or only on certain days/times? I didn’t get to stop by on Wednesday, because my doctor was quite late to my appointment and I got out right at 5pm (and had to make sure I could make my seating at No Relations).
My go-to tofu banh mi specifically is Mei Sum on Beach St. While all the other banh mi places have serviceable tofu, the I enjoy the tofu itself at Mei Sum better. I’m always curious if they also add a bit of seasoning or sauce to it.
Have you tried the fried chicken bolo bao (aka ‘pineapple bun’) sandwich at Rubato yet?
The schedule is on this age, if you scroll slightly down:
If it’s purely tofu-greatness you’re after, then CF’s version won’t do it for you. Theirs is just one of a number of components that harmonize beautifully, but not exceptional on its own (but not bad, either).
There’s no way to put amber (or whatever color) alerts on HO, but the octopus salad on the Formaggio Kitchen menu today is beyond extraordinary. It has the tenderest, most beautifully cooked octopus I’ve ever had, even at ten times the price.
My son is particularly fond of Ranc’s Chocolate Galaxy on the rare occasions we find it, but Cocoa Joel definitely hits the spot and is much more often available.
tell me about cocoa joel (went to ranc’s when i lived in watertown and they were at the original belmont street location; don’t remember that flavor).
is it anything like toscanini’s (joe’s brother gus’s place) cocoa pudding? which i was delighted to find on the menu when i was in central square last saturday.
I feel like The Helmand is so underappreciated. I’ve had 2-3 meals over the past 19 years there and each time was super impressed and left super happy and yet I often forget it’s there which is a shame. Never had a bad dish there or a bad experience…
Agree. Pre-pandemic, over a 20+ year period (as I recall) we must have eaten there about 30 times. Not only were they a convenient and not-too-expensive option after about 60 minutes of hard shopping at the mall across the street – our limit in malls – they were also an elegant-enough option to take guests for special meals.
I tried it today and liked it. They use fried tofu triangles, and they do have a touch of flavor – possible the tofu is marinated in something before frying. I asked for “spicy” and got a satisfying quantity of thinly sliced jalapenos. Along with the cucumber, carrots, cilantro and onion, it was a very satisfying sandwich.
Making a comparison with Clear Flour is difficult. Mei Sum uses a nice, traditional, lightly-crusty roll for its sandwich with a soft interior. Clear Flour uses their sesame baguette, which is crustier but not too crusty for their sandwich. Clear Flour also smears their bread with a sambal mayo – far from traditional, but every bite of their sandwich is tasty. The Mei Sum version, the bread not being smeared with pate or any substitute, gives you some bites that are a bit lackluster compared to others.
On a side note, the pork pie at Mei Sum was on par with the ones at May’s Cake House in crisp flakiness and the woman who made my sandwich was warm and friendly and asked me questions about myself. A contrast with the no-nonsense attitude one encounters at many other Chinatown places.
