Cheap Eats 2011: Ken's Artisan Bakery

Ken Forkish’s local bread palace is known for a lot of things, from flaky-perfect croissants to the most toothsome, crusty baguettes in town. One thing it’s been missing? Banh mi, the addictive little sub sandwiches of Vietnam. The Ken’s version ($8) is more of a happy Viet-French hybrid, smearing rough-chopped chicken-liver terrine amped up with Chinese five-spice powder, a bit of fish sauce and Szechuan peppercorns atop a toasted baguette. Add wasabi mayo, crunchy sweet-’n’-sour pickled carrot and daikon (of course), and a squirt of sriracha and you’ve got a hot and spicy lunch that’s a continent away from Ken’s usual lunch fare of soups and impeccable sandwiches. If you aren’t in the mood for banh mi, the pastries are excellent—the croissants, flaky, implausibly buttery and feather-light, are works of art.