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Sampan’s Michael Schulson is on the Today Show showing Kathie Lee and Sharon Osborne how to make a crispy chicken Banh Mi. Opening the Sriracha bottle gets a bit messy but in the end you can’t knock a meal for four for under $20.

Crispy chicken with chili mayonnaise [Today Show via The Illadelph]

Rick Nichols chronicles the dilemma of the food writer, a list of places to try that grows much faster than you can check things off of it.

Check out Nichols’ foodie to-dos and see what you want to add to your own.

So much to eat, and only 365 days to eat it [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Michael Schulson’s banh mi at Sampan serves as a focal point to Rick Nichols column on the Vietnamese hoagie. As we noted in the Metro a couple of months back, the banh mi has been popping up on more and more mainstream restaurants menus. We give Schulson credit, his light and airy rendition is at once faithful to the authentic banh mi and worth the higher price.

• Chifa (lunch menu)
• Chew Man Chu
• MidAtlantic
• Royal Tavern
• Supper (lunch menu)

A sandwich gets around [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Speaking of banh mi, Flying Monkey on Locust Street is offering barbecue pork and chicken banh mi for $5.50. The Vietnamese hoagies come from O Sandwiches on 9th Street and cost $5.50. And to make things cooler, today we learn that if you purchase a banh mi or sumer roll you can get a cupcake for just $1. Sold!

Flying Monkey Cupcakes and O Sandwiches [Fressa Girl]
Flying Monkey Deuce Offering $1 Cupcake Deal, with Banh Mi [Grub Street]

The Bite takes a look at several restaurants and bars that have added new fangled renditions of the banh mi to their menus.

A Philly twist on a Vietnamese specialty dish [Metro Philadelphia]

Philly Weekly comes up with a guide to one of our favorite bargain foods, the Banh Mi. Make your choice by what’s important to you:

• Under $4
• Baguette
• Hoagie Roll
• Serves Pho too
• Alcohol
• Corner Store

PW’s Guide to Banh Mi [Philadelphia Weekly]