First Bite: Xie Xie

Digging into Angelo Sosa's turmeric-tilapia sandwich from his upcoming Asian sub shop

Our debut installment of First Bite was an exclusive look at a gorgeous sea bass crudo from Marea’s Michael White: fancy fare for fancy folks. And if you're familiar with Angelo Sosa’s resumé—he's worked for Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten—you'd be forgiven for thinking we were unveiling yet more upscale fare. But no, given the current economic climate, Sosa has reason to smile.

He was prepping to open a chichi restaurant last fall when the economy tanked, and moved quickly to switch tracks. After spending a year in Asia traipsing from Hanoi to Hong Kong, he plotted two pan-Asian sandwich shops loosely inspired by ‘wichcraft and Kampuchea. They’ll open over the next couple months in Midtown and the East Village.

Their name? Xie Xie. Say it: “shay, shay.” Mandarin for “thank you,” its menu will feature this incredible turmeric-tilapia sandwich with dill, cilantro and onion jam called the Cha Ca La Vong. If Sosa can faithfully re-create this baby on a larger scale, you will be saying “xie xie” over and over and over—especially since the Cha Ca is only eight bucks. So start practicing. —Alex Van Buren

The first Xie Xie will open in mid-May at 645A Ninth Avenue at 45th Street. The second location will open shortly afterward at 32 St. Marks Place between Second and Third avenues.