Just Pho

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

With only a small ripple, the city's newest entry into a lackluster pho (and Vietnamese) landscape recently opened in the shadow of Madison Square Garden. The promise of "just pho" is almost accurate, as the menu concentrates on four versions of the noodle soup, cooked in the Northern Vietnamese style which you might find in Hanoi.

While the fourth option is a shredded chicken pho gà xé, the first three focus on either cooked or raw beef and a combination of the two. This seems to be the focus of their energy and a natural first order. The bowl below is pho bò tái ($11 for small (shown) and $13 for large), their signature "raw" beef pho which probably translates better as rare despite what it says on the menu.

The thin strips of beef will cook themselves in the bowl, arriving slightly pink but quickly changing to brown. As you will find in Hanoi, the broth does not arrive super complex and full of different savory, sweet, and/or funky elements as a bowl in Saigon might. The soup base is simple and savory, with hints of anise and cinnamon and possibly cloves.

This might be initially off putting to fans of pho, but know that it is intentional, as is the lack of herbs served alongside a bowl. Instead, thinly sliced green onion and cilantro is added before serving. Take a few sips when it arrives piping hot, but then grab the condiments at the side to suit your needs. This is the real magic, as their house made vinegar-garlic-chili sauce (toi ngam giam) is just waiting to do tricks for you.

Flat and wide northern style noodles.

Once the pungency levels are to your tastes, add a squirt of sriracha for the necessary kick and pick up the wide noodles found in northern-style phos. With all of these little things done right, and the background of actual Vietnamese being spoken between the staff, it almost feels like you are not in New York for a moment.

They also do hot Vietnamese-style coffees and an iced green tea lemonade (trà chanh, $3) that is really outstanding. Just Pho is a great addition to the city!

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CHELSEA Midtown
252 West 31st Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

NY Noodles (Bún Bò Huế Đức Chương Midnite)

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

After Rangoon Spoon unfortunately was unable to survive, it did not take long for the same space in Gravesend to start seeing construction and come to life as a new restaurant. The inside underwent a bit of rearranging but a lot of the same guts are there, while the cuisine has been swapped to a bún bò Huế specialist originally from Houston called Đức Chương that here goes by the name of NY Noodles. The opening day was set for 20 January 2019, unfortunately the exact date I left the city for two weeks and therefore apologies for the late report.

At first I had my doubts about the connection. Were they using the graphics and name from the Houston restaurant? A quick call to the "Midnite" location in Houston (one of several now) confirmed their relation though, a startling turn of events for New York City Vietnamese. Houston is one of the best Vietnamese cities in the country and having their influence would surely be a step in the right direction.

The owner here used to work in one of the branches in Houston, and was a pleasant presence throughout our meal, smiling and making sure all the dishes were enjoyed. It is nice to see Vietnamese menus that stray from the standard rules and concentrate on a few things, much like nearby standouts Little Saigon Pearl and Em Vietnamese.

Despite being fairly late into the evening, the dinner got off to a very good start with fresh gỏi cuốn ($4.99, above), "traditionally" translated as "summer rolls" but here given the season of spring. No matter, all the right amounts of shrimp and pork, fresh greens and vermicelli noodles were all wrapped up and splendid, showing none of the signs of being made earlier in the day like is common with night orders. The hoisin/peanut/garlic dip could not have been more pleasant.

The star of the show in Houston, and the reason everyone comes to the restaurant is for the bún bò Huế ($8.99 small, below), the famous noodle bowls from central Vietnamese city of Huế. The noodles are reminiscent of spaghetti, if a bowl of Vietnamese noodles can be, but swim in a broth that combines all the pleasures of all realms of taste, sour, spicy, salty, and umami. When it was placed on the table in front of me, an excitement was palpable.

That balance of taste, as well as a sharp kick of lemongrass and chile just seemed all a bit out of whack. After adding squeezes of lime and a few spoonfuls of red pepper sauce from one of the table jars, it got close, but I could not put my hand on what was absent. The broth had pork blood and was weighed down by meaty fatty bones of pig leg but lacked beef flavor and Vietnamese ham slices.

Like the Houston spots, a plate of nice greens to add came out looking fresh and good, and just like there the purple cabbage was the base rather than a pile of boring bean sprouts like is custom for New York City. These all helped immensely, we can only hope they do not decide to scale back in the future to cut costs.

One pleasant surprise on the menu was the bún thịt nướng chả giò ($8.99, below), a vermicelli dish served at room temperature with fried spring rolls and pork chop. The "chop" ended up being salty thin slices rather than the usual sweetened marinade, but otherwise it is about as top quality as it gets here. The chả giò (fried spring rolls) in particular are lovely, and the side of nước chấm is much better than usual. I think (possibly accidentally) New York City has its go to bún spot now.

I will add a report in a month or two to see the progress and check in the place. For now, go with tempered expectations but welcome a little part of Houston Vietnamese to Brooklyn.

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GRAVESEND Brooklyn
2369 86th Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Em Vietnamese Restaurant

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

Without much fanfare, this Bensonhurst address quietly changed from a Chinese breakfast spot called "KooKoo Cafe" to Em, which opened its doors two and a half months ago. After reading through the love story on the restaurant's website and seeing that the chef only recently moved here to New York City from southern Vietnam, a quick trip to Bensonhurst was in order.

Vietnamese restaurants in this city must be approached with caution, but first reports here are good. The quickest thing you notice is the much higher level quality of ingredients used in every dish, from the cuts of meat to the freshness of the vegetables.

From what I can discern, "em" means "younger sibling," and this chef obviously learned a lot from her family. There is care in the preparation, and the menu is very small. This focus is admirable, as many restaurants will list 20 pho options and do them all poorly.

Fresh off a recent Los Angeles trip to possibly the most famous nem nuong house in the country, a sample of the nem nuong cuon ($6, above and below) seemed necessary. The bites are fresh and nice, the grilled pork does not disappoint.

Something about the bowl of hu tieu ($8.50, below) shows its hand even before eating, as if to say "You are going to like this better than any other version in town." And the talking soup was not wrong. This is the restaurant and chef's signature dish, and full of complexity and warmth. Squirting and spooning in extra sauces, chilis, and sugars is completely unnecessary, the broth is perfect as it comes out.

Our server kept mentioning it was MSG-free, so if that concerns you, the bowl has that going for it as well.

The hu tieu speaks to you.

If you prefer a little kick, just add the jalapeños to infuse the broth rather than changing the flavor profile with sriracha.

Online they had only listed one pho, the house pho ga, but a new beef option was available that will become permanent on the menu. The pho bo ($12, below) was unfortunately the only item that was a bit lacking. All the signs of a good bowl are there, but it might just need a little more work with the broth. The beef cuts are really good and the potential is high. Maybe another couple months will make this soup ready for primetime.

Until then, try the pho ga (chicken) and tell us how it is. When we get a chance to get back and sample it, this page will be updated. [UPDATE 04 DEC 2018: See below]

The menu is also populated by four banh mi options, of which the banh mi Em ($6.50, below) is shown. This is their rendition of the classic banh mi, with layers of pork, pate, and fresh vegetables.

In the near future, the restaurant is planning to offer a fish noodle soup that has its origin in the chef's home province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. This unique dish is probably something that our city has not had the opportunity to eat, and is much anticipated.

The tasty Vietnamese-style iced coffee ($3, below) got a discussion going about third generation Southeast Asian restaurants. Thai restaurants, especially in Queens, are currently thriving under the leadership of this "third generation," who are taking bigger risks and preparing the foods how they are meant to be rather than catered to western tastes. Vietnamese food is a bit different, but the current generation in New York right now is not as concerned with freshness and quality that make the cuisine so delicate and extraordinary.

This coffee was of higher grade, and a touch less sweet than most, setting some of these ideas in motion. Maybe it was all in my head, but maybe this "third generation" is soon to flourish in New York City. We can only hope.

If coffee is not your thing, a full range of smoothies is available and will be very tempting in warmer months. The chef's husband is in the business of exotic fruit importing, and these promise to be satisfying.

Along with nearby Pho 18 Ave and Little Saigon Pearl, this is one of the three most important Vietnamese restaurants in the city. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but Bensonhurst is ground zero at the moment.

[UPDATE: 04 DEC 2018]
We were finally able to return and have that pho ga (below) and really enjoyed it. Once again the broth is good as it comes out but they also serve a small bowl of sauce specifically for it. It adds complexity and depth, but its bitterness might not be for all. The noodles they use for this and the hu tieu are excellent.

Cha gio (spring rolls)

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BENSONHURST Brooklyn

1702 86th Street

Little Saigon Pearl

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

There might be a trend. It is slight, and possibly just wishful thinking, but a second "different" Vietnamese eatery has opened up in the last year. Our small east coast town of New York City cannot quite claim to be on the level of places like Atlantic City yet, which is full of good Vietnamese, but maybe a trend is brewing? We'll see...

Little Saigon Pearl, just across the border of Bensonhurst and Bath Beach in Gravesend has small ambitions from the look of things. The awning is adorned with the family's favorite market from back home in Ho Chi Minh City called Cho Ben Thanh. On the menu it says "Go here for real Vietnamese food." No superlatives necessary, just some good advice from people who know.

Now those people in the know are cooking a small menu just off 86th Street.

You do not often see the finger food tom hoa tien on menus in New York City, the preparation probably too intense for the standard assembly line Vietnamese we find throughout our city. Little Saigon Pearl seems to have taken this as a challenge and have made it their goal to popularize the dish and make it their flagship appetizer. Sometimes translated in English as "rocket shrimp roll" or something similar, the main feature is a whole shrimp amongst other ingredients that is fried in a thin wonton wrapper.

Be warned, an order ($7.65, above) comes piping hot. The dipping sauce nuoc cham accompanies the rolls, but each bite once cool does not really necessitate the spicy sweet sauce. It was our first taste of the restaurant, and already we knew the care and ingredients coming from the kitchen were a step up from the norm.

Also wonderful was the pho tai, nam, gan, bo vien ($7.45, below, punctuation theirs), the soup listed first on the menu. While the different beefy ingredients may come in slightly short supply, the real marvel here is the soup itself, which tastes of fat covered bone. It instantly warms the soul as good pho should.

Before ordering pho, check the specials board, which always seems to include bun bo hue, another great soup option that should arrive already spicy. It also might be possible to find banh cuon here, a dish I would love to try next time along with their two banh xeo options.

The big disappointment here is the bun dishes. The bun cha gio thit nuong ($8.45, below) is inexplicably served with hot noodles instead of cold, while the spring rolls seem soggy and possibly microwaved. This dish is one of my favorite comfort foods, especially on a hot day, and can be mostly relied on even in the most standard New York City joint. Not sure if this was an off day for the dish, or if this section of the menu should be avoided.

Despite this bowl, our feelings for Little Saigon Pearl are still very positive. Is the D train in South Brooklyn becoming the city's new corridor to better Vietnamese? We've been back to Pho 18 Ave a few times since writing about it in April and still think it is great. Now another shop opens further along the line. Keep the trend going!

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BENSONHURST Brooklyn

9 Bay 35th Street

Com tam Ninh-Kieu

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

I have always found it a bit weird that the menus at Jerome Avenue Vietnamese restaurants in the Bronx have always had a higher price point than their counterparts in Chinatown or Sunset Park. It was true of World of Taste, when it was open, and is the same here. The only explanation could be a monopoly on the market, as the ingredients and portions seem about the same.

That being said, walking into a Vietnamese restaurant and actually hearing Vietnamese language is very refreshing in New York City, and quite rare.

I can hardly ever resist an order of goi cuon ($4.50, above), and this day was no exception. We were surprised to find an order of three instead of the usual two, even if they were a bit on the small side. The crisp freshness bursts into your mouth with every bite, and the peanut sauce is spot on.

The bun rieu ($7, below) is a super fishy soup that is not as spicy as it appears and comes loaded with big chunks of fish cake and thin vermicelli noodles. It is the type of dish that makes you feel healthier as you eat it.

It had been a long time since I had a banh mi ($5, below) in a restaurant, so I decided to follow my stomach and go for it. The bread here is a bit softer than usual, and the flavor not as full as some, but overall left me satisfied. The version below is the suon nuong (roast pork).

On previous visits I was more impressed with the soups I had ordered and will probably stick to those on future visits. Those dishes and the more Vietnamese atmosphere are good reasons to spend the time necessary to get up here, if you're not from the neighborhood.

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BEDFORD PARK Bronx

2641 Jerome Avenue

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Ba Xuyên

VIETNAM 🇻🇳

While the trendsters are debating bánh mi shops in Chinatown Manhattan, head out to Sunset Park for the absolute best (if not the cheapest anymore since prices have gone up to $5 for every option) sandwiches in town. Ba Xuyên has been the New York City standard for many years and still is.

On a recent morning visit, I was also pleasantly surprised by the excellent regular coffee ($1, small). For something more unique order the Vietnamese coffee (listed on the board in English as "hot coffee (special)", $2.25). It takes a few minutes to prepare, but it is fun to watch them as they filter it and the ladies prepare sandwiches for all the hungry customers.

The bánh mi ($5, below) uses the freshest bread and ingredients, and is about as good as it gets for New York, which still lags behind even Philadelphia or Washington D.C. 

Also of note if you are hungry for more, they now prepare a delicious seafood soup, as well as spring and summer rolls packaged for takeaway. During lunchtime (the main meal here), you see many people getting the box lunch ($5, below), which has a couple different selections daily. This one is the shredded pork and BBQ pork combo over rice.

Fried noodles will only set you back $2.50 or so.

Now lunch portions of bun are available for takeout.

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SUNSET PARK Brooklyn

4222 8th Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Bánh Mì Saigon Bakery

VIETNAM

Many people will tell you to go here when you talk about banh mi and Manhattan in the same breath. "Ooooh how fun! You walk through a jewelry store!" they will say. And while it is actually sort of fun doing this, the place is packed to the brim and in most cases you will wait through 20 orders before your sandwich is ready if it is prime lunch time.

The sandwich is good, but the contents seem a little like the place: rushed. The pork is just not as flavorful as other locations in the neighborhood and beyond. The bread is a bit blah. It's a great sandwich still, I guess I just have high expectations.

Order a #1 bánh mì

CHINATOWN Manhattan

198 Grand Street

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich

VIETNAM

[FORMERLY: Banh Mi So 1] Despite recent renovations and slicking-up, this is still the favorite of Manhattan bánh mi delis for me. You can't go wrong with the sandwiches or the friendly family that serves them. With the renovations, came a new awning which simply reads "Saigon" now, but this is still the same place and people.

This is what bánh mi should be. The bread is right. Toasted right and shaped right. It works but does not hide or mask the ingredients. The secret is definitely in the sauce, which is mixed in with the ground beef so perfectly on the #1 House special ($6, below).

The best in Chinatown is of course not the best in the city, but is definitely a close second. And do not be fooled by all the new [2015 and on] sleeker Vietnamese kitchens around town, they are not worthy of diverting your attention. We still have a Vietnamese problem in New York City, but our sandwiches can be praised from the same spots as 10 years ago.

The fresh coconut juice ($3) in the refrigerator always tempts me, but the coconut bits seem like leftovers and are not as meaty and tender as I would wish. They make a jelly drink as well that is probably a better bet, if you like that sort of thing.

CHINATOWN Manhattan

369 Broome Street

Phở Bang

VIETNAM

As the most high-profile Vietnamese chain restaurant in New York, Phở Bang is sort of a dying breed as it's locations in Manhattan have been shuttering in recent years. In my opinion, it's simply because there are better options in the neighborhoods, and cheaper ($1-1.50 average per dish) as well.

I enjoy the bún thịt nướng ($6.25, below) no matter where I eat it usually, and here it is better than average. The grilled pork is marinated just right, and nước chấm (fish sauce with vinegar, water and sugar) makes everything right after all.

At the top of the menu are two "soup as an entree" phở choices. The second, dac biet ($5.95, below) is a simple soup mostly flavored with onion and salt, but decent enough for an enjoyable quick lunch. The beef is pretty raw when it comes out but is thin enough to cook itself in the broth in a matter of seconds.

Most of the patrons here are local Chinese, but that is the case in most New York Vietnamese restaurants. It is still one of the few places where the people serving you are Vietnamese though, if that counts for anything. I would not call them either fast or attentive though, as you won't see them again after your dishes arrive.

FLUSHING Queens

41-07 Kissena Boulevard