By Yana Krasnitskaya
When I was growing up in San Francisco, I thought of Vietnamese restaurants and pho as one and the same — probably because my mom, who never really enjoyed going out or trying new things, was obsessed with any and all noodle soups. A lot of my teens and early twenties were spent hunched over bowls of pho, inhaling the delicious aroma of broth, beef and herbs while we gossiped together. But, as I was reminded after visiting Bánh this past week, Vietnamese cuisine has many more exciting secrets to uncover — if you’re up for it.
Bánh, a charming little spot on Amsterdam Avenue between 106th and 107th streets, serves many interesting things, but their Bánh Tiêu ($12.95), a savory stuffed donut, is a true revelation.
Encased in a traditional Vietnamese pastry that’s slightly sweet and appealingly chewy, this dish is a bona fide symphony of textures. The base is sticky rice, then comes a succulent layer of crumbled sausage, and a light smear of chicken liver pate. This concoction is topped off with a cute little quail egg, some pork floss, and a drizzle of scallion oil.
You might think it would be overwhelming. You might think the flavors would be conflicting, but somehow it works. The first bite is curious, the second allows you to really savor the complexity, and then you just want to keep coming back for more. The touch of sweetness from the pastry balances out the saltiness of the sausage and the pork floss, while marrying nicely with the richness of the pate. The sesame seeds, which are sprinkled on top of the donut, are also not mere decoration. Their nuttiness is almost like a palate cleanser that made me ready for the next bite, and the next, and the next.
I took my order to go but I’ll risk being labeled a hypocrite and encourage you to eat at the restaurant. The place is just fun. The black and white floor tile design is whimsical and eye-catching, and a perfect compliment to the laid back decor and the mismatched tables. Over the low glass separating the dining room from the kitchen, you can watch the cooks toggle between a long, prep station covered with mise en place and an industrial-sized stove lined with stainless steel pots emitting the most mouth-watering aromas. On this particular day, everyone was also sneaking glances at the small television mounted at the far end of the kitchen – a soccer match was in full swing. There is something deceptively casual about the restaurant, but one thing remains certain: Everyone here takes their food very seriously, from the people making it to the people eating it. As I waited for my order, I couldn’t help but notice how every single table was full and every single patron was fixated on their food (when they weren’t peeking at the TV of course).
A couple other dishes stood out to me: the Chả Giò($13.95) , a crispy spring roll with pork and vegetable filling and the Bún Gà Chiên($17.95), a fun take on a fried chicken noodle salad. The batter on the chicken is tossed with turmeric and sits on top of a bright and refreshing heap of thinly sliced veggies and glass noodles. The dressing ties it all together with a burst of ponzu and fish sauce. In the words of the great Guy Fieri, this dish really took me to flavor town.
I’ve never been to Vietnam but every single person I know who has, talks about the vibrant street food culture there; how it’s not just an easy way to refuel but a key part of daily life, and more importantly, local economies. The owners of Bánh definitely had something similar in mind. According to my research, they already operated a successful restaurant in the Bronx before leasing the space on Amsterdam. They originally intended to use it for a pop up that was focused on dishes that one would find on the streets of any major Vietnamese city – something that wasn’t just another ‘pho place’ – a fact my mom would probably have some feelings about. The pop up was so successful, garnering over 1000 orders in just one day, that they decided to open a more permanent spot and Bánh was born in January of 2021. While the restaurant does serve traditional items like pho and bánh mi, there is a sense when you step into the space that you’re about to go on a culinary adventure – if you’re willing to. For me on that day, the Banh Tiêu did exactly that. The dish took me somewhere I’d never been before and made me excited to try other things there, like their iced coffees, which get rave reviews, or the weekend specials, which were all sold out by the time I arrived in the late afternoon.
And you better believe that next time I’m craving pho, or even just a little bit of that nostalgia of dining with my mom, I’ll be going back to Bánh as well. You should too.
The Dish: Bánh Tiêu ($12.95),
The Restaurant: Bánh, 942 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 106th and 107th streets). Open Tuesday through Thursday: 6-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Closed Mondays.
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If my memory is accurate (and I don’t necessarily trust it these days), the first three columns in the new “West Side Dish” column have featured pastries of one sort or another. The columns are charmingly written and appealing, but a little more variety might be appreciated. Soup, maybe? Veges? Thank you.