Crackling-crust bánh mì & vibrant Vietnamese fare. Standouts include turmeric catfish & interactive rice rolls.
Will Hartman reviews Bánh Anh Em, an East Village spot celebrated for its exceptional bánh mì with a unique crackle-crusted bread, alongside other Vietnamese delights like turmeric-marinated catfish and interactive rice rolls.
This East Village gem is celebrated for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine, with a particular emphasis on its exceptional bánh mì featuring a unique, crackle-crusted bread. Beyond the sandwiches, the menu boasts other delights such as turmeric-marinated catfish, interactive rice rolls, and rich, flavorful Phở with housemade noodles, making it a standout destination for Vietnamese food enthusiasts.
The restaurant is lauded for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine, especially its bánh mì, which features a distinct crackle-crusted bread. Highly recommended dishes include the BBQ pork banh mi, pate banh mi, and crispy pork banh mi. Other praised items are the turmeric-marinated catfish, interactive rice rolls (Bánh Ướt Chồng), house beef pho with homemade noodles, and Bun Rieu. Some dishes like banh uot and com tam have been noted as potentially overpriced for the portion size. The quality of ingredients, like house-baked bread and homemade noodles, is frequently highlighted.
"Highly recommended dishes include the O.G. Bánh Mì, Bánh Mì Patê Hải Phòng, and the crispy pork banh mi. Other praised items are the turmeric-marinated catfish (Chả Cá Lã Vọng), interactive rice rolls (Bánh Ướt Chồng), house beef pho with homemade noodles, and Bun Rieu."
Customers overwhelmingly praise the authentic and unique Vietnamese dishes, with special recognition for the bánh mì and other traditional specialties, though some note occasional service chaos and higher price points for certain items.
Important Note
Some customers have noted that certain dishes, like banh uot and com tam, might be overpriced for the portion size. There have also been discussions regarding initial health inspection reports, though subsequent comments suggest potential improvements. Service can sometimes be chaotic due to the variety of dishes and the restaurant's popularity.
"In a comparison of banh mi establishments, this commenter found Banh Ah Em's bread to be excessively crispy, contrasting it with other places."
Negative"The commenter mentions speaking Vietnamese with the older lady running Banh Anh Em, indicating it's run by actual Vietnamese people. However, they found the pho to be not great and overpriced."
Negative"This user criticizes Banh Anh Em for using excessive teriyaki sauce on all its proteins, questioning its popularity and suggesting paid influencers."
Negative"This user has tried two out of the three mentioned Vietnamese restaurants and found them amazing. They are looking forward to trying Banh Anh Em."
Positive"This commenter, who is Vietnamese from Houston, finds Banh Anh Em in NYC to be disappointing and lackluster, especially their pho."
Negative"This user is Vietnamese and lists Banh & Banh Anh Em as one of their top Vietnamese restaurants in NYC."
Positive"The commenter suggested trying Banh Anh Em for Vietnamese food."
Positive"This restaurant is listed as a repeat spot."
Positive"The house-made bread for banh mi is a key differentiator from the UWS location, which uses bread from Balthazar."
Positive"Banh Anh Em was listed as a recommended Banh Mi spot."
Positive"The wait times are better now, especially at opening, and the waitlist system is convenient. The menu differences are enough to justify a visit, and the location makes it a preferred choice for some over traveling to the UWS."
Positive"The banh mi bread at this establishment was considered mediocre, with cheaper banh mi places on the west coast offering better bread."
Negative"This location makes their own bread for banh mi and rice noodles for pho, which significantly improves the pho. They also offer dishes like banh uot Chong, which are not available at the UWS location. The waitlist system allows customers to wait elsewhere."
Positive"This user highly recommends Bánh Anh Em, specifically mentioning the Bun Rieu as scrumptious."
Positive"This user plans to try Bánh Anh Em once the lines decrease, expressing gratitude for the review."
Neutral"This user expressed interest in trying Bánh Anh Em and asked about the wait time after seeing the review."
Neutral"The author visited Bánh Anh Em's new location and found the fish and DIY Banh Uot to be highlights. They mentioned the line was long, but the wait was minimal for their group due to early arrival. The cost per person was around $35-$40."
Positive"Banh Anh Em is listed among various international sandwich recommendations, with a focus on banh mi."
Neutral"Visiting for lunch around 11:40 AM, the commenter was third in line and experienced a 20-minute wait. They highly recommend the OG banh mi and mini pate banh mi, praising the bread."
Positive"The commenter arrived at 6:03 PM on a Thursday and was 16th on the waitlist, being seated around 7:30-7:40 PM. They suggest arriving by 5:45 PM on a Friday."
Neutral
