Crackling crust bánh mì, interactive rice rolls, and rich, flavorful pho w/ housemade noodles. Authentic Vietnamese delights w/ a unique NYC twist.
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.
Bánh Anh Em is a highly acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant in NYC, celebrated for its authentic and unique dishes that offer a taste of Vietnam. The restaurant is particularly lauded for its exceptional bánh mì, featuring house-baked bread with a perfect crackle-crusted exterior and light, airy interior. Beyond bánh mì, they offer distinctive items like interactive rice roll towers (Bánh Ướt Chồng), turmeric-marinated catfish, and flavorful pho with housemade noodles. While service can be busy, the culinary excellence and attention to detail in every dish make it a standout dining experience.
This Vietnamese restaurant is highly praised for its authentic dishes, with a particular emphasis on its house-baked bánh mì, noted for its superior texture and flavor. Other popular items include turmeric-marinated catfish, interactive rice rolls, and pho with housemade noodles. Some diners have noted certain dishes, like the com tam or banh uot, as being overpriced for the portion size, while others find the overall pricing reasonable for NYC. The pho has received mixed reviews, with some finding it bland and others enjoying its rich, flavorful broth.
"Highly recommended dishes include the OG Bánh Mì, crispy pork belly banh mi, and the Bánh Mì Patê Hải Phòng. The interactive Bánh Ướt Chồng, turmeric-marinated catfish, and Pho Đặc Biệt are also frequently praised."
Customers overwhelmingly praise Banh Anh Em for its authentic and exceptional Vietnamese cuisine, especially highlighting the unique bánh mì and other standout dishes. While some find it pricey or note long wait times, the quality of the food generally justifies the experience.
Important Note
Wait times can be long, and some dishes have been noted as being overpriced for their portion size. There have been mixed reviews on the pho, with some finding it bland.
"A user simply states that Bánh Anh Em is the way to go."
Positive"Responding to a critique of Bánh Anh Em, this user suggests the difference in taste might be due to Northern Vietnamese style versus the Southern style common in Orange County, California, and still considers the place excellent."
Positive"A Vietnamese-American from California found Bánh Anh Em's banh mi overrated and expensive. They noted the pickled vegetables were not pickled enough and the filling was average, though they appreciated the inclusion of Vietnamese coriander. They found the thit kho dish too sweet and the eggs under-braised."
Negative"The user agrees that Bánh Anh Em is a top pick, specifically praising their crispy pork belly banh mi as amazing, though they also find the traditional version good."
Positive"This commenter raves about the barbecue pork banh mi at Bánh Anh Em, calling it 'so gas'."
Positive"The user found Bánh Anh Em good when eaten at the restaurant but less so when taken to-go, suggesting a drop in quality upon travel."
Neutral"This commenter finds the banh mi at Bánh Anh Em to be good but pricey for what it is, and did not particularly enjoy their other dishes."
Neutral"A brief comment stating that while Bánh Anh Em's banh mi is okay, the user would not purchase it again."
Negative"This user confirms Banh Anh Em lives up to the hype and is worth the price, suggesting takeout to avoid waiting."
Positive"This commenter lists Bánh Anh Em as a higher-priced option for banh mi compared to Ba Xuyên."
Neutral"This user asked if Banh Anh Em rotates its pho flavors, as they only saw chicken pho and no beef pho when they visited."
Neutral"This user reported a shorter wait time of about 30 minutes when dining solo at Banh Anh Em, suggesting that going alone can be faster."
Neutral"The original poster explained that they went to Banh Anh Em at 11:40 AM on a Friday and were in the first seating as soon as they opened, getting seated quickly as a party of four."
Neutral"This user asked about the wait times at Banh Anh Em, noting they always experience a 2+ hour wait."
Neutral"This user explained that the fuzzy texture mentioned is pork floss, which adds a nice salty umami flavor."
Positive"This user defended the pho at Banh Anh Em, suggesting it's northern style which is less sweet than southern style, and called the comment about it being 'mid' lazy."
Neutral"The user stated that Banh Anh Em makes their bread in-house and that it is legitimate. However, they felt the pickled vegetable ratio was off, but acknowledged the bread was strong."
Positive"This user was not impressed with the banh mi at Banh Anh Em but is willing to return for the pho."
Neutral"This user expressed being a big fan of the OG banh mi at Banh Anh Em."
Positive"This user had a terrible experience at Banh Anh Em, with an online order taking over an hour past its ready time. They found the sandwich decent but not worth the hassle, and would not return unless the operations improve."
Negative
