WHAT TO ORDER AT BANH

Banh on Amsterdam Ave is considered the second-best Vietnamese joint in NYC, in my humble opinion.

That sentence will age like fine wine. And unlike wines, if you’re not sure what you want, go for the second-best.

The purpose of this short post is to list all of my personal favorite items off their menu. They can be either authentic or just things I really, really like—ideally both.

Disclaimer: Based on the nature of Banh, some of these items may not be available at the time of your visit. They have some staples and some rotating items.

Weekend specials: always order specials. New stuff every weekend.

Crispy rice cake (banh chung): Widely available during Tet season but available year-round at Banh.
Vegan banh chung: Same thing, but vegan.
Xoi xeo (yellow sticky rice with mung bean, fried shallots, and pork floss): A very common breakfast option for those who don’t want a bowl of soup before school/work.
Crispy silken tofu: a very common offering among my top favorite Viet restaurants. It’s easy to make, fresh, and indulgent.
Banh mi: It’s just banh mi, guys. Whichever one. If you’re flustered, get the original.
Pho: No pho. (They have pho, just no.) As of early 2025, I still can’t recommend their pho. And that’s okay. Proceed at your own risk.
Com Tam (broken rice with a bunch of stuff): A very popular southern offering. A great showcase of pork preparation.
Xoi thit kho (xoi: sticky rice - thit: meat - kho: braised): A sizeable plate of proteins served alongside xoi xeo (see above). Great for a group of 3 or 4—or you can pig out solo. I do that sometimes.
Bun cha, bun bo bo, bun cha gio: Bun means rice vermicelli. They’re essentially the same dish with different toppings. Very hard to fuck this one up. Solid choice. But do make sure you’re familiar or comfortable with nuoc cham (the vinegar-fish sauce mix dressing).
Drinks: Cafe sua da, egg cream iced coffee, and bac xiu would be my picks.
Diet coke: my favorite drink.
Weekend specials: always order specials. New stuff every weekend.
Weekend specials: always order specials. New stuff every weekend.
Weekend specials: always order specials. New stuff every weekend.

Now that I’ve given other top entries a fair shake, I’d like to give my tu-cents about one of my favorite eateries in NYC.

Many Viet restaurants stand out for their signature dishes or their way of perfecting certain popular recipes. Others stand out for their competitive prices (probably not anymore unless you’re a seatless take-out joint). However, Banh stands out for its indirect promise: “You will always have a mom in me.”

Hmm, okay, that didn’t come out right. Let me rephrase that: Banh is like a mom. Mom makes lots of dishes—routine dishes, everyday dishes, seasonal dishes, occasional dishes, and “SHIT! ARE WE GONNA HAVE THAT TODAY, MA?!” dishes.

Banh is a carousel of weekly surprises. This is a great trick to pull everyone in, from curious passersby to frequent goers. However, this commitment demands the most passionate group of people to pull it off.

They truly did. With only a few years under its belt, Banh captured my attention right away. On Christmas Eve in 2019, I stepped out determined to find some half-decent Vietnamese food in this city. After a half-decent effort on Yelp and Google, Banh was among the very first places I needed to try. Banh kickstarted this list for me, and Banh is probably the reason you’re here, reading this.

As mentioned countless times before, Banh’s specials are what truly set this place ridiculously high on the list. This is almost like a cheat code. If so, please, cheat on me every week. Their specials range from:

Banh cuon: A very common breakfast in Hanoi. Steamed rice rolls with ground meat topped with fried onion crisps.
Banh mi Hai Phong (Hai Phong is a coastal province): Skinny banh mi, one of my favorite afterschool snacks. Just a banh mi sandwiching pâté, pork floss, and hot sauce.
Thit heo quay: Kind of like our version of chicharrón? Very similar to the Chinese offering.
Banh dap: Smashed rice cake. A popular plate from Hue.
Banh beo: Water fern rice cake. Another popular plate from Hue.
Com chay: Crispy rice with fish sauce. Com = rice, chay = burned. A very common thing to eat before the wide adoption of modern rice cookers.
Bun ca Hai Phong: Fish noodle soup from Hai Phong. Honestly, I haven’t even tried this one in the past.
Cha ca La Vong: Turmeric fish with dill. This dish gained worldwide attention after being featured in Patricia Schultz’s 2003 book "1,000 Places to See Before You Die". Unless you’re willing to travel to Hanoi, this might be one of the few chances to try it (or make it yourself).
Lots of snail dishes.
Banh Canh Cha Cua Hue: Crab with tapioca noodles.

These are just a few of their rotations in 2024. And to this day, I still feel bad placing Banh in second place—the sole reason being Mam’s existence.

Banh graces you with its warm interior and decor, friendly hosts, and thoughtful presentation of the menu. The menu is shown through a QR code that includes a small reel of how each dish gets its finishing touches before arriving at your table. This is incredibly enticing and helpful for first-time visitors or people with limited exposure to the cuisine.

Their social media presence—with weekly (or bi-weekly) posts—gives you sneak peeks into their specials. It’s like an invitation for you to hop on the 1 train to the Upper West Side.

Banh shines the most during Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). During this time, Banh offers two special experiences:

A reservation-only dinner event, held a few nights before the Lunar New Year. Sure, the price is ridiculous, but it’s a great experience if you miss home that much—or if you’re just really, really, really into Vietnamese food (or dating/married to someone who is).
Special Tet food items: Things like banh chung, gio, mut, etc. You can order individual items or a whole basket online. Sure, the price is ridiculous, but I think… you get the point.

As of early 2025, reservations can only be made on-site, so expect a 15–30 minute wait during peak hours. I guess that’s better than hunting for weeks on Resy or OpenTable?

Banh remains my number one spot to take my friends or big groups. Once they’re familiar with Vietnamese food, then I’d take them to Mam.

Hmmmm, I’ve blathered on long enough. How do I close this post?

Okay, if I have to pick one Vietnamese restaurant that represents the cuisine in the most meaningful spectrum, Banh is it. Banh is a complete package.