Hanoi House

119 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

Hanoi House lives up to its authentic-sounding name by delivering Vietnamese classics with inventiveness and panache. Case in point: pho, to me, epitomizes comfort food, but lacks the handheld convenience of a sandwich. HH bridges this gap with their memorable riff on a French dip, a braised beef bahn mi served with the iconic spicy-citrusy pho broth. The sandwich combined a slew of robust flavors that offered a nice contrast to the humble toasted baguette. The beef was slathered with chili and hoisin-brushed caramelized onions, garnished with red onions and a generous amount of cilantro. The spicy, aromatic pho broth enlivened the flavors of the meat and veggies. My favorite part of the sandwich was the French bread. It had a solid, crackly crust with the right amount of give and a fluffy interior.Their mango iced tea is a splendid refreshing counterpart to the summer heat. As an appetizer, the lemongrass chicken wings, each topped with a slice of pickled jalapeño, were spicy and rich with a nice crunch. They weren’t the highlight but played the role of appetizer well, not detracting from the main dish’s appeal. Need I say more? You need to check it out if you’re in the mood for Vietnamese and find yourself in the East Village.