THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED An Choi Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED An Choi Restaurant Review:

Set in a long, narrow space that’s crisscrossed with cables and Edison light bulbs and flanked by exposed brick walls, this Vietnamese sandwich and pho restaurant looks and feels like an alleyway eatery somewhere in the dregs of Hanoi. Which actually makes for a nice venue for consuming better-than-average banh mi and plus-size bowls of pork-and-noodle-laced pho. The grilled lemon grass pork banh mi (along with the usual variety of cilantro and carrots) delivers a nice punch, but those in search of authenticity should always opt for the pork belly banh mi. With its thick slice of fatty pork belly, An Choi’s version goes down easily enough to consider ordering a second, or at least coming back the following day for a sit-down meal of tamarind catfish soup, Mekong fish ‘n’ chips, or crispy tofu and chili vermicelli.