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An Choi
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
85 Orchard St(between Grand St & Broome St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
(212) 226-3700
- Nearest Transit:
-
Delancey St (F)
Essex St (J, M, Z)
Grand St (B, D)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
177 reviews for An Choi
Review Highlights
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"Hands down the best Banh Mi I have had to date." In 63 reviews -
"The pho was fresh as a apricot, but petite in size." In 92 reviews -
"...my fave dishes is the shaking beef, it melts in your mouth." In 5 reviews
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177 reviews in English
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Review from Foodie G.
Greenfield, MA
4/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
delicious food, clean and bright flavors. Service is a little spotty, but our favorite thing to get here as we are walking by is the good, mellow and flavorful Vietnamese Coffee, made with Cafe du Monde (New Orleans style chicory) coffee. I crave a cup of this every day, but the place is too far for me to zip down and get one.
Very hip atmosphere. If they could get their service together, I would give it five stars for sure. -
Review from Jaimie D.
New York, NY
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really wanted to love this place, but didn't. Everything was working in their favor- good vibe, outdoor tables, sweet aromas drifting from the kitchen - but then my food came. Actually, first the waiter ignored us, then my food came. The catfish bahn mi was dry and tastleas.
I was watching the guys in the open kitchen and saw one of the guys rinse him head and hair in the same sink he was rinsing the dishes. I know they get washed and sanitized, but there's no need for that. -
Review from Tony T.
Brooklyn, NY
This place was on the other side of Chinatown where smaller shops and restaurants begin to appear. It may look a little shabby on the outside... but on the inside its a very comfy hip place to sit, relax, and munch.
FOOD:
We ordered the Chicken Pho, Classic Beef Pho, and their flank steak Sandwich.
Chicken Pho... this dish was alright. It is made with a Chicken base broth, which is light and refreshing.
Classic Beef Pho... this dish was definitely the highlight of the night... the broth was very rich and the flavors had much depth (esp when you add some siracha and hoi sin sauce). It was definitely DELICIOUS!
Flank Steak Sandwich... this dish was made like a traditional Viet sandwich you would find. It had carrots, chili pepper, cilantro, and the steak. It was delicious with the exception that the steak was a little on the tougher side... but it didn't kill the dish... it was still delish... it was served with a side of some deep fried chips.
DRINKS:
We ordered a Organic Ginger Ale Original with Sugar Cane sweetening. This is definitely for Ginger lovers... if you can't handle the sharp spicy bite that ginger originally has... you will not like this drink.. But I have to say it's really refreshing with a slight bite from the spicy ginger and very light... not over sweetened like the generic bottled Ginger Ales.
PRICE:
The dishes were mid priced... for a manhattan restaurant it wasn't bad. The Pho was average about $10.00.
DECOR/SERVICE:
For the environment... this place has a very comfortable feel to it. Definitely different than what you expect when you look from the outside. It's actually quite pleasant.
**The only thing that brought this restaurant down from a 4 STAR to a 3 STAR was the cleanliness. I have to say I was semi-shocked. I'm not sure if anyone had the same experience... but my friend ordered a coffee.. and the cup had lip stick stains on it... which truthfully was quite repulsive. When we got our utensils and an extra bowls for the Pho... I found some soot in the bowl and also on the utensils. When you go eat there.. make sure you double wipe everything and look to make sure there's no stains on your dishes. **
The service was great... the people were very pleasant and helpful.
OVERALL:
The Beef Pho is definitely something to try in this place... also the Organic Ginger Ale for the ginger lovers out there..
Be careful with the hygiene of this place though... since in my one visit I found a couple of flaws in their cleanliness of their tools. -
Review from Richard S.
New York, NY
5/14/2012
Amazing atmosphere of a cross between a Vietnamese night market stall and a chill yet sophisticated dinner joint. Food was solid - beef pho one of the tastiest iv tried. Go for the pho and sandwich combo cuz u cant miss out. Prices were steeper than they should be but overall its worth taking a relaxed date here.
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Review from Steve D.
Brooklyn, NY
5/8/2012
Brilliant food. Relaxed/chill atmosphere. Kick ass staff. I feel healthy eating here. #fan
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Review from Paul Q.
Brooklyn, NY
2/29/2012
To start, this isnt classic vietnamese food. I only say that because generally if i eat vietnamese food, I speak the language of a classic vietnamese restaurant, "yeah, lemme get a #32 and a #48"
Here i have to actually say what i want. I used to come here more often when i worked in the area, but if i ever find myself in the LES i come here to split a shaking beef with someone and a crispy pork bahn mi with pate. wash it all down with a cocky rooster and im ready to roll.
the waitstaff is pretty nice, i usually get the same servers, gabe or crispy. crispy. the name of a server is crispy. cmon. youd have to try this place based on just that. -
Review from Tiffany C.
New York, NY
2/7/2012
I got the combo of a pho and bahn mi for $12.50...
Super super small portions. I was really really upset, that the amount they gave couldn't even feed a child! I literally had less than a palm size of noodles. Very little meat and etc. The soup base was alright. I finished it within 5 minutes? I'm a pretty petite girl, and I tend to eat slow.
The bahn mi was pretty bad and I only got half a sandiwch. Very bland all around; to create flavor, i squeezed loads of lemon on the chicken. There was nothing in the sandwich that was good. It was just bland.
I couldn't believe I spend that much money on this... Go two streets down and get a big bowl of pho for $7, and a nice hearty banh mi sandwich for $5. -
Review from L Z.
Mission Hills, San Diego, CA
4/22/2012
I've always enjoyed eating here. Tiny Spot. Great food. Decent prices.
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Review from Ryan P.
Brooklyn, NY
1/13/2012
I always go out of my way to come here. It's basically a destination if I'm hungry and south of Houston. Honestly I start craving the freshness as soon as 3rd st...
Here's why:
I try to eat vegetarian. Also NYC is not a Pho city. It's a Banh Mi city. Within those parameters it's hard to find good Pho let alone a version made without beef broth. There's a few out there (Lan Cafe is a standout), but I prefer the tastes and the vibe here. By no means is this a veg-only place - I've heard great things about the rest of the dishes - but they are well rounded enough to offer tofu options with the same bold flavor and generous portions (the tofu is perfectly crusted by the way). While other veggie phos out there get sort of fruity and light, An Choi's Pho Chay has some kind of mysterious and complex depth that rivals any beef broth. But of course its all about the herbs and sauces, which are always fresh here - never ever stale.
I always come for Pho, but sometimes I get the Banh Mi/Pho combo, which is a knockout if you can't decide. There's great veggie Banh Mi's here too. The pho's a bit smaller to save room for the baguette. Also the crispy shrimp chips are a great snack while you wait, although they aren't vegetarian I guess. Always add hoisin and sriracha to those.
Aside from the food, I'm usually very judgemental about the space/lighting/overall vibe of a restaraunt. My first reaction to An Choi was warmth. Cozy but not clostrophobic, just enough raw details, and a Parisian/Saigon-influenced decor which hints at the colonial roots of the cuisine itself. Golden cans of Cafe du Monde are the chopstick bins at each table, cargo labels are printed on the walls, guys are constantly carting in fresh herbs and stacks of vermicelli. That kind of thing. Has the feeling of a trading depot with great food.
They just recently renovated and made part of thier space into a bar, as well as knocked out part of the wall for an interior window. Have to say it really opens the space up and allows for more varied dining/drinking options.
The staff is great too. The hostesses are super nice and attentive, and the bartender is usually a really cool dude from Italy who makes awesome caipiroskas among other really refreshing drinks. Generally a very mixed, good looking, and ethnically diverse crowd of young hip people which is always great. Great for a trendy casual date as well.
Overall - Solid. My favorite Vietnamese in the city. I take anyone I can who hasn't been. See you there! -
Review from Valerie L.
New York, NY
12/27/2011
It's like a mix of a discotheque and a Vietnamese restaurant.
Food is subpar and quite pricey considering it's bordering Chinatown where you can easily get banh mi and pho for much less.
It's trendy, the music is loud, and they give you chips to munch on while you wait. But it's baffling how much they charge for their food. I guess you're paying for the mm-tss-mm--tss in the background? -
Review from Ginger B.
CANAL STREET, NY
1/21/2012
Their Bahn Mi and Pho are really good, as is the coffee. Not the best Bahn Mi in the city, but I do plan to go back.
Their delivery boundaries, however, are the reason for -3 stars. It is snowing and I understand not wanting to cross boundaries for that reason, but I live literally 2 blocks away from the boundary. It takes a maximum of 5 minutes to travel from their restaurant to my place by bike. I've biked there, and I've WALKED in less than 15 min. -
Review from Sean S.
11/19/2011
Finally had a chance to go here... this is one of those places that I really fall in love with.
o it's cute & small
o the bar is cozy, you're gonna talk to your good lookin neighbors
o the walls are decorated with vintage vietnamese posters - LIKE
o the waitresses are gorgeous
o the cucumber caiparishka is amazing
While you're waiting for some time, and even long enough to get a second round, the hostess comes by to say hello. When she realizes she misunderstood you, and you didn't want to eat at the bar but rather at a table, she quickly remedies the situation with a table for you. Wow!
The summer rolls are perfect, very very fresh noodles and ingredients. One of the best summer rolls i've had.
The vegetarian bun is even better, with tofu and mushrooms. The cozy atmosphere is made even better by the smiling waitresses who are not only cute, but actually seem to enjoy their jobs.
Great great atmosphere here... and all this for ridiculously reasonable prices. -
Review from Serene F.
New York, NY
11/1/2011
Originally thought this would be a good no-wait alternative to Cafe Katja next door, but what a joke! Have these 5 star yelpers never tasted Bahn Mi before?
I tried their Banh Mi Ga Nuong Xa (grilled lemongrass chicken sandwich), and it was DRY, HARD, and barely even edible because of the ridiculous amount of jalapenos they shoved inside. Possibly the worst in NYC and most definitely assembled in the dark by a n00b.
Next up, I gave the Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) a try, but substituted the house soup with their clear vegetable broth since I'm allergic to cinnamon. Soup aside, this pho was small, boring and overpriced. Do yourself a favor and walk 10 minutes to Chinatown for the real thing at half the price.
To top it off, service was minimal. Not bad, just not there. The waitress didn't seem to know very much about the food they were serving, and kind of just walked away when we needed something. Massive fail! -
Review from Gilmatic C.
Brooklyn, NY
1/29/2012
The music was really cool because they played Real Hip Hop but unfortunately, I didn't come here to listen to Illmatic or Enter the 36 Chambers.
The Vietnamese sandwich they sell here is, by far, THE WORST. I almost felt dissed that they tried to sell me a ham sandwich with mayo. The sandwich was dry bread, a slice of ham, and vegetables. WTF? Really? This is what you guys call a Vietnamese sandwich?
Maybe I went on a bad night where there was no ground pork, spam, and anything else that makes a vietnamese sandwich delicious.
I have no idea how they earned some of the reviews on this site. -
Review from JP B.
10/24/2011
I liked the exposed brick, the friendliness of the server, the fact they have a full liquor license, the vibe... that's all good. I just don't get one thing: Why on Earth would anyone pay $8.50 for a Vietnamese sandwich? Theirs is good, but not THAT good. Then again, $8.50 for lunch out in a place with nice decor and a cool vibe isn't bad.
I'm torn. I like An Choi, but part of me finds their prices an affront compared to other places offering similar fare in the neighborhood. Sure, An Choi is far hipper and more upscale than other neighborhood Viet joints, but I don't think their banh mi better than the competition. So I don't know what to make of them.
Three stars if you have no trouble with the idea of a $10 banh mi. (They have a few on the menu). I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I do. -
Review from Sarah L.
New York, NY
3/25/2012
I happened upon this little establishment while perusing the neighborhood. I usually opt for the classic banh mi, but decided to be a little adventurous this time and went for the Chinese pork belly banh mi. 4 sandwiches ensued, to the waiter's amusement, and my stomach's detriment. Every bite was accompanied by succulent.decadent.fat. Had a "yellow fever" (how cute is that?) cocktail as well, which comprised of some exotic fruit juice mix, and jalapeno salt on the rim of the glass. Ambience was exceptional - perfect for a cozy date or gathering with a small group of friends. The food is pricier than some other Vietnamese eateries I've been to, but for the collective experience, I'm not complaining at all.
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Review from Matthew C.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
1/13/2012
I don't usually review places, but An Choi was so BAD that I wanted to post. It's one of the WORST restaurants I've ever been to in NYC. Yes it's cute. Yes it's got plesant lighting and music. But please do not believe other reviewers that gave more than 1 star. Pay attention to their kitchen, which is open for all to see. They don't really cook, but they just reheat things. The pork in my appetizer, bahn mi, and entree was pre-cooked and reheated. It was unbelievably stale and dry. The fried chicken also tasted old, while being covered with heavy sauce which made it at least edible.
I'd be embarrased to serve old/re-heated food like this, especially at this price. I asked around, and apparently I'm not the only one that had food like this at An Choi. Owner and cook of An Choi, if you are reading this, you know what I'm talking about and please have the guts to admit it to your customers.
Let us vote with our feet and let An Choi lose business like they deserve for serving food like this and charge a price like this. -
Review from S K.
Brooklyn, NY
1/2/2012
Been to An Choi half a dozen times and it's always solid.
Attentive staff, cozy environs, generally delicious. I recommend the Bo Luc Lac - the salt, pepper & lime dipping sauce is so zingy! -
Review from Miguel H.
Astoria, NY
11/13/2011
Can't recommend, and I believe if you read the majority of recent reviews-- they say the same thing.
I'm not eating meat, so I ordered a fried catfish banh Mi. Fried catfish: yum on its own. But this place manages to make you reconsider ever ordering fried catfish again. Basically the deal is this: the bread is dry and sucks and the catfish filet is so thin your mouth grabs for something else but the only thing it will find is excessive amounts of Serrano chilies and not enough aoli. I mean, really?
I swear to God that I wanted to show the sandwich to the cook in the back and be like, would you seriously eat this? However, in real life this kind of behavior is not acceptable so let's keep it in the realm of fantasy.
All I'm saying is the cooks there should prepare things as if they're making a sandwich for themselves, load it it up--not punish you with sad portions that make you feel like you've sent 9 dollars down the rabbit hole.
Not going back, you wouldn't either. -
Review from Linda N.
10/21/2011
I was stoked about this place and its pho and banh mi lunch combo. And as I'm a Restaurant BT fan, I always have high expectations with places that are dangerously similar to BT's.
Sadly, the food was just... eh. Not only were the prices too high for the quality of the food, the pho portion of the combo was too little and the banh mi was plain and literally a few bites. I rather go to Chinatown for some pho or take a long walk to Banh Mi Zon for some good banh mi.
I mean, I don't mind paying a lot of money for good food, but it's a different ballpark when the food doesn't even match the price. I highly doubt I'll be ever going back here. -
Review from Dean B.
Manhattan, NY
8/25/2011
This definitive hole in the wall, owned and its kitchen staffed by Vietnamese, is one of the city's best, and definitely worth wadidng through the LES scenestertramadrama. They have Laotia beer, which we found delicious (and have the tab to prove it), the shrimp salad roll and the veggie eggplant version were delicious, as were the two bahn mis and the veggie bun. The decor is delightful, and whoever was playing their IPod that night has excellent taste.
I'm tempted to dock a notch for not being informed that a back garden exists. Otherwise a wonderful experience. -
Review from Ava F.
Brooklyn, NY
12/5/2011
What a wonderful array of vietnamese treats to please everyone. Truly great pescatarian options! The catfish Bahn Mi is definitely worth of some serious YUM (but add sirracha). Though nothing might be in contention for the "ultimate best," every item I have ordered here has been delicious... so all in all a very solid menu.
You won't go wrong here. The specials are also worth trying-- had a great soft shell crab bahn mi! Oh yes!
Plus the staff was recently showcased as exceptionally beautiful in the huffington post (I think that's where the article was), and they are as friendly on the patrons as they are on the eyes.Listed in: Best Pescatarian Vietnamese…
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Review from Heather M.
New York, NY
10/6/2011
How have I never had a banh mi? Well my cherry got popped and there's no going back. Converted.
Totally chill hole-in-the-wall vibe but clean and super-friendly.
Pretty quiet on a Thursday for lunch. Got the fried catfish banh mi which was delish. Love the yummy rice chips they serve with the sandwiches.
Banh mi range from $6.50 for the "Original" to $10 for the Pan Seared Hanger Steak. Average is $8.00.
Also serves Pho, Bun (vermicelli bowls) and Vietnamese style coffee.
Takeout and delivery, $15 minimum for delivery. Order online through Seamless. -
Review from Shiori I.
Manhattan, NY
9/7/2011
I love, love, love Vietnamese food, and this place was great. It has a cute little streets-of-Vietnam-themed decor and it definitely works for them.
I took my brother here for some post-shopping food. We ordered the Traditional Summer Roll, Original Banh Mi as well as the Vermicelli bowl with pork meatballs. They were all really good. The meatballs lacked a little oomph for me, but was still yummy. The Banh Mi had the perfect crispy, light bread that a lot of other places skimp on. Must try the pho next time.
As an uptown-er, I rarely get to have Banh Mi so I of course got two additional Banh Mi's (The Chinese roast pork and the hanger steak) to go so my brother and I could split them for lunch the next day. Well, I just had my halves, and OMG the pork was amazing. It has crispy skin that reminded me of Lechon Kawali. So so good! The steak was just meh, but OMG THE PORK.
Will def come back, if just for the pork. Nom. -
Review from Devin S.
Updated - 10/5/2011 3 Check-ins Here
It breaks my heart to do this, but I have to update my original 4-star review to a 2-star. An Choi used to be my LES go-to for pho and banh mi and really just a go-to date spot in general thanks to the cheap but totally drinkable wine ($22 bottles!) and the cute, romantic interior and cozy seating arrangements. Unfortunately the food quality has dropped tremendously since I started coming here about a year ago. The lemongrass chicken banh mi was essentially flavorless and the "spicy beef broth" for my Hue style beef pho was anything but spicy. And they've either switched to jalapenos or significantly less spicy Thai chillies, because adding those to the broth and the sandwich did absolutely nothing for me. I actually left a good amount of my pho untouched because I wasn't enjoying it.
My boyfriend and I attempted to salvage the night by ordering some dessert: lemongrass rice pudding with fruit compote on top. It was disgusting. The pudding was super thick, the rice was undercooked and crunchy, and the fruit compote added to the thickness of the pudding made it all too sweet. I do not recommend it.
The service was kind and accommodating throughout the night. Even when our server brought us the bill before dessert and we only realized after signing our receipts that she'd completely forgotten about it, she was apologetic and brought it out for us on the house within a minute. It's really just too bad about the food quality - I loved this place so much!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/24/2010
It was a toss-up between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm going with 4 because the pho really was very good… Read more »
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Review from Taylor B.
1/28/2012
Nothing special, but a hole in the wall that gets the job done if you just want to escape the cold (on one of the few days this year that New York actually experiences a real winter). The atmosphere will not spark a crazy night out after nor will the food inspire you to pick up a pen and write home, but An Choi does serve up some ok pho. The place couldn't get any more laid back, but that's okay with me. The bartenders whipped up some good concoctions, the speakers blasted Oasis (wonderwall. what's up.), and the broth and noodle goodness warmed us to the core on an otherwise way-too-frosty night. Unfortunately, seated next to the kitchen meant that we had to suffer through the draft every time the door opened. Would I hike all the way down to the LES again just for An Choi? Probably not. Do I think the servers had the right to serve up such attitude as they did? Definitely not.
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Review from Brian W.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
I have to say my rating may change, as I am not sure having one meal really warrants a review. However I had the standard pho bo, which was excellent.
The service was a little slow but friendly, even though it was not very busy, but I am always willing to wait for good food.. it was not that slow to the point of annoying -
Review from Carson Y.
New York, NY
6/24/2011
I love the decor and feel of this place!!
The service is amazing, and the servers are attractive. Nothing wrong the bowls of pho or bun at this joint. My favorite hands down is the Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi, and refreshing cup of lemonade. I definitely will be back for more and I'm bringing friends. -
Review from Chris S.
Manhattan, NY
1/8/2012
This is a really solid 4 star Vietnamese experience. The atmosphere is a new world restaurant meets old world street vendor. The bar area gives it a trendy feel yet the cables suspended under the ceiling and the open kitchen gives that Pho Vietnamese feel. They have solid pork vermicelli here, nothing out of the ordinary except the pork had a hint of sweetness to it which was really delicious. I never tasted anything like it before and is why I'm giving An Choi a 4 star review instead of 3. The prices are above average for Vietnamese food in the area but I would like to come back here if only to have the banh mi or pho or even try that delicious pork again.
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Review from Matt L.
Brooklyn, NY
4/15/2011
Most of the reviews for An Choi focus far too much on the pho and banh mi which misses the whole point of An Choi. The literal vietnamese translation of An Choi is "Eating for Fun." A nibble here, a nibble there to please the mouth. It is this particular concept that An Choi shines: It's small plates.
I grew up with vietnamese parents that inundated me with the best food memories any child can ask. When I do go out for vietnamese instead of cooking at home, I place a very high standard in authenticity. An Choi is the only vietnamese restaurant in nyc so far that has given me nostalgic flashbacks to food I had at home and in vietnam.
The nem noung and shredded pork skin summer rolls are the real deal. texture and flavor wise, the fillings are on point. none of that boiled shrimp crap that generic viet places serve.
I highly recommend the small plates of the Beef 7 Ways tasting menu. There were dishes in that menu that I haven't thought about for a decade (cus no one else ever focuses on them) but when presented gave me flashbacks of meals i had in vietnam: particularly the Bò Nhung Dam. The shaken beef dish was executed very well. and to cap it off, they ended the meal with ground beef congee as warm and inviting as the ones my mom made as a kid to nurse me back to health. I literally shed one tear as I ate this congee.
If you want an authentic taste of vietnam, go as the name suggest: eat for fun. Amuse yourselves with the small plates tapas style and you'll find yourself truly eating vietnamese style at An Choi.
Also A+ for the aesthetic. the exposed wires running across the ceiling and the naked filament lightbulbs definitely remind me of eating in saigon. the stools are a great riff on how most saigon street food operate: toy stools (it's a vestigial custom from days past when communist police would randomly arrest street vendors--toy stools allow the vendors to pack up and flee fast on sight of authority). The only thing missing is the sound of 100 saigon motorist on hondas driving past the front door. -
Review from HamiltonHeights H.
Manhattan, NY
4/30/2011 1 photo
Good meal here. The bathroom was broken. Yuck. Kinda cramped and the front window was open on a cold day--so my table just kind of sat there and shivered.
Food was good. Service was friendly. -
Review from Atlanta F.
Astoria, NY
7/19/2011
We came here for the bahn-mi. They were just middle of the road. The waitress didnt seem to be sure if the lemongrass chicken sandwiches were breast only, but they came swiftly, along with a delicious new orleans, cafe du monde iced coffee. They were devoid of aioli, but flush with cucumber, cilantro + carrots. We waited a bit too long for the aioli to arrive, but the addition to the sandwich made them tastier.
The diners seated next to us ordered fragrant bowls of noodle soup, one with meatballs, one with seafood. I'd go back to An Choi to give them another try. Great vibe to the space, and the a/c wasnt freezing us into discomfort on one of the hottest days of the year. -
Review from Ilene E.
Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY
10/9/2011
My friend and I decided to check this place out after reading some mixed reviews here. The non Asian waitress was so much more nicer and was willing to tell me what's what without me asking, plus she looks friendly and presentable. Ok, now to the food. We first had ordered the traditional summer roll, then the girl brings us the spring roll. I ordered the BoLucLac which is the shaking beef. The potatoes was burnt and the beef tasted a bit bitter and kinda burnt also. Some pieces of the beef was medium done, where the majority was well-done to burnt My friend ordered the regular pho after the waitress told us that there wasn't any bread. His first choice was the BanhMi, seriously how does a Vietnamese place not have bread. Oh, a little detail, we waited about half hour till our food came. As much as I like Vietnamese place, I don't think we will be visiting this place anytime soon.
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Review from Jonas D.
New York, NY
4/14/2011
Go here for the atmosphere.
It's got that hip dtown vibe going and if you weren't raised on Viet food, it definitely won't hurt.
Sadly, Im highly specific about both...
The breakdown for this place is: the menu is in clear English with no spelling grammar, the people taking your order understand sentences with higher level interjections, the tables are not greasy, there's actually wine on the menu that not rice wine, lighting is pleasantly dim and there's no one yelling at/from the kitchen.
...and the food- the usual but 30% blander and missing the full on Viet herbs (most ppl dont know how to differentiate them anyway... hmm, rau ram in pho, perilla in rice noodles or thai basil in banh mi's, which is correct.. you are definite Viet of some sort or you have a column writing for Saveur if you do know the ways around those) -
Review from Jen P.
Brooklyn, NY
4/16/2011
My favorite Vietnamese spot downtown! Bun with pork and spring rolls is delicious.
Modeled after a Vietnamese alleyway, an choi makes you feel like you've found a secret spot in the LES. -
Review from Jayne L.
New York, NY
4/15/2011
I am surprised that people often compare this restaurant to the nearby Chinatown Vietnamese restaurants. I don't get it... This is so much more than that and completely on a different spectrum. I LOVE this place, it's chill with a true downtown vibe and good food in a very reasonable price range in the Lower East Side.
Actually let me rephrase... really great delicious Vietnamese food, the menu is very considerate and with a wide range of choices! As they take care of vegetarian customers (like myself). My favorite is the vegetarian pho, mushroom broth with tofu, chinese mushrooms, and bak choy. Soothing and hot... It's perfect for all year round!
I live in the neighborhood so I've eaten here several times. If I'm in a hurry the banh mi is the way to go. Get it as take-out and it comes out fast. My fav is the crispy tofu with sweet, chilli sauce with a fried egg on top! Love it! They also have many other choices, like the classics, portobello, catfish, etc. My friend was raving about the crispy pork belly the other day!
Oh forgot to mention, my other go to is the Pho & Banh Mi combo. When I feel indecisive, I can have both! No brainer for hungry people :)
I would suggest bringing group of friends here, or with your date! This restaurant is super cozy, and dimly lit. When the weather is pleasant, there's open doors in the other dining room, bringing in the breeze accompanied with the superb music selection, (from classic Vietnamese music to indie to A-Trak which I'm totally into right now)
Staff is fun and nice, they take good care of you (or maybe because I'm a regular :) ), and of course, good looking and cute! -
Review from Jess C.
Brooklyn, NY
12/12/2011
An Choi's strongest suit is that of most other restaurants in this hood - decor and ambiance. Bare brick walls and retro-style posters/pictures, very cozy little place. However, the Pho Bo was disappointing to say the least. After having consistently good Phos at other Pho specialty shops, I didn't realize it would be possible to mess up Pho! The broth makes everything and An Choi's broth was just.....blah. It wasn't too bland but it didn't quite taste like a Pho broth either, couldn't put my finger on it. Bottom line: will not be returning for the Pho Bo.
P.S. I also ordered a freshly made ginger ale and it really did have a real ginger taste! Very interesting, try it if you are the adventurous type. -
Review from Lucie T.
11/8/2011
Its a hole in a wall place where you are feeling somewhat as if you are sitting at a construction site that grew over into a closed area with a roof. But that is the charming part. The service is good, I went to have a quick bite on a Friday night so it was busy and it was very fast, so those are all good points. Being a bit of a vietnamese food snob the most important part of the Pho is the base soup and that did not hold up in my eyes. And $4 for a small cup of jasmine green tea was probably the deal sealer in terms of rating this place a 3 star. But not bad as a last minute option which is what it was in this case for me.
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Review from Linh N.
4/4/2011 8 photos
Came here to redeem my voucher that was going to expire soon. Had an early dinner, yet again. The bf and I got seated in the corner which wasn't a bad choice. The setting was dim and quiet, props to the great music they had (reminded me of those old times when you see dudes driving pass with motorcycles...yea).
We ordered the combo set with pho and sandwich. I thought it was pretty cute concept, since the bowl of pho was extremely cute. Probably half the regular size and along with the combo came some shrimp chips, YUM! The Goi Tom was just alright, lack a bit of flavor. The fish sauce they poured over it just wasn't seasoned well enough, it was on the bland side.
For dessert, we got the Coconut Flan and Lemongrass Rice Pudding both with a raspberry compote which was a great no-no. Flan should've been presented on it's own, the raspberry compote totally overpowered the flan which made it quite un-enjoyable. On the other hand, the rice pudding was quite delish. Lightly sweetened sticky rice pudding with the raspberry compote made the entire dish went up a little notch. Although, both dishes would've went absolutely fine without the raspberry compote!
I'll probably come by again just because they have the combo set, but Chinatown is still a place to get some Vietnamese food that isn't overpriced. -
Review from Anh-Tuan T.
Brooklyn, NY
2/11/2011
After visiting An Choi about a half dozen times, I'm only now moved to write something up after last night's Bun Bo Hue.
Everything I've had on the menu here has either been done better by other Vietnamese restaurants in the area or has been done exactly the same way and cheaper somewhere else. The grilled pork has slipped in quality since I started coming and the northern-Vietnamese style cha gio has also gone down in quality. The servings just don't live up to their potential sometimes, and it's a shame because you can tell the ingredients are good and fresh. The pho is really light and delicate and is just not the kind of stuff that's going to kick a hangover, which is what it's famous for in Vietnam.
But last night. Man, last night. The Bun Bo Hue single-handedly earned them another star and if it were my first meal here, I'd have given them five (stars). Sorry in advance - I have to say that the the most authentic things about this place are its name, the decor and last night's meal. I'll keep bringing out-of-towners here for the novelty and because the food is still good *enough*.
