Phõ Hanoi opens in New Hyde Park
A classic bánh mì at Pho Hanoi comes with pork paté and slices of pork sausage. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Bánh mì sandwiches are back on Jericho Turnpike now that Phõ Hanoi has opened in a space that's held three different Vietnamese concepts over the past few years.
In 2020, it was Ha Long Bay Vietnamese Sandwiches, a beloved spot from New York City chef Billy Dang. A partnership split changed it to Pho Island in 2024, and now the space has a new owner again. Duke Quan most recently had a pair of Vietnamese bar and restaurant spots called Bia (which means "beer" in Vietnamese) in Williamsburg and the Queens side of New Hyde Park. Before that, he ran a popular dive bar called Duke's in the East Village. Now, he's betting on Long Island.
Alcohol is also a prominent feature at Phõ Hanoi, which has a wraparound bar that dominates the bohemian chic dining room. A server sets down a cocktail list that includes a spiked Vietnamese coffee ($12) and a drink called Saigon Sunrise with Malibu rum, citrus and strawberry syrup.
The food menu is pretty streamlined, sticking to familiar Vietnamese fare like pho noodle soups, bun salads and a few varieties of bánh mì sandwiches. But the two dishes we had on a recent afternoon were both well executed, and tasted true to Vietnamese cooking. It's hard to find a banh mi with actual cold cuts, but this classic banh mi ($9.75) was rubbed with porky paté as well as springy slices of ham hock. It could have used a little more meat to fill the crusty bread, but it was still solid.
As the days cool, we'll be coming back for the oxtail stew, bò kho ($19), which was one of two soup specials alongside a coconut curry soup with vermicelli noodles. Bò kho is one of those absurdly delicious dishes that you have to order anytime you see it on a menu. And it's another testament that during colonization, the Vietnamese took France's cooking techniques and made them even better.
Like the French beef bourguignon, bò kho is often made with stew meat, but here it's got juicy oxtail that you get to rip off the bones with your teeth. The beefy broth soup is fragrant with aromatics and sweet from the hoisin sauce — it's a powerhouse.
Phõ Hanoi, 1200 Jericho Tpke., New Hyde Park, 516-216-1471, instagram.com/phohanoi_nhp/?hl=en. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
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