Rio Authentic Vietnamese & Steak House opens in Mineola
The roasted duck banh mi at Rio in Mineola. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Sometimes one dish can tell you whether a place is legit or not. For Vietnamese food, that dish is bánh xèo, the showstopping crispy yellow crepe that you tuck into fresh lettuce with a bundle of herbs. Often served as an appetizer, bánh xèo is popular in Vietnamese cuisine yet somehow gets left off most menus around here.
Vietnamese crispy shrimp crepes are a must-order at Rio in Mineola. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Luckily, the new Rio Authentic Vietnamese & Steak House in Mineola has it (listed with a vague English descriptor, "Vietnamese crispy shrimp crepes"). So you have to do some digging. The menu also has items named Vietnamese beef stew, crispy tilapia in black bean sauce, stir-fried quails and something called pork dumpling pho, which turned out to be bún riêu, a crab meatball soup.
Rio is hedging its bets for a non-Vietnamese audience, but the fact is, this place goes beyond the ubiquitous pho seen everywhere else. In fact, don't order soup at all here. The impressive range of hard-to-find soups doesn't compare to the other savory items available here.
Rio, a full-service Mineola restaurant from banh mi specialist Billy Dang. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Owner Billy Dang, who hails from the Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, previously ran the legendary banh mi shop Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches in Manhattan's Chinatown. He eventually decamped to Long Island with a now-closed banh mi spot, Ha Long Bay in New Hyde Park.
The name Rio is a reference to Dang's son, who also likes to eat steak. "He's gonna bankrupt me, he’s eating all my profits," Dang said.
Rio serves steaks in the Vietnamese way, alongside paté and bread with a fried egg and french fries. It also makes a solid bánh xèo ($28.95), the crispy shrimp crepes that look like an omelet but taste more like crunchy pancakes stuffed with tender shrimp. Fork off a bit and stuff it into the fresh lettuce with some fragrant herbs.
The roasted duck banh mi ($14.50) is among the top Vietnamese sandwiches on Long Island. Much of this has to do with the duck itself, combined with mayo to become a savory poultry powerhouse. One visit barely scratches the surface at Rio.
Rio Authentic Vietnamese & Steak House, 100 Herricks Rd., Mineola, 516-280-2262. Open 11 a.m. 9 p.m. Tuesday through 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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