Vietnamese: Nha Trang
One perk of living in downtown NYC is ready access to cheap and good pho. For the uninitiated, pho is Vietnamese noodle soup, with rice noodles, mint, basil, beansprouts and usually beef. I usually head to what I refer to as “Pho Row” – a stretch of 5-6 Vietnamese restaurants on the outskirts of Chinatown. Here, a big bowl of steamy, hearty pho will keep your belly full for about $5 – not too shabby! On a recent chilly night, I visited one of my faves of the “row” - Nha Trang.
Of course at that bargain price, utensils and napkins are strictly self-serve only, as you can see here:
And menus are not only handed out (make sure you don’t get the “American style” version) but displayed under the glass-top tables:
My eating buddy and I started with cha gio, or Vietnamese spring rolls:
Served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, these spring rolls were crispy, satisfyingly greasy, and served piping hot. Delicious!
I ordered my usual – pho bo vien – or pho with beef meatballs (first picture). The noodles were pleasantly chewy, the broth savory and flavorful, and the meatballs the perfect texture (soft but tenacious. Yes, there is a tenacious texture). I slurped away to my heart’s content.
My eating buddy the chicken and vegetable dish over rice:
Which had a flavor that was more reminiscent of Chinese food than Vietnamese cuisine (we were on the outskirts of Chinatown, after all), but was still delectable. This plate was gone in no time.
If you’re looking for inexpensive, satisfying Vietnamese food in the NYC area, definitely head down to Baxter Street where you’ll find Nha Trang and several other Vietnamese restaurants (I’m also a fan of Thai Son a few doors down). For less than $20, you and an eating buddy will be stuffed!
Cheap and good.
Nha Trang
87 Baxter St. (btw Bayard and Walker)
212.233.5948
I love Pho and I’m sure what we have here is no where near as delicious as it is in NY.
1I love Pho!!! Love it to death I tell you! Of course it runs through my veins because I’m Viet American.
2I love that you always find the yummiest places for the best prices!
3I love pho especially during the cooler months! YUM! Crazy how it’s cheaper in NY than in TX!!
4ooh, we have a restaurant in San Jose named Nha Trang, too. It serves more upscale Vietnamese food and is also delicious. at $5 a bowl, that’s even cheaper than in Cali. Good eats!
5Yum! I could really go for some pho right now – in fact, it’s lunchtime, so I think I will
6Love big cities and their abundance of pho! We go to this place in SF that is in the middle of a not so great part of town but is totally worth the trek. I’ve never had it with meatballs so I’ll have to try that next time!
7oh i do love pho! this makes my mouth water.
8Ooooh! Pho sounds so good right about now.
I miss NY!
9mmm, I totally want some of that right now!
10I actually haven’t gotten Vietnamese food since leaving Boston a few years ago and I’ve been craving it something fierce! Have to check this place out!
11nothing like a bowl of hot steamy noodle soup to warm me up on a cold fall day! (not today though, it’s a warm fall day).
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