Vinh Ha Long

Passed by today and a big «For Rent» sign is up. Sad, they didnt even make a year.

Seen so much good reviews here, finally got a chance to try… this is the first time Unilocal reviews has fail me… badly…
I had the grill beef sandwich and the grill chicken sandwich… There’s barely any ingredients in there… the grill beef only had one cucumber & two piece of carrots out of the whole sandwich with what looks like a meat paste, taste more like beef jerky than actual grill beef.
The grill chicken one was a little better, there’s actually little crumbs of meat in there. but again, barely any cucumber or carrots in there…
Asked for spring rolls, but they said they don’t fry stuff anymore?!
will never go back again ;(waste of my money

I’ve had better from Chinatown.
Lemongrass chicken was distinctly good. The regular pork bahn mi was just your average sandwich.

Just tried the lemongrass and chili chicken banh mi and it was very tasty & the chicken was full of flavor. First time I had a chicken sandwich instead of the original bahn mi. The bread was JUST RIGHT, not too hard where it cuts up the root of your mouth) and not too soft where the bread got soggy.
Also tried the curry puffs, they were also very delicious!
Owner was very nice, even offered me a drink on a hot day like today. Also found out they do deliveries around the area. Love how close this is to my house and don’t have to travel to 8^th ave or Chinatown for a good sandwich!

Try their spring roll, Vietnamese coffee and avocado shake. Food is very freshly made.

Sandwiches are okay. The reason why I’m giving this place 3 stars is bc for me, the pickled vegetables make the sandwich and this place had bland tasting pickled vegetables. But the price is right for the quality.

Vinh Ha Long is a small and clean establishment that serves up a solid Banh Mi. It is quite possibly even the best Banh Mi I’ve ever had and I’ve been a long-​time devotee to the Banh Mi Bakery in NYC.
They have a limited menu of varied banh mis (not too sure if I recall seeing a vegetarian option or not). We ordered the Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi and we watched as he made everything to order, ensuring to toast the bread. The bread retained the crispiness even though we didn’t eat it until a half hour later since we ran errands. The marinade on it is perfection.
The price is super-​affordable. I mean, this might just be the place to go and stop by to grab lunch for the next day. This banh mi only rang me up to $ 4.75. Décor could use a bit of a facelift and there is very limited seating available, but other than that, everything else was great! Oh and the guys who helped us spoke perfect English so no worries about language barrier here.

I came here once and ordered the no. 1 sandwich with the BBQ meat and the Vietnamese sausage.
It tasted a bit on the drier side for my liking. Order to your preference maybe more mayo? ha ha…
I also had the Thai iced tea which was too sweet for my liking and the Vietnamese coffee was not too strong compared with Ba Xuyen and even your traditional Vietnamese restaurants. The coffee was also a lot heavier on the cream. Again, order to your preference.
I would come back here again if I am around the neighborhood.

Finally I can get my Banh Mi craving fix, without traveling far from my house :) The sandwich I tried was the «original» and the «grill pork». They were both pretty good, with quite large portion. The place is clean and friendly. The viet coffee is also pretty tasty and strong. The only little suggestion is that I like my baguette to be toast a little longer, and also the coffee a little sweeter, but this is just my preference.
I am happy to have this new addition in my neighborhood.

First off, I’m not being bias because John’s my friend. I wouldn’t write a review if I didn’t like it. Everything here is homemade except for the curly french fries, which are good as far as normal fries go. The curry beef puffs are yummy but I love the chicken wings. They’re a little sweet but salty too. I’ve tried all the sandwiches and of all of them, the chicken is my favorite but the meatball is good too. and the pork chop one and the beef one. you can’t really go wrong with any of them. The bread’s so good. The milk tea is realllly good too, both hot and cold. The viet coffee’s good too but pretty strong so don’t order that too late in the day unless you want to stay up. Oh and a warning — there’s some real spicy sauce you can request but it’s supposedly pretty deadly. I wouldn’t know because I can’t take anything spicy. It’s become a tradition to stop by here everyday after handball. Finally, a good viet sandwich place in Brooklyn.

Really great Banh Mi, and I’ve tasted a lot. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 13 years and I’ve seen it evolve from a no man’s land with a few really excellent Italian restaurants to a really cool little Chinatown with great Asian food. I came in for a sandwich based on reviews here and the owner is super cool, so nice to have a great place to get this type of food and run by hip young guys.
The #1 (regular Banh Mi) was succulent, shredded pork and pork belly (they call it «Vietnamese bacon) with a touch of spice. Lots of crunchy pickled daikon, which I also really like. The spicy mayo they use is tangy and subtle. It didn’t come with the paté like they use at Ba Xuyen on 8^th Ave., which makes it a much simpler taste experience, but yummy nonetheless. The bread was crunchy, hot and fresh tasting. I chased it with the lychee nectar on ice, sweet and refreshing, very complimentary to the tart pickle and salt of the sandwich. Then you dig for the lychees at the bottom of your glass — dessert!
The owner briefly worried that because they are not actually on the main drag of 86^th Street they may not get any foot traffic. I was there at noon on a Wednesday and several people came in for sandwiches, so I’m hoping that warmer weather will help. And, I’m also calling out all you hipsters who have been smart enough to figure out that Bensonhurst completely rocks with cheap rents and now great ethnic eateries to patronize Vinh Ha Long so they can stick around a long time.

I saw the reviews from other Unilocal’ers and decided to take a walk in try it out. Not really a Banh Mi place around where I live so… why not?
Im quite impressed with their Original (#1) sandwich. The bread wasnt overwhelming like other Banh Mi shops. It was very flavorful and I had the spicy mayo on mine. (a plus) The pickled veggies was fresh and crisp; not soggy like some other places.
Also ordered the Vietnamese coffee which was great. Im pretty choosy with my coffee and I like mine more on the bitter side than sweet. However their coffee did provide enough sweetness without being over-​powering. And I also like how they advertise that they use Café du-​Monde coffee.
And how can you not try a side. I went with the Curry Puff. It was GREAT! Light and fluffy without being too oily to eat.
My first time at this place and it wont definitely be my last!
The only con I can think of is that it might be hard to find and you could walk/​drive right by it. Its right next to the corner luggage shop, with the burgundy awning.

I have tried different types of food. I am open to a large variety of food. When it come to Vietnamese food this place is really outstanding. I had half of the lemongrass chicken and the grilled basil steak. Both were truly amazing, that introduction was the type of introduction people should have. The owner John is a pleasant person very nice and professional. He also recommended the curry puffs those were amazing. Everything about this place is great even the price.

This place definitely beats going all the way to chinatown. At $ 4.75 a sandwich, it is worth the price. I had the original and the glazed pork so far. The original is just like the one in Banh Mi Saigon except a lot less greasy. The sandwich is toasted and made right in front of your eyes. The glazed pork sandwich consists of larger pieces of pork. Plus they have spicy mayo which enhances the flavor. They also have curly fries which is worth the 10 minute wait since it is freshly fried. I can’t wait to try out the beef sandwich next.

The Best Banh Mi in New York City. Seriously!
I used to live near Chinatown in Manhattan and have fond memories of Saigon before they moved from that hole under the Manhattan Bridge. Ditto with Nicky’s on the East Village… over the past few years, I haven’t had good Banh Mi in the city anymore. Here in Bensonhurst, there’s Phở Tay Ho which makes an okay version. Good bread but I don’t like that they slice the cucumbers too thick… and the meats, well, let’s just say you go to Phở Tay Ho for the Phở.
Enter Vinh Ha Long… we stumbled onto this place today by accident, looking for a new place to dine in as we forgot that our local xiao long bao place (Chui Hong Yuan) is closed on Tuesdays. We were attracted to Vin Ha Long because (a) it was clean and very nice looking (b) because it had a small menu so we thought they’d be able to execute very well on these dishes and © the owner/​partner John has a very engaging personality and even if we were honestly in the mood for soup, our quick chat with him convinced us to eat there.
We ordered 2 honey/​lemon teas which were served first and delicious. The temperature was just right and didn’t burn my tongue (not usually the case in some restaurants in this neighborhood). We also ordered one #1 and one Basil Beefsteak Banh Mi along with Spring Rolls and Curry Beef Puff appetizers.
One bite into the #1 and I was very surprised. There was a lot going on in this sandwich, like most Banh Mi, but the flavors were very balanced between the sweetness of the daikon and the fatty goodness from the pork bits (cha lua/​ba roi). It was outstanding. I can’t think of any other Vietnamese restaurant in NYC that does better. Was this sandwich better than my best memories of Saigon #1 chowed early Saturday AMs at Chinatown’s Chatham Square over ten years ago… probably not. But Vinh Ha Long’s is a different sandwich, dare I say… cleaner tasting? Anyway, it’s pretty obvious that the owners take pride in their product and I’m very happy to have found this place.
The Basil Beef was also very good but I would still rate #1 as #1 :) As it turned out the spring rolls and curry puff were not par-​cooked, instead they were made to order. Admirable, considering these added more time to their cooking and I personally didn’t mind them served after the sandwiches. Although for some, they might find an issue where the appetizers arrived after the entrée.
All in all, for a new restaurant, Vinh Ha Long gets 5 stars! There are some good old standby’s in 86^th street (dimsum, phở, cantonese) and it’s hard enough to carve a niche among Asian restaurants that’s not already done, plus the fact that location-​wise, this restaurant is off the main thoroughfare… but you know what? These guys are doing their food right. Highly recommended.

I’m white and I approve of this place.
But seriously, the food is good and of fine quality. The Viet Coffee, really really good at least in my opinion. I’ve tried the «Original» and the chili chicken Banh Mi and have found both to be to my liking, I really cannot decide which of their sandwiches I like better. The service is friendly, though expect to wait for about 5 minutes while your sandwich is freshly prepared, you won’t regret it!

4 solid stars! The Mr. and I tried «The Original #1» today, which is the assorted Vietnamese cold-​cuts and barbequed pork. Their version is a little different from other places because they also add a homemade mayo. My hubby wasn’t really into the mayo, but I liked it. The bread was amazing, this is the first time the roof of my mouth isn’t all cut up after one! I’ll be back again to try something else soon, they have a few versions of banh mi, as well as some finger foods, and drinks.
PS: They have a Facebook page:

Recently discovered this little gem in the Bath Beach/​Bensonhurst area, and the food here is Amazing! I live in sunset park, within walking distance to two established Banh Mi shops and I would gladly drive out of my way to eat here. Right as I stepped out of the car I was greeted by the wonderful aroma of the grilled meats and my mouth started watering.
Their Classic sandwich was absolutely delicious. Their bread is fresh, really soft on the inside and just enough crisp on the outside. Doesn’t cut your gums like the banh mi’s you would find elsewhere. The meats are cut thicker, giving it a more enjoyable meat experience. The pâté was rich and flavorful, but doesn’t overpower the sandwich. The pickled carrot and radish are thicker which gives it a really satisfying pop when you bite into them. The sandwich as a whole was exquisite, the taste is unique, unlike the generic flavor the other Banh Mi shops try to imitate.
I also loved their curry beef puffs. They’re these awesome little triangular pastries filled with curried beef that just melts in your mouth, and thinly sliced onions that just adds another dimension of texture and flavor to an already amazing appetizer.
The Vietnamese coffee here was great — strong and flavorful, definitely not for those that like the weak watered down coffees you can get nearby.
I am definitely a huge fan of this place and will be coming back to try the other varieties of banh mi offered here. The grilled basil beefsteak sounds amazing!
P. S.- They have curly fries! What?! That’s right, cause who doesn’t like curly fries?!

Loving this neighborhood. We have Malay, HK, Japanese, and now Vietnamese banh mi around the corner. The banh mi is freshly-​made and the sauce the owner uses on the crispy bread is so rich and creamy. Love it. The pickled carrots are just right and the pork and pâté, all yum yum.
I have some advice for the two owners, make a bigger menu. Make a vegetarian option. Also, sell cheaper banh mi but sliced into smaller pieces. Like baby banh mi. And make your banh mi just a bit different so we crave it more than we crave what we can find in Chinatown.
Also, the Vietnamese coffee was just right.
I’m not your biggest fan yet, but will definitely come back to try the other banh mi. Take your customers’ advice– they’re worth more than gold.

New Vietnamese sandwich café in the neighborhood, went to check it out and my mouth started to water after I got near the door. The smell is just incredible, their sandwiches are really good; hot flaky fresh bread with an abundance of tasty meats and refreshing cilantro and pickled carrots & radish. Really good portion sizes, their grilled meats sandwiches come loaded with well seasoned Chicken, Pork, or Beef, you can’t go wrong. Definitely will come back for more when the craving for a great Vietnamese sandwich hits me!