Home > New York Restaurants > Restaurant Review > Review: Bun

As far as first impressions go, Bun (pronounced “boon”) smacks you in the face. Literally. Chalk it up to an inexplicable curtain of thick plastic strips fringing the inside of its front door. It’s not unlike entering a car wash; after this initial assault, you half expect to be hosed down, wiped off and sent on your way.

Fortunately, what awaits beyond the plastic is well worth the mild abrasions. Michael Bao Huynh, who earned raves and a dedicated following at his Alphabet City noodle shrine Bao 111, has recast those ethereal vermicelli noodles as the eponymous stars of this new restaurant. But the menu, an innovative, smallish-plates spin on Vietnamese cuisine, offers far more than its namesake dish, showcasing Huynh’s finesse with spices, herbs, and all manner of surf and turf.

Because the menu, which is split into six categories including Bun, Rolls and Meat and Poultry, doesn’t really follow any sort of appetizer-entree trajectory, a good strategy is to order a few dishes—none of which cost more than $12—to share. This is the rare menu whose strengths are so widely distributed that it actually makes sense to just close your eyes and point. The chances of ending up pleasantly surprised are far better than average.

Huynh is a man who loves his meat, as a beef roll with pineapple and arugula demonstrated. Accompanied by cham sauce, its smoky richness contrasted beautifully with the clean snap of fresh mint. Likewise, the smooth cilantro sauce served alongside the intriguingly-named Mind of Pork dumpling heightened the unctuous virtues of the dumpling’s duck bacon filling. And a smoking hot plate of sizzling cuttlefish—the most neglected member of the cephalopod family—further displayed Huynh’s talent with spices: Vietnamese salsa verde and a chili-coated lime gave the mild, pleasingly chewy fish a kick in the gills, as it were.

Huynh’s take on duck confit—pairing the classic French preparation with rectangular logs of daikon pancake and a fried duck egg—was an adventure in decadence. The silky, almost obscenely rich duck all but melted away upon contact with the tongue, leaving only a sensation of mild intoxication in its wake. If ever a dish could qualify as Vietnamese comfort food, this would be it. A close second would have to be Huynh’s baby lamb lollipops, their succulence complemented by an intriguing, not-too-sweet accompaniment of quince, pear chutney and anise sauce.

And the buns themselves? Rich, savory pools in which Huynh’s sense of balance and generosity were on abundant display. In the vegetable bun, meaty king mushrooms and wispy shiitakes mingled with fresh herbs and robust chunks of tofu on a pillowy tangle of noodles, putting to shame the all-too-numerous versions of the dish that feature a couple of vulcanized nubs of tofu drowning in a murky sodium pond.

Likewise, the bun rieu Mekong was head, tail and gills above many a malnourished seafood bun. It packed crab meat, tender hunks of flaky white basa fish, fat shrimp, scallions, an egg yolk, noodles and plenty of spinach into a broth made from lobster head, dried shrimp and tomatoes. Seasoned with fish sauce, it was the hearty, nuanced and life-affirming antidote to the dregs of winter.

Bun does miss its mark on occasion. The salmon roll, for example, tasted predominantly of bland, slightly overcooked fish, with its purported turmeric-and-dill seasoning missing in action. And despite all of its sleek wood and intimate booths, the restaurant’s strangely bright lights made it feel less like a date destination than a tastefully appointed Vietnamese diner. This is too bad, because the simple addition of a dimmer to all of those shareable plates, coupled with a respectable wine and sake list, could make Bun the food-service equivalent of Viagra. Still, Huynh’s food is pretty damn seductive on its own, wattage be damned. Just don’t let the plastic smack you on the way out.


The net results: what people are saying online

[New York Sun]: “The cooking rarely disappoints, but all is not delightful here.”

[New York Times] “About half the dishes incorporate bun (rice vermicelli), in salads and soups or wrapped up in summer rolls. And about half of the very long menu could use a trip back to the test kitchen."

[Menupages] “Great place, interesting interpretation of classic Vietnamese dishes, with some fun oddities thrown in.”


Bun
143 Grand St.
between Crosby and Lafayette Sts.
212-431-7900
Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
Average plate: $12


Photo by Jori Klein

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