An Nhau

Obituary review:
Average banh mi, but cool to have an option in Brooklyn[1].
[1] Of course, now that they’ve closed, I guess that means more trips to Manhattan Chinatown, or to Mama Phở. Now how do I get there???

Probably one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in the states in a long while.
We came here on a freezing Saturday evening to heat up with some Phở before going to see some friends. The place was a bit chilly so we asked a couple of people if they can turn up the heat. They said it’s automatic, so we let it go.
We sat a few tables away from the back entrance, and halfway through the meal they opened the back doors to let some people in for an event and organize the room. The place was FREEZING and they didn’t give a damn about it, because they had an event. When we asked them to close the doors to the back room when they’re not moving things there, they said that they’re keeping it open so that the air flows between the rooms to heat the backroom.
Never mind the fact that I didn’t have any utensils until I asked for them, and both our Phos were lukewarm and we had to return them.
TL;DR They had an event, didn’t think about heating the place beforehand, screw the current customers that are freezing in the restaurant. The Phở was not even warm and the service wasn’t helpful at all.

The phở is excellent. Fully stocked bar and reasonable prices. There is seating out back which is actually inside, but is made up to look like you’re eating outside. It’s an effective effect that actually had me fooled until I realized it wasn’t cold in there.
The seating is a little weird in places «outside». There are couches for seating in front of a table, but they reach so far back that if you lean back you can’t reach the table at all. So when eating you have no back support. Maybe some people like that, but personally I think it’s weird.

My roommates and I have been coming here somewhat religiously for several weeks. Up until now I would have considered this a ⁴⁄₅. However, tonight we were greeted with the new and limited menu.
Overall, the food quality had gone down significantly over the last week. Appetizers and entrees are off the menu, leaving fewer options with lower quality ingredients. You can of course order the filet phở ($ 18) if you’re looking for that tender beef you ordered before the changes.
Unfortunately, I won’t be returning if this is the food they continue to offer.

Food is great, we had the chicken curry; was very delicious! Drinks were strong too!

Solid Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg with a great ambiance, especially in outside area in the back. I went the to meet a friend who works in the area for lunch. I had the baby phở and the catfish banh mi. The baby banh me is a nice portion when you just want to a little taste of that phở goodness. Now when it comes to catfish banh mi, I always compare to my fave spot Num Pang. It was a smart choice of An Nhau to use a dill mayo instead of a sweet soy, because it differentiates the flavor from Num Pang, and let’s their banh mi shine in its own right. The only thing I would like to see is an actual lunch menu specials.

I don’t know what’s with all the negative energy from these reviews. Had a great experience myself. Our ginger server was a true hottie, attentive and funny.
Happy Hour from Sun-​Thurs is from noon till close… that’s amazing. $ 4 wines, $ 5 cocktails. The Phở was THE best Phở I’ve had. I still can’t believe how good it was. Pork Banh Mi was wicked. The atmosphere was relaxed. I like the cabana style patio seating. Can’t emphasize enough how bangin’ the server was.

Williamsburg lacks good Asian restaurants. This is, as far as I know, the only Vietnamese place worth mentioning. I’m giving it four stars as I reserve five-​star ratings for truly exceptional places; but this place is very good indeed.
Mind you, I have only tried the bahn mi, which is great, on par with places like Xen May in the East Village, or Num Pang in Midtown. The sandwich was very fresh, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The ingredients seemed very fresh. I am definitely coming back to try the other dishes.
The interior is pleasant, with an eating area that is separate from the noisier bar area, and a fairly cozy back garden.

It’s pretty much always happy hour — Sunday through Thursday — 12pm to close — $ 5 beers and cocktails.
The food here is really good. I’ve never been disappointed by any of the sandwiches, phở or appetizers that I’ve had. Though I’m partial to the summer rolls over the spring rolls.

I have not written a Unilocal review in over a year. This place was so fantastic that it brought me out of Unilocal retirement and rekindled my passion for being an inner foodie. (Kind of disappointed with the other reviews of this place, because I really thought it was a hidden gem!)
Walking around Williamsburg yesterday with my Sister in Law, we decided to stop here for a late afternoon lunch. She raved about the food so I was curious. Officially blown away! The service was wonderful and super attentive. We sat in the «garden» area in a cabana with colorful linens and pillows, surrounded by bamboo and greens. It kind of felt like a nice afternoon getaway.
We took advantage of the great happy hour that they were offering and had a pretty decent Cab for $ 4 a glass.
The food was absolutely out of this world. It was my first experience with Vietnamese cuisine and I was not disappointed. The flavors were so spicy, fresh and unique. To begin, we had the Green Papaya served with shrimp, mint, julienne carrots and roasted peanuts. It was incredibly refreshing. Then we had the Mussels served in a coconut lemongrass curry sauce and topped with crushed peanuts. Divine. We couldn’t get enough of the curry so ended up ordering the Curry Chicken seasoned with Vietnamese spices and simmered in coconut curry, served with sweet potato and rice. Unbelievable. We also shared the Classic pork roll with brawn and pâté. It was served on a toasted baguette with mayo, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers and cilantro. Awesome sandwich! So spicy!
After our amazing meal, we indulged in dessert. We shared Cassava Cake which was a coconut cake, served with green tea ice cream and fresh strawberries. So good, we were fighting over bites of it. Also had the Vietnamese coffee, served hot with condensed milk and its own little coffee pot that steeps the coffee into the milk… almost like a french press. Again… so good.
Cannot stop thinking about this meal and cannot wait to go back!

Being in Williamsburg I expected overpriced and inauthentic. By was I surprised when a small but legit tasting bowl of Phở came out. I must also admit that Banh Mi was also good. Though the prices are steep, $ 7 for a banh mi (twice the market rate) and the phở was 12, 2.5x the cost in Chinatown and the size king of miniature, they were both prepared properly. I couldn’t help myself so I stuck my head in the kitchen and to my surprise was a hones to goodness Vietnamese fellow preparing the food.
I will likely come back if I am in the neighborhood and too lazy to go to chinatown. Only downer is they do not have a lunch special.

I wanted to cry when I left this place!
Thank goodness we had a
gift certificate and didn’t pay full price for our meal. It was all bad!
Don’t get me wrong, the service here is great! We were greeted with smiles and friendliness from the moment we walked in until the moment we walked out. We also loved the décor: simple, tasteful, fun, and bright. We sat in the ADORABLE back patio, where we were able to enjoy the natural light, but since it was covered, we were shielded from the scorching heat and still able to enjoy the comforts of the AC.
Where they failed us was in the food. Where do I begin?
The Classic Phở:
Broth-​to-​noodle ratio was completely off. Didn’t have enough broth, but I can’t complain too much about that, because the broth was one of the blandest I’ve ever tasted. Truly, truly bland and lacking in all areas of the senses! Not sweet enough. Not salty enough. Not aromatic enough. Not complex enough. Not beefy enough! On top of that, there were these excessively thick slices of chewy, hard-​to-​chew beef that did not cook in the broth. While I usually like my beef a lil’ rare, I also need to be able to chew through it! And for twelve bucks, I literally paid DOUBLE what I usually pay for a good bowl of Phở elsewhere.
The Bun Bo Hue:
Vastly better than their Classic Phở, but another horribly watered down dish. While more flavorful than the Phở, it was still lacking in comparison to the real thing. Some core ingredients were left out, possibly to cater to the palates of people who know nothing and don’t want to know anything about authentic Asian cuisine. Sixteen bucks for this one!
The Soft Shell Crab:
I was so excited to introduce my friend to this dish, but she freaked out after the first bite. A white powdery substance overloaded her mouth (raw batter, I assume) and she couldn’t handle the texture of the crab. The batter was soggy, not crispy, so biting into the shell was an odd and disgusting experience. I had to swear to her that this was not the way it’s supposed to be done… that I can find a better soft shell crab dish if she would only give it another chance.
The Iced Coffee:
No French drip. Pre-​brewed. Tasted right (they used the right type of coffee grounds), but bland just like everything else. The coffee was not made strong enough.
While they do have excellent service and adorable ambiance, I can’t see bringing anyone else back here! Not for the food! Not for the price! One star for the food; an extra star for the service and ambiance. (It didn’t make up for it though.)

I feel like not that long ago I was whining about how there isn’t any good Phở in NYC. And I’m still probably right. But Brooklyn managed to impress me with some great phở last Thursday night. An Nhau is in Williamsburg and has a beautiful, garden-​esk back patio filled with plants. It’s covered but you’d never know! The service was very pleasant as was the atmosphere and it feels hip without being overly crowded.
I had the Chicken Phở with flat rice noodles in chicken stock with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, lettuce, cilantro, scallions, chives, fried shallots, black pepper and a hint of sesame oil. It was hot, FILLED with goodies and came with spicy sauce so I can make it how I like it. I gobbled it RIGHT up. I would totally come back here. I highly recommend for a first date or with a group of friends before a show.

One star for lack of service. I have been scouring Brooklyn for some decent Phở — haven’t found one yet. I was pumped to try An Nhau and stopped by Sunday and chatted with the bartender. I decided to order take out and jotted down my order — then things got confusing.
Apparently the restaurant portion of An Nhau is separate from a small takeout window next door. Bartender asked me to go pay next door and I get there, settle my order then the clerk points to a sign above her head and says, «cash only».
Dear Brooklyn– not everyone carries $ 50 cash on them and your business should accommodate (especially if it says online that you accept credit card) OR specify the difference between the restaurant and a takeout window.
This city seriously lacks any aspect of customer service. I took my business elsewhere and I will not be back.

This place gets all five stars simply because they have the best banh mi xiu mai (meatballs banh mi) in the city. Other than the restaurant’s nice décor, very friendly and attentive staff, and perfect location right outside of the Bedford Ave (L train) stop, their meatballs banh mi is worth mentioning.
The meatballs banh mi is soaked in tomato sauce and has just the right texture and seasoning. They pretty much make it the same way my mom makes it. The french bread gets filled up with an endless supply of meatballs and topped off with fresh veggies such as cucumbers, cilantro, and pickled carrots and daikon. Be sure to ask for sriracha sauce and jalapeño peppers if you want to spice up your banh mi.
I haven’t really tried all of the other items on the menu because I crave the meatballs banh mi when I come here.

I’m Vietnamese and born and raised in Fountain Valley, CA, and in that area includes Little Saigon (how lucky is Orange County to have that AND Koreatown). You can find the most authentic Vietnamese food (like as though it’s delivered from Vietnam) for dirt cheap prices (I’m talkin $ 2.25 for bánh mì & $ 5 for a bowl of ph) in Southern California.
Upon moving to NY, I don’t think I can ever get over the sticker shock… especially because I live in Manhattan. My social life revolves in Brooklyn because it’s a little less pricey than Manhattan and has gem-​like spots like An Nhau.
I ordered the Bún Bò Hu (central Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup) which is comfort food for me. I’ve held my reservations about Vietnamese food here, and am used to unauthentic dishes, so my standards have been lowered.
However, An Nhau was a pleasant surprise! I overheard the people running it even speak Vietnamese to each other (whew) and the Bún bò Hu was as good as what one can find in Little Saigon, CA. Prices are steep but worth it, especially because it brings me back to Cali and comforts me beyond. Also, they give you a side of satay chili paste, which along w sriracha makes it very authentic-​tasting.
Happy hour here has low prices for booze, too!

I ordered Bun Bo Hue and it was eeh… it was somewhat close to what it is supposed to taste like. The broth was very bland. And if you know this soup, you know that it is so flavorful that the flavor kicks all your senses in the arse.
This place is a bit overpriced! $ 14 bucks for a bowl of soup and $ 9 dollars for summer rolls… really?!? I mean all fine and dandy if the food was amazing but the food was mediocre at best. All in all, I most likely won’t return here for Vietnamese food because simply put, it is not Vietnamese food even though it may look like it.
On the upside, the service was awesome. Very nice and friendly staff and they kept my water refilled at all times.

Kinda lame. Chillin at the fab Brooklyn brewery when I ordered takeout. Who doesn’t love Phở. Sadly, after I picked it up there was only one
Thin slice of flank steak. Ridiculous. The manager was cool and offered
To send another Phở. 25 mins later no Phở. Another call. Ten more mins– no Phở! Don’t bother. Really. When I chased the drive down around the corner the Phở wasn’t worth it. Disappointed.

I had an early dinner here last night. It was a Sunday, but the place was semi-​crowded. I had a cucumber mint martini that was perfect. It wasn’t sweet at all and simply had three ingredients– vodka, cucumber and mint.
For a starter, my boyfriend and I had the lamb ribs and they were sooo good! The ribs were grilled perfectly, and served with pickled onions (yum) and a grilled red pepper slice.
I was craving pork belly, so I had the caramelized pork belly dish. The flavors were absolutely delicious! I found myself picking at the caramelized bits of onions after I was through, and I ate all of my rice plus some of my boyfriend’s. The only thing is, I would have loved some sort of vegetable or pickled accompaniment to cut the richness of this dish.
My boyfriend had the sea bass which was served in a tasty broth with plenty of vegetables and noodles. The flavors of his dish were very light, I would have definitely needed chilli sauce to help me out their. But the fish was cooked well.
The waiter was honest when my boyfriend had a question about the beef and the service was good. We sat in the backyard which was nice and made me think of travels outside of the U.S.
I can’t say I’ll go out of my way to go here, but I am curious to try their bahn mi and phở. So next time I’m in Williamsburg, I may just do that.

I’ve gone here a few times within the past 6 months and I can’t say that I’ve been blown away during any of those past visits. The banh mi is just okay and it definitely does not hold a candle to the much better banh mis that you can find in Chinatown. The lunch special is okay, but I’ve found that my dish (some vegetarian tofu dish) was a tad too oily.
Until Williamsburg gets a few more Vietnamese places, I’d stick to commuting into the city to sample much better fare for cheaper prices.

With limited Vietnamese restaurants that serve phở in the Williamsburg area, An Nhau isn’t too shabby. It’s located on the highly trafficked Bedford Ave by the L train. We were seated at the back of the restaurant which mimicked a lovely garden/​greenhouse.
You can get good phở for under $ 7 in Manhattan, Queens and NJ. An Nhau only offers one size and it costs $ 9. To counter the price, they give you a hefty portion of noodles and meat that I wasn’t able to finish. The meat used isn’t your typical round eye beef, they use thin slices of tender flank steak which was a pleasant surprise. The broth was good but a tad watery. I appreciate this over too much star anise.
As Vivian H. mentioned in her review, you don’t receive a separate plate with bean sprouts, basil, jalapeño slices and lemon/​lime. All of the above ingredients are automatically included in your phở when they serve it to you (sans lemon wedge). If you don’t like bean sprouts, like me, ask to exclude that and they’ll gladly oblige. This goes for any of the items.
They accept card, offer lunch specials for $ 7 (no phở) and have decently priced banh mi along with a large assortment of menu items.

This is for the take out section of An Nhau.
Popped in here to grab some sandwiches and for $ 5, they were decent but really small, compare to other spots in Chinatown or even Hancos in Brooklyn.
I like the variety of bahn mis at this spot, from classic, to lemongrass chicken to Vietnamese meatballs. They even have a vegetarian option but seriously, you know you love pork pâté in your bahn mis. The boy and I shared 3 sandwiches: classic, grilled pork & bbq pork. The bbq pork was the most disappointing one of the three, I wanted it to have a more smokey taste.
Cash only.