Vietnamese 'Banh Mi Chao' Sensation in New York Draws Hour-Long Queues

In New York's vibrant culinary scene, a Vietnamese dish known as 'banh mi chao,' or pan-fried bread, served at the restaurant 'Phê,' has become an unexpected sensation. Less than two months after its introduction, the dish is consistently selling out, with customers queuing for one to two hours for a taste. Wendy, a Hong Kong resident living in New York, arrived at Phê nearly an hour before its Sunday opening at 10:50 AM. After waiting for almost two hours, she finally sat down to enjoy her $28 (over 700,000 VND) banh mi chao. Wendy is not an isolated case. Within two months of adding banh mi chao to its weekend menu, Phê, owned by chefs Jerald Head and Nhung Đào in Manhattan's Lower East Side, has been overwhelmed with demand. Jerald Head, the owner, stated that they serve only about 400 portions of banh mi chao on Saturdays and Sundays between 12 PM and 4 PM. "On some days, many customers are still queuing outside even after the kitchen has sold out," Jerald shared. Phê is the latest venture by Jerald Head and Nhung Đào, the couple behind Mắm NYC, a restaurant that previously gained attention for its bun dau mam tom and its use of traditional Vietnamese plastic furniture. After three years of stable operation, they opened Phê right next door, serving Vietnamese coffee and banh mi. In early June, Jerald and Nhung introduced banh mi chao to their weekend menu. A month later, numerous social media videos depicting long queues and customers seated on low plastic stools enjoying the dish attracted millions of views. Jerald mentioned that the idea to open the restaurant and bring banh mi chao to New York was conceived during a visit to Vietnam in 2025. While exploring eateries in Ho Chi Minh City with a friend, he visited a long-standing banh mi chao establishment in the former Bàn Cờ ward (District 3). At that time, the shop was undergoing renovation, and Jerald thought banh mi chao would be "an interesting dish to introduce to New Yorkers." To incorporate banh mi chao into their menu, Jerald and Nhung spent two to three months researching and perfecting the recipe. The biggest challenge in preparing Vietnamese food in New York is sourcing ingredients. Instead of using pre-processed ingredients, they make their own bread, pâté, and Vietnamese ham, as well as the sauce. A batch of about 65 loaves requires 30-40 minutes of shaping but 4-5 hours of proofing. The pâté is prepared with multiple ingredients and steamed for about four hours. Sliced beef is marinated before grilling, and the sauce is also cooked separately. To ensure the dish conveys the true Vietnamese spirit, Jerald imports cast iron pans and dishware from Vietnam and uses Vietnamese ingredients like Binh Thuan black pepper. "Street food chefs in Vietnam always make everything look so easy. Vendors can buy bread from bakeries, and pâté or ham from specialized producers, which significantly reduces the number of steps," he said. A serving of banh mi chao at Phê costs $28 (over 700,000 VND). The restaurant does not accept tips. Besides banh mi chao served on weekends, the restaurant offers banh mi sandwiches on Fridays until sold out and serves coffee daily. "The flavor is as original as in Vietnam. Many people will question the price, but this is New York, and the ingredients are handmade," Jerald stated. The pricing of the dish follows a common restaurant industry formula in New York: total ingredient cost multiplied by five, two parts for labor, two parts for operational costs like rent, insurance, utilities, and taxes, and one part for the cost of raw materials. Following the banh mi chao's meteoric rise, the biggest pressure for Jerald and Nhung is maintaining their staff. In just four hours of weekend service, the two restaurants welcome over 400 customers daily. Jerald is continuously hiring more staff, keeping employee morale high, and refining operational processes. Furthermore, the rapid increase in customer volume has left the restaurant with insufficient time to adjust processes, train staff, or prepare personnel before the craze exploded. "Everything went from 0 to 100 km/h too fast," Jerald said, noting that 400 loaves of bread are insufficient to meet the growing customer demand each week. He also doesn't want customers to wait too long for their food. Customer Wendy commented that despite waiting for over an hour, the quality of the banh mi chao and the atmosphere at Phê were commensurate with the price and worth returning for. "I should come back after the craze dies down," Wendy said. A video introducing banh mi chao in New York has garnered over 1.7 million views. Video: Alcira Barr According to some customers, the restaurant's appeal also stems from the dining experience. The backyard area is furnished with low plastic tables and chairs, reminiscent of casual eateries in Vietnam. Ban mi chao servings are presented on trays. The hot cast iron pans, brought directly to the table, sizzle with the characteristic sound of searing meat. In early July, Alcira Barr, from Mexico, visited Phê in New York and remarked that it felt like being in Vietnam. The video documenting Alcira's experience attracted over a million views within a week of its upload. Jerald and Nhung consistently aspire to gradually transform their corner of the Lower East Side into a "Little Vietnam," recreating the Vietnamese culinary and cultural experience in the heart of New York. However, Jerald admits that operating a restaurant in New York is an immense pressure, from rent and labor costs to ingredient sourcing. "Running a restaurant in New York is truly brutal. I don't know if we have the strength to open another new concept," he said. Bich Phuong