New York à la Keiko: nykeiko eats: Bun-ker vietnamese comfort food in industrial BK [what to eat in NYC]

Monday, August 5, 2013

nykeiko eats: Bun-ker vietnamese comfort food in industrial BK [what to eat in NYC]

We ventured out to Ridgewood where Brooklyn meets Queens, to a little spot called Bun-ker which serves traditional Vietnamese dishes. We think most people drive there since it is in the middle of nowhere (in an industrial park) and the last place you'd find a bustling restaurant! There's a story behind the restaurant which would explain its location. Dave and I were able to hop onto a bus a couple of blocks from our apartment and got there within 10 minutes. We love our neighborhood!

At 6 p.m., there was already a wait outside but we were able to be seated within 30 minutes.

The menu changes seasonally therefore the dishes we might have read on past reviews were not all found in the current menu. We ordered the traditional banh xeo which is a traditional vietnamese crepe with shrimp, bacon, eggs and bean sprouts. For the main dishes, I ordered the Pho Ga chicken noodle soup and Dave ordered the Ca Ri Ga chicken curry dish with roti. All the ingredients seemed fresh and added something to the dish and all the flavors were also well balanced. I thought my Pho Ga was a little bit on the sweet side though but the soup was tasty. I knew the msg content was on the ~~low side~~ (none added!) when I didn't gulp down glass after glass of water after the meal. Their specials of the day sounded really great too but I wasn't too hungry to over order like we usually do.

Bun-ker's popularity is increasing and has been featured in the New York Times, Eater, Serious Eats and more. Their emphasis on great customer service will insure returning customers even with long waits in a desolate area. Maybe they should open a bar close by for customers to have a drink while they wait because other than a large wholesale grocery store nearby, there really is nothing else to do in the area. Oh and I also found out after we got home that it is a BYOB place...I dislike when restaurants fail to advertise that more clearly because it's obviously a selling point for drinkers. There was a wine and liquor store attached to that grocery store if you decide to get a bottle last minute.