NYC hidden dining gems: Henry’s is perfect spot for banh mi, the perfect sandwich

I have always been the firm believer that the Vietnamese banh mi is the perfect sandwich. There’s often at least two types of meat (though I’ve never met a tofu banh mi I didn’t like), tangy pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, a spice level that isn’t intolerable, and crunchy daikon and cucumber, all served on crusty French bread. In New York, Henry’s in Brooklyn is the deli to get a banh mi.
Henry’s is tiny — so tiny that I passed not once, but twice, when in search of my beloved banh mi. Upon entering, with just three tiny barstools on the left side of the small storefront, most folks were popping in and out to get takeout orders that came out impressively fast.
The menu has a good selection of banh mis, from classic pork to shredded chicken. There’s also vegetarian pork, vegetarian chicken and tofu, and even a sardine banh mi. I’m a purist in this sense, and banh mis need no messing with, so I knew I’d be going for the classic.
Henry’s also offers milk teas and flavored teas, and, of course, Vietnamese iced coffee. Aside from drinks and sandwiches, there’s a small selection of appetizers, salads, rice bowls and pho. For such a tiny place, they have an impressively decent variety of dishes.
I ordered my classic banh mi and threw in a green shredded papaya salad for some extra veg. They asked me which spice level I’d like on my sandwich, and though I usually push it to the max, I said medium, after learning many times that Southeast Asia does not mess around when it comes to heat.
After around 10 minutes of waiting, my name was called. The banh mi at Henry’s, which ran me $10.25 (the cost for all sandwiches regardless of toppings), was about the length of my forearm. It’s on a typical baguette-style bread, which is largely attributed to the French colonization of Vietnam in the 1800s. My sandwich was completely stuffed with meat and vegetables — so much so that, when I unwrapped the parchment paper, nibbles of roasted ground pork began to pour out.
Aside from crusty bread and roasted pork, the classic at Henry’s also has pâté, cucumber, cilantro, julienned carrots, daikon radish, Vietnamese ham and, in a further nod to the French, mayo and butter.
On the side was a thin, translucent vinegar-based sauce and packets of hot sauce though, because I asked for medium spice, there was already a great kick to the sandwich.
The banh mi at Henry’s hit all of the marks. The carrots were supersweet and tangy, the spice level was just enough to get my sinuses going without overpowering the other flavors, the roasted ground pork had a nice nuttiness, the daikon and herbs provided a crunchy, refreshing balance and the Vietnamese ham was just thick enough to hold it altogether. And I’m never mad at a baguette, so long as it’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.
I had plans to check out some other restaurants in the neighborhood afterward, but I ended up scarfing the entire sandwich because I simply couldn’t put it down. In between, I took bites of the green shredded papaya salad, which was a massive portion for only $7.50. The papaya salad at Henry’s is easily enough to share with at least one or two friends. It’s superclean, simple, bright and acidic, with a good texture from the crushed peanuts throughout.
My time at Henry’s had me wondering why I don’t seek out more banh mi in New York, and further proves my theory that the Vietnamese staple is indeed a perfect sandwich. Don’t believe me? Go try a classic at Henry’s for yourself.
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