Silent H

Photo: Talia Simhi

At this two-month-old Williamsburg restaurant, chef-owner Vinh Nguyen seeks to reinterpret Vietnamese cuisine rather than simply reproduce it. The hip, airy eatery, located a block off the Bedford Avenue stretch, is filled with quirky design touches, like high wooden stools that line a grass-green counter, and ceiling fans with leaf-shaped blades. If you arrive expecting the classics, you will be disappointed. Nguyen doesn’t serve pho, the aromatic, brothy noodle soup that many Vietnamese consume daily. But he does offer other recognizable dishes, such as banh mi, the now-famous Southeast Asian hoagie. Devotees of the tasty sandwiches will notice that the bread used at Silent H is thicker and softer than most—instead of crusty French baguettes, Nguyen layers his choice ingredients on fluffy loaves sourced from a local Polish bakery. The very good Classic incorporates pâté, salami, pickled shredded carrot, daikon, cilantro and mayo, while the nouveau Greenpoint throws kielbasa into the mix. Come dinnertime, the kitchen reaches higher, with a short list of Vietnamese “tapas,” including a green-papaya salad topped with plump sautéed shrimp and slices of seared pork belly that melt in your mouth. For entrées, the pork chop served over sticky “broken rice,” with a side of daikon and carrot pickles, was of mammoth proportions, incredibly thick and juicy (unfortunately, the item has just been rotated off the menu, but may be reintroduced). For dessert, Nguyen updates the fried banana by wrapping the starchy fruit together with jammy persimmon in a wonton skin, drops it into the fryer and finishes each hot package with whipped cream and a dab of coconut milk, reduced to a syrup. Service is attentive, and Nguyen himself can be seen behind the counter, checking on customers or adjusting the volume of the indie rock soundtrack. Now, if only he’d serve pho...—TONY