$28 Vietnamese Skillet Bread Takes New York by Storm

Sitting inside a Manhattan restaurant in early July, 26-year-old Alcira Barr from Mexico felt like she had traveled back to Vietnam. Before her stood low plastic stools and tables reminiscent of humble street stalls. Weathered yellow walls featured exposed brick, a faded iron gate, power poles, and decorative touches. These elements vividly evoked the intimate alleyways of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

“They did an absolute phenomenon of a job recreating the atmosphere. I genuinely felt like I was sitting in a tiny alley in Hanoi or Saigon,” Alcira Barr shared.

A video documenting her experience rapidly went viral on social media, racking up over 1.2 million views in less than a week. Her video featured Phê—a hotspot Vietnamese restaurant in NYC specializing in skillet bread (bánh mì chảo) and Vietnamese iced coffee. Despite opening its doors only recently, the eatery quickly became a sensation. It often draws long queues of eager patrons waiting outside. On social platforms, creators post review videos daily.

Major American media highlighted Vietnamese skillet bread at Phê in June. Photo: The New York Times

Having previously traveled across Vietnam, the Mexican tourist noted that the skillet bread offered remarkably spot-on flavors and fresh ingredients. The meal brought back fond memories of her trip. Beyond the food, background music, plastic chairs, chopsticks, and subtle aesthetic details combined seamlessly to craft a genuinely authentic Vietnamese feel. The scorching summer heat on the day she and her husband visited made the experience feel even more real. During her travels in Vietnam, Alcira ate bánh mì almost daily for lunch and drank Vietnamese coffee every morning.

“I ate bánh mì in so many places across Vietnam that I lost count. The skillet bread at Phê feels deeply authentic. They aren’t just serving a dish—they’re serving an entire memory,” she reflected.

According to Alcira, while Phê nails the spirit of Vietnamese street food, the price point belongs to a different world. A single portion of skillet bread costs $28 (over 700,000 VND), though the restaurant operates on a strict no-tipping policy. By contrast, a similar meal in Vietnam costs around $3 (nearly 80,000 VND). She noted that the price tag makes complete sense given New York’s status as one of the world’s most expensive cities.

Alice Wang, a NYC-based food content creator, also rushed to Phê after seeing the spot trending on Instagram.

The distinctly Vietnamese street aesthetic at Phê (left) draws crowds of diners waiting in long lines outside (right). Photo: Alcira Barr, Alice Wang

She ordered the signature skillet bread along with a glass of Vietnamese coffee. What impressed Alice most was how the kitchen presented a “deconstructed” spin on traditional bánh mì. The restaurant serves unlimited warm, freshly baked bread rolls that diners can enjoy however they like. Customers can eat the bread alongside savory cuts of meat, assemble custom mini-sandwiches, or tear off crispy crusts to dip straight into the rich, bubbling sauce in the pan.

Staff arrange sizzling ingredients inside small cast-iron pans. They heat the pans directly before delivering them to diners’ tables. Photo: @infatuation_nyc

“I loved that the bread itself became one of the real stars of the meal rather than just a vessel for the filling. The kitchen toasts it lightly until golden and crispy, while keeping the inside soft and delightfully chewy,” Wang shared.

The ambiance also triggered vivid memories of her own trip to Vietnam years ago. Sitting on low plastic chairs with a traditional bánh mì cart parked right by the entrance felt just like stepping onto a vibrant Vietnamese street corner in Chinatown.

Bakers prepare warm, freshly baked baguettes at Phê and serve them hot to waiting patrons. Photo: @infatuation_nyc

Phê’s undeniable buzz has also caught the eye of top American press. In early June, The New York Times featured the restaurant on its curated list of notable NYC dining spots. The publication praised it as an exciting new destination showcasing authentic Vietnamese culture in Chinatown.

Currently, the restaurant focuses on a single main course: skillet bread. The kitchen offers essential sides like pickled vegetables, liver pâté, scallion oil, and dipping sauce free of charge with unlimited refills. The centerpiece remains the sizzling cast-iron pan packed with sausage, ham, sautéed onions, and a runny soft-poached egg. The dish comes with small, thin-crusted, ultra-crispy baguettes. As The New York Times highlighted, Phê stands out in fast-paced Manhattan not just for its food, but for offering an unhurried ritual where guests sit over a hot skillet, sip coffee, and catch up in true Vietnamese style.