For a wrap-your-own order of banh hoi nem nuong, lettuce and mint leaves come first to the table; "tiny rice sticks" arrive next.
That typical translation of "banh hoi" is a little misleading. True, it does describe the individual strands of these Vietnamese noodles, made from rice flour dough pressed through very fine holes. The cut strands of noodle, however, are laid out into thin mats before being briefly steamed, so the banh hoi that ultimately appear on your plate (first and second photos below) resemble a dozen or so pale woven playing cards. These are served at room temperature, dressed with the likes of chopped scallion, toasted garlic, and a little crushed peanut.
The nem nuong (Noong), just-grilled pork meatballs, appear in short order; from that point on, everything is, literally, in your hands. Cup a lettuce leaf; deposit a mat of the banh hoi inside it, being careful not to lose too many toppings along the way; add a still-warm meatball or two, perhaps a torn mint leaf; snug the edges of the lettuce into a bundle, and touch it down in the vinegary-sweet dipping sauce.
Also worth your while: bun rieu (Boon ree-Ooh), rice vermicelli soup laden with tomato, bean curd, crunchy bean sprouts and slices of bamboo shoots, and several on-the-bone cuts of meat, with a subtle but persistent flavor provided by crab paste; banh beo (weekends only), steamed rice-flour mini-pancakes topped with dried shrimp, shredded pork, and bright yellow mung bean paste; bun bo Hue, named for the ancient capital of Vietnam and the country's culinary mecca, a spicy, thick-noodled soup crowded with beef, fatty connective tissue, and marrow bones; fresh sugar cane juice; and fresh coconut juice aswirl with chunks of coconut meat. Even the complimentary tea is uncommonly good. Elsewhere, a glass may be thumped down on the table, filled with an indifferently tended, scalding, bitter brew; at Thanh Da my tea was not overly hot, and it had a faint floral aroma.
Shown at bottom: a flag no longer publicly displayed in its home country.
Thanh Da
6008 Seventh Ave. (60th-61st Sts.), Sunset Park, Brooklyn
718-492-3253
Also at 5624 Eighth Ave. (entrance on 57th St.) — a smaller location, more of a market, and takeout only
718-492-3760
