My sole reservation about this cơm nem nướng — a breakfast plate of grilled pork sausage and pork belly, a fried egg atop steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and a dipping bowl of nước chấm — was that it didn't feature cơm tấm. The grains of that broken rice are softer than intact rice prepared to the same recipe, and they readily take on other flavors, say, from pork sausage and pork belly. Hanoi House, however, is a North Vietnam-style restaurant, and cơm tấm (pronounced something like Gum tom, with a sweeping rising inflection on the second syllable) seems to be a Saigon thing.
Also shown, from a visit some years back: a Hanoi shopkeeper.
Hanoi House
119 St. Mark's Pl. (First Ave.-Ave. A), Manhattan
212-995-5010
www.HanoiHouseNYC.com
Brunch on Sunday only
