No rating: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.

Mắm is one of the most exciting places to eat in the city right now. At their permanent space on Forsyth, the menu changes frequently and with the seasons, but you can usually expect platters of bún đậu overflowing with herbs and pork in many forms in the summer, and steamy bowls of phở bò in the colder months. If you come when it’s warm out, try to snag a tiny plastic stool on the sidewalk.

Ordering nothing but phở at this breezy Greenpoint spot is like only listening to pre-psychedelics Beatles. You’ll be happy, but oblivious to the fact that it can get even better. That’s why alongside your beef phở with wok-seared brisket, or the lighter version with poached chicken, your order should include a few more things, like crunchy chả giò packed with pork and shrimp. This pastel-colored restaurant has been packed since it opened in 2018, and while you could come here for a cocktail and soup by yourself at the bar, the best way to experience Di An Di is with a few people and a large appetite.

Have you ever gnawed on a confit duck neck in a dining room resembling someone’s stylish mid-century modern home, while “Stay Fly” by Three 6 Mafia played over the speakers? If the answer is no (and we’d be surprised if you said yes), you haven’t had dinner at Falansai in Bushwick yet. This restaurant opened in 2013, and the food has since evolved into a reflection of the current chef’s Vietnamese-Mexican heritage, with guacamole sitting comfortably alongside sesame rice crackers.

The bánh mì at Ba Xuyen in Sunset Park makes the leap to superstar status thanks to what’s between the bread—layers of pâté, ham, head cheese, pork roll, and pork teriyaki, all dripping with globs of mayo. For around $10, you can get the bánh mì plus a side of shrimp and pork-heavy spring rolls, all of which you should eat on a bench overlooking Manhattan in Sunset Park a block away. It’s cash-only, so plan accordingly.

Bánh is the crown jewel of the Upper West Side, and there’s usually a wait at prime dinnertime to prove it. That’s why we love a weekend lunch here, maybe after a morning in Central Park, when the line for a table isn’t long. Get the BBQ pork bánh mì, or a very star anise- and cinnamon-forward bowl of phở if you need full-body warmth after a late fall park walk. The best part is watching the bustle of the kitchen, which runs the length of the room, while waiting for your food to arrive.

Hanoi House serves the best summer rolls in NYC. The paper-thin wrappers holding in pork sausage patties and crunchy wonton bits are reason enough to get to this East Village spot, which is filled with students spending their weekly allowances. But there’s also shaking beef that tastes like it’s coated in maple syrup despite being as savory as the bone marrow it’s served with, and a braised beef bánh mì that you should dunk in its side of phở broth before every bite.

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At this East Village neighborhood spot, 2010s club bangers play and almost everyone slurps bowls of the Madame Pho with a $10 short rib add-on. It's the kind of casual place where you can bring friends to drink whiskey-based Vietnamese espresso martinis, but don't take that to mean you should split the namesake beefy soup with short rib, which has nice warming spices and emulates a Fred Flintstone wet dream. Get your own. Then throw in some Vietnamese classics to share with your group, like the crispy chả giò stuffed with tail-on shrimp, pork, and crab, and you'll be in for a fun night out.

The baguette that Thanh Da uses for its bánh mì is so good you could fill it with any old cold cuts, and it’d be a pretty good sandwich. Of course, this Sunset Park spot goes a different direction with their fillings, using creamy pâté, a thick stack of chả lụa, and a bunch of crumbled BBQ pork. Get at least one, as well as the bún thịt nướng that comes with thin strips of intensely rich grilled pork over vermicelli.

This large spot in Chinatown is casual enough for a solo lunch or a spur-of-the-moment group meal. The 150-plus dishes on the menu might seem overwhelming, but just know that no matter what you order, you’re going to have a good meal. And if you order the grilled pork bánh mì, you’re going to have a great one. And then there's also the crunchy chả giò filled with ground pork that’s somehow as rich and intense as pâté, and the bun cha, which comes with more fantastic pork and sticky vermicelli that soaks up all the broth. The best part: we’ve never had to wait for a table here.

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The #4 is the best sandwich here. Inside the untoasted baguette is chả lụa, big chunks of crunchy cucumber, pickled carrots, and optional jalapeños. There are no tables inside this counter-service spot in Chinatown, just a line to order, and a line to wait for your order—amongst other people who understand the importance of a well-made sandwich. And though #4 is the winner, the #1 sandwich with sweet BBQ pork is a close runner-up.

You might argue that short rib fried rice is inevitably good. We’ll be the first to admit, it tends to have a pretty high floor. But after you taste the version at District Saigon, an effortlessly elegant neighborhood spot in Astoria, you’ll see it can also have a really high ceiling. The caramelized beef, juicy tomatoes, and chili-garlic sauce balance each other perfectly, much like the fatty brisket, bright cilantro, and combination of sriracha and hoisin that come with District's steak phở.

The menu at this Elmhurst spot ranges from Taiwanese popcorn chicken to ramen with Lan Zhou-style noodles, and while we’d never discourage you from getting a bánh mì with spam and egg, you certainly won’t be disappointed if you keep it simple. The classic bánh mì here is the best you’ll find in Elmhurst. It’s made with a baguette that would start flaking in a strong breeze, as well as crumbled, caramelized pork that perfectly balances the buttery chả lụan and vinegary carrots.

The 14-hour smoked brisket at Lucy’s in Bushwick has a shield of peppery bark, which sits on top of juicy, smoky meat that coats your mouth after each bite. That’s true whether you get it in a bánh mì or a bowl of phở. The small counter-service spot has a few tables inside, or you can take your order to go and be alone with your brisket in the privacy of your own apartment. Lucy’s Vietnamese also has four other locations around Brooklyn and Queens.