Silent but Tasty: New Vietnamese Restaurant Puts the 'h' Back in Williamsburgh

After a couple of weeks of doing the permit dance, Vinh Nguyen's long-anticipated Silent h Vietnamese Restaurant and Bar opened this past Wednesday - and appears well worth the wait. The welcome variant to the neighborhood's glut of Thai restaurants is located at 79 Berry Street at North 9th, the site of the former Oznot's Dish.

Imnotsayin stopped in and sampled the lunch headliner: the Banh Mi (Vietnamese Street Staple Sandwich) "Classic Special". The sandwich is a mouthful - both literally and descriptively:

Roasted Pork from Chinatown New York, Vietnamese White Pork Salami and Paté, served with Vinegared Carrot and Daikon Julienne, Cilantro, Jalepeno, and Vietnamese Aioli on toasted Baguette.

That said, it was one of the tastiest things we've eaten for lunch in ages. The combination of tastes and textures - at once spicy, sour, salty, crunchy and creamy - come together on a wonderfully-tender, slightly warm baguette (baked fresh right around the corner at the Polish bakery on North 8th Street). Yum! Now we're eager to circle back for a dinner entré or two.

The place is bright and impeccably clean, and Nguyen and his attentive staff seem to be having a great time. The one remaining detail is getting their liquor license squared away, hopefully in time to sip cold 33s on warm spring evenings in the sidewalk seating area. Meanwhile, B.Y.O.B. is welcome.

Silent h is open Tuesday through Sunday from Noon to 4 pm for lunch, and 6 to 11 pm for dinner. 718-218-7063