Di An Di occupies a greenhouse-style space on Greenpoint Avenue where trailing plants climb the windows and natural light transforms the room into something closer to a botanical garden than a restaurant. The pho is built on a broth of uncommon depth, star anise and charred ginger perfuming the bowl with the quiet authority of a recipe calibrated rather than invented. The banh mi arrives on bread with the correct ratio of crust to crumb, fillings layered with a precision that distinguishes a good sandwich from a great one. Natural wines populate a list curated with the same instinct that governs the food. The coffee soft serve closes the meal with Vietnamese-inflected charm.
Location
Greenpoint, New York
Insider Intel
Pho — the broth carries the star anise and charred ginger depth that defines the dish. Banh mi for the bread alone, and what is inside justifies the reputation. Summer rolls as a bright opener. The coffee soft serve to finish, Vietnamese-inflected and irresistible. Natural wines pair better than expected.
Reserve on Resy for dinner, especially weekends. Brunch is popular and the greenhouse light at midday is the room at its most photogenic. Weekday dinners are calmest.
68 Greenpoint Avenue, Greenpoint. Greenpoint Avenue station (G train), five-minute walk. Reservations recommended — book on Resy. Dishes 14-26 dollars. Cards accepted. The plant-filled greenhouse space is Greenpoint's most beautiful dining room — and the food ensures this is not merely an aesthetic exercise.