Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches (CLOSED)

Good banh mi is a marvel of contrasting flavors and textures, brilliant ingredients combined into a simple sandwich: salty pork pâté, sweet pickled carrots, thick cuts of cool cucumber, and cilantro on a mayo-slathered, toasted baguette. Ninh Van Dang made exceptional banh mi at An Dong, his famous Sunset Park shop, and his fans are thrilled that the restaurant was reincarnated (albeit in slightly altered form) as this East Village spot. The family has expanded the sandwich line-up, adding chicken, pork chops, and portobello to the original roster of pork pâté and sardine. Ultimately, though, there’s no reason—short of being vegetarian or Kosher—to order anything but the classic.