bunker

There are so many amazing restaurants in NYC - some that we have tried, and even more that we want to try. It's always a dilemma to decide whether to go back to a favorite or experience something new. Either way, we tend to plan ahead at least a bit before leaving the house, but occasionally we end up in need of food in an area we don't know. In most instances, when we just chose a restaurant at random, we left feeling we had wasted money, calories, and more importantly, the opportunity for an exquisite meal. I created my Food & Drink Map for just this situation and it came through again for us with Bunker after our tour of the Raw Wine Festival in an industrial section of East Williamsburg.As a side, if you love natural wines, you should definitely try the Raw Wine Festival next year. The venue is filled with interesting bottles served by passionate, friendly producers from all over the world. The first couple of years, we attempted to try everything. Our strategy this year was a bit more mature. We began with our favorites, and then asked them who to try next. We also allowed ourselves to dump some of the wine in order to try more varietals without feeling like we had been run over by a truck the next morning. And back to the food.Vietnamese can be especially prone to mediocrity, so Bunker was a delightful surprise for us. Slightly overexposed to wine, I went for one of the cocktails. Of course, since it has taken me so long to write this, the name and ingredients have escaped me. You have to enjoy a beverage served in pottery emblazoned with a cool guy's face on it. Unfortunately, they were out of the papaya salad, but we were happy with the Saigon Bańh Mi and Summer Rolls for a quick snack to tide us over until dinner. The servers were lovely and excited about making recommendations. Bunker will be on our list to go back to after next year's wine outing.