Bolero

"A Vietnamese restaurant backed by fine dining alums from Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the Michelin-starred Benu in San Francisco is no more. Matt Le-Khac and Jimmy Tran announced the closure of Bolero over Instagram last week, writing that they were “humbled” to participate in “this new movement in Vietnamese cuisine.” The restaurant, which opened a month before the pandemic, ushered in a “new era for Vietnamese fine dining,” according to Eater critic Robert Sietsema. Its last day was February 19." - Luke Fortney

"Similarly, the New York City restaurant Bolero got a heads up about a rice paper shortage from their Asian dry goods distributor about a month and a half ago." - Bettina Makalintal

"This gem stands out for its keen understanding and delicious rendering of Vietnamese cuisine, which is rather rare in these parts. Shelves of market goodies lure passersby into the cool, contemporary space, fitted out with a central open kitchen, two vast dining areas, and a backyard. The kitchen team straddles the line between subtle and savory with ease and creativity. Saigon beef pho is a filling mix of minced wagyu beef and beef shin. Save space for dessert, sesame brittle atop sweet corn tapioca pudding." - Sophie Friedman

"Bolero serves some of the best Vietnamese food in NYC, but beyond that, the ball’s in your court. You could opt for tea while sitting between bamboo trees in the backyard, or your dinner could involve a shot and beer combo that comes with a boiled fertilized duck egg at a sidewalk table on Bedford Ave." - Team Infatuation

"Decorated with contemporary Vietnamese building materials, including perforated concrete blocks and decorative metal screens, Bolero is named after a dance craze popular in Vietnam when chef and PhD pharmacologist Matt Le-Khac was a kid. The menu runs to elegant versions of Vietnamese regional standards — a bun bo Hue that substitutes mushrooms for meat, for example, and a crab-pomelo salad. There’s a choice of fish sauces, and the backyard tea garden is one of the better outdoor spaces in Williamsburg." - Robert Sietsema, Bao Ong