A Look at the New Bunker, Jimmy Tu’s Ambitious Bushwick Vietnamese Restaurant

Chef Jimmy Tu opened the doors on the newest version of his punk rock Vietnamese street food restaurant Bunker this week, simmering beef pho and steaming whole fish in a space that’s more than three times bigger than the original Ridgewood outpost. The restaurant at 99 Scott Ave. seats about 70 people inside, and by spring, it will have outdoor dining with a garden, too.

The opening dinner menu, which can be seen here, is limited, but it’s still far more expansive than what was previously offered. One of Tu’s goals is to bring more classic Vietnamese dishes to New York, where he thinks the Vietnamese food scene pales in comparison to other cities. Tu, who runs the restaurant with his brother Jacky and a slew of friends, is particularly proud of the bún chả, a grilled pork sausage and pork belly dish with vermicelli. He notes that it’s the dish that Barack Obama tried while dining with Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam.

Bunker is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is BYOB for now. Lunch, a retail skate shop, and later hours will start later on this winter. Check out the space and a few dishes below, and let us know what you think if you check it out.

[Update: BYOB has been discontinued]