Dining Review: With HENRI’s Backyard Soon Opening, Let’s Revisit Brunch At HENRI On Fifth
Owner Binh Douglas is rather busy these days.
He’ll be adding a second HENRI restaurant to the neighborhood. In just a few weeks, Douglas will be opening HENRI’S Backyard (256 4th Avenue between President and Carroll Streets), which will retain some of the beloved menu items from the previous Pickle Shack.
Before the 4th Avenue outpost opens, we wanted to take an opportunity to sample a meal from the 5th Avenue spot. Grant you, the original is still somewhat of a newcomer. HENRI on Fifth (279 5th Avenue at 1st Street) opened about 18 months ago.
The HENRIs are both named after Douglas’ son, now about 20 months old.
And why use his son’s name? “I’m half Vietnamese, a quarter Native American, and a quarter black, and my wife has a French background, so we decided to name the restaurant after our [then] newborn son, Henri, and the menu is an amalgam of his heritage,” Douglas told Here’s Park Slope when HENRI on Fifth first opened.
The menu echoes the diversity of that heritage Douglas speaks of — whether you’re stopping in for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
On a late Sunday morning during the 4th of July weekend, HENRI on Fifth was buzzing. A House Made Sriracha Bloody Mary ($6) was being sipped at the bar while a smattering of families filed in for brunch. The outdoor dining area in front was packed.
As well it should be. The place finds a balance between the usual and unusual in a very approachable way.
The Breakfast Bao ($12) comes with three bao buns stuffed with cheddar-scrambled eggs, chives, jalapeños, and served with spicy mayo. You have the option to add bacon, pancetta, ham, chicken apple sausage, or duck prosciutto ($3 each).
The dish is just spicy enough to tease those of you who enjoy hotter dishes, but won’t overwhelm those who play carefully with heat. The bao is soft but strong enough for you to treat the dish as a breakfast sandwich. The chicken apple sausage was an excellent complement. And if you’re splitting dishes on the menu, this is a good one to add to that list.
For something a bit more on the “traditional” brunch dish side, the lemon ricotta pancakes are light and fluffy, with a nice counterpoint provided by the richness of the blueberry compote, maple syrup, and homemade cream. It’s a knockout for the kids as well. And you can add this to the list of best places to get pancakes in the neighborhood. Admit it, you are obsessed with pancakes. The Slope has a pancake addiction.
The regular menu at HENRI also has a set of comfortable and quirky mashups, such as the Turkey Burger ($14) which comes with mushroom ragout, muenster, and house remoulade. The Truffle Fries ($7) (both vegan and gluten-free) and Sriracha Deviled Eggs ($7) serve as highlights as well.
While causal, the service is attentive and professional. If you haven’t been, we recommend a sampling, and then an opportunity to head down to 4th Avenue in a few weeks to try the new addition. And if you’ve been here before, we heartily recommend a refresher.
We’ll keep you posted about the opening of HENRI’s Backyard.
The Dining Rundown: HENRI on Fifth
Where: 279 5th Avenue at 1st Street
Hours: Sundays-Wednesdays, 11am-10pm; Thursdays, 11am-Midnight; Fridays, 11am-2am. Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-4pm
Phone: 347-294-4631
Kid Friendly? Yes, very much so. Highchairs aplenty.