Two Wheels 🚲

The aromatic steam rising from a bowl of pho defines the experience at Two Wheels, a compact Upper West Side gem that reimagines Vietnamese street food with a Westernized technical twist. Their signature broth is a labor of patience, slow-simmered to achieve a medium-weight clarity infused with the warm scents of star anise and charred ginger. Uniquely, the soup features Italian-style meatballs, providing a tender, savory contrast to the silky rice noodles and vibrant crunch of fresh bean sprouts. The banh xeo is equally innovative, fried to a taco-like crispness that shatters upon entry, revealing a succulent filling of lemongrass-marinated pork or shrimp. Texture is a constant highlight, particularly in the spicy chicken wings, which are lacquered in a sweet and pungent caramel glaze that remains sticky and addictive. Each dish is a vibrant collision of flavors, balancing the heat of fresh jalapeños with the cooling brightness of cilantro and lime.