Two new restaurants have opened in Greenpoint this winter, adding to Brooklyn’s expanding dining landscape with Vietnamese and Malaysian cuisines, according to recent restaurant industry reports.
Falansai, a Vietnamese restaurant led by chef Eric Tran, began operating inside the Pan Pan Vino Vino bakery in November for dinner service. The restaurant focuses on Vietnamese comfort food that incorporates French and Chaozhou influences while drawing from Tran’s Vietnamese Mexican background, according to industry coverage.
The menu features both a Dac Biet tasting menu and a la carte options, including duck “Vietnamese tamales” served in banana leaf wrappers and savory pork skewers, according to restaurant descriptions.
Meanwhile, Kelang opened in Greenpoint in December as an expansion from the team behind Sunset Park’s Hainan Chicken House. Owner Chris Low developed the Malaysian restaurant’s menu by incorporating culinary elements from his childhood, blending Italian American and Caribbean ingredients into Southeast Asian dishes, according to restaurant reports.
The menu includes items like rendang made with oxtail and a mixture of Haitian and Malaysian rice. Kelang operates as a table-service restaurant offering dinner and weekend brunch, with both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage options available.
In addition to these Greenpoint openings, the Brooklyn dining scene has seen other recent additions across different neighborhoods. Border Town, which grew from a popular pop-up operation, opened its permanent restaurant location in Greenpoint in January. The restaurant is run by tortilla specialist chef Jorge Aguilar and Amanda Rosa, along with co-owner Ben Turley.
Border Town specializes in Northern Mexican cuisine, featuring handmade flour tortillas alongside cocktails in a casual, bright dining space. The menu includes tacos de guisados and fried corn tortilla tacos filled with potatoes and served with tomato broth. Currently, Border Town operates only for dinner service, with plans to add breakfast and lunch options.
The restaurant openings reflect Greenpoint’s growing reputation as a dining destination within Brooklyn’s broader food scene. The neighborhood has attracted restaurateurs looking to establish new concepts while serving both local residents and visitors from across the borough.
Beyond Greenpoint, other Brooklyn neighborhoods have also welcomed new dining establishments. Gigi Curry & Noodle Bar, a Thai quick-service restaurant, recently opened in Bushwick, while Confidant, a New American restaurant, relocated to Brooklyn Heights.
These restaurant openings come as Brooklyn continues to attract both established chefs and emerging culinary talent. The borough’s diverse neighborhoods provide different market opportunities, from casual quick-service spots to full-service dinner destinations.
The new establishments join Brooklyn’s existing restaurant landscape, which spans numerous cuisines and dining formats across neighborhoods from Sunset Park to Brooklyn Heights. Industry observers focus particularly on restaurants that have opened within the past six months, tracking which venues generate early positive response from diners.
Restaurant industry coverage suggests these new openings reflect broader trends in Brooklyn dining, including the popularity of Southeast Asian cuisines and the continued expansion of successful restaurant concepts into new neighborhoods. The combination of established restaurateurs expanding their operations and new culinary voices entering the market continues to shape Brooklyn’s dining scene.
For Brooklyn residents and visitors, these new restaurants add to the growing number of dining options available across the borough’s diverse neighborhoods, from quick-service spots to full dinner destinations featuring cuisines from around the world.
