Phuong Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

I have to say this is the WORST & MOST REDICILIOUS dining experience we EVER HAD in a restaurant.

My partner and I were craving some Vietnamese food tonight and ended up Googling the restaurant near us at Phuong Vietnamese Restaurant @ Crows Nest based on the review.

The staff were friendly at the beginning and served the dishes quickly. We ordered Summer rolls ($7.5) and two bowls of Beef Noddle Soup ($16.5 each, total $40.50). The food was not too bad although not as authentic as how it is supposed to be.

Then the ridiculous thing happened - When I was halfway eating my Noddle Soup, there was a dead INSECT found in the soup and I called the manager straight away to escalate it. When this guy saw the soup, without having a proper look, he immediately said "THIS IS A FRUIT FLY AND NOT OUR FAULT', and took the bowl with him in a hurry and walked into the kitchen WITHOUT A WORD AND WHISPERED WITH ONE OF THE FRONT STAFF.

My partner and I sat there for 5 minutes and were thinking they might approach us for an apology and provide alternative suggestions/solutions. Disappointingly, NO ONE TURNED UP and we were upset and decided to leave and ask for the bill.

The lady (waitress) then handed us the bill & charged us for the FULL AMOUNT!! We initially thought she was not clear about what happened and explained it to her. She seems very defensive and said 'YES BUT THE BOSS SAID YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FULL BILL'. We were very confused and asked to speak to the manager/owner who we just spoke to and she told us 'THE OWNER IS IN THE KITCHEN AND HE WILL NOT COME OUT TO SEE YOU GUYS, THIS IS NOT OUR FAULT'.

We found this is RIDICULOUS and insisted to have a conversation with the owner. However, he NEVER SHOWS UP and AVOIDING HAVING ANY CONVERSATION, not even a SORRY or explanation.

We understand it is not easy to run a business and we were okay to pay the rest of the bill but not for THAT bowl of Noddle Soup WHICH has a DEAD INSECT BODY inside. The lady then ended up THREATENING US and said they will REPORT TO THE POLICE IF WE DON'T PAY THE FULL BILL!! We refused to pay for the soup that had the insect, and they waived the $16.5 reluctantly.

The way we were treated as a customer was RUDE and UNPROFESSIONAL, and they took NO INITIATIVES AT ALL to settle this problem.

As a customer, we NEVER had this sort of dining experience before. After the incident, WE WERE LEFT THERE UNATTENDED & THE OWNER/ MANAGER WENT INTO THE KITCHEN AND AVOIDED THE CONVERSATION.

All we need was an apology and proactive communication. That's it!

I am sorry to say but we will not...

Make sure that you check your allergens!!

We ordered beef pho, chicken coleslaw and vegetable combination stir-fry (com chay). The menu description for vegetable combination stir-fry is: Stir-fried mixed vegetables with bean curd and the menu does not contain any mention of allergens only if certain dishes are gluten free or are vegetarian.

When we asked the waiter what is in the dish, the waiter did not have knowledge of the ingredients, he only pointed to a photo in the menu and said some veggies like corn, carrot, tofu. We asked him to check with the kitchen, he was hesitant to ask the kitchen and asked us why we need to know. We specifically mentioned that there are certain foods that we can’t eat and that we wanted to make sure - my wife is cruciferous intolerant and my daughter is allergic (luckily not anaphylactic) to peanuts.

The waiter asked the kitchen and returned to say that it contained corn, carrot, cauliflower, and celery, he did not mention that it contained peanuts.

Only after we had a couple of bites did we notice that it tasted like the sauce contained peanuts. We asked the waiter again if there is peanuts in it.

He got defensive and very hesitantly checked with the kitchen if it has peanuts. Turns out it has peanuts and he blamed us for not telling him about our allergens.

The waiter would not apologise for not telling us, and when we asked to speak with the owner, he didn’t seem interested in our feedback and suggestion to update their menu to clearly label allergens, was defensive and wanted to shift blame to us.

The whole restaurant needs to re-educate themselves on food allergen standards.

https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/food-labelling/labels-and-law/food-allergen-rules

It is a serious offence if: Allergen information is not on a label A consumer is not given allergen information when they ask for it (clearly failed at this!) An allergen is found in a food that was specifically requested not to contain that allergen Incorrect allergen...

Ok little Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Crows Nest. FOOD: Good variety of menu options, although heads up many differ from the traditional recipes. More Asian fusion-like. Brilliant selection of vegetarian and gluten free options. BUT... The quality of food seemed a little on the low side. Our satay chicken sticks were super tough and chewy. STAFF: Friendly, attentive and inviting. INTERIOR: Minimal, neat, sleek yet still has some old school charm, although the place hasn't been around as long as many others. Great outdoor area with gas heaters during winter. Easily suit the casual diner. LOCATION: Seconds from the bus stops and plenty of on-Street (paid) parking. ACCESSIBILITY: Easily fit small to larger 8+ group sizes. Dog friendly for those able to sit outside, likewise with prams and wheelchairs; inside it is not as well set out for prams/wheelchairs etc. OVERALL: Staff were attentive, menu options are good although unlikely to go back and wouldn't highly recommend given...