Cô Thành Restaurant — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

INCREDIBLY RUDE & AGGRESSIVE STAFF.

Food is fantastic, a little inconsistent sometimes because they'd run out of certain ingredients and have to substitute with something not authentic. But overall probably best Vietnamese food in HK.

Service however is atrocious! Especially the blonde manager who I've seen many bad reviews of on Google as well. I've had many bad experiences here as a frequent visitor. These two below were just a couple of them.

First incident, I ordered my main and a Pate sô on a side, the menu says the pate sô takes 15 minutes, which is totally fine bcs it's a pastry that needs baking. 30 minutes later, I had finished my main and still waiting for the side, I asked a staff and after 10 minutes of checking plus another chase from me, someone came and said the kitchen forgot the order. I said it's okay, in that case please cancel the item as my lunch time was running out, I need to get the bill. They said okay. A few minutes later, someone delivered a pate sô to my table! I informed the staff that I'd already asked to cancel the item and just need the bill for the rest. The manager came and said I can't cancel the item cause it already arrives?! Then what's the point of informing me that the kitchen forgot my order and saying yes to me canceling the item just a few minutes ago? Completely baffling! After some exchanges, the manager reluctantly cancelled the pastry and delivered me the bill with a side of attitude. Completely soured my experience but I brushed it off as I enjoyed my food.

The most recent incident was today's lunch. I ordered my usual main and bánh ít, lọc, nậm (dumplings) on a side. They brought the side order out just as I finished my main. Great! The banana leaf wrapped was burning hot on the outside. Amazing! I was excited to eat them hot so I unwrapped one straightaway to sadly find that the bánh ít was room temp on the inside, the dough tasted POWDERY and clearly not cooked through! I informed the manager and she immediately got defensive and said "sorry this is how we've served them for 2 years, they're cooked, maybe you just don't know what tapioca dough is like"???!!! I grew up eating these "dumplings" for 20+ years, tapioca is slightly transparent when cooked, these were completely opaque and POWDERY. I sent them back and settled my bill. On my way out I approached the manager at the reception desk. I thought I was being polite and even apologized to her and said "I'm sorry I know you must be busy with lunch rush, but I just want to make sure the kitchen is aware so other customers don't get sick from uncooked food". She turned to me already looking defensive, rolled her eyes and immediately start lecturing me about how the dumplings are cooked, she took them off our bill, and she asked me "what more do you want from me?". I said nothing I just thought I should let you know because I do care. She then accused me of yelling at her. I'm not sure how I could be yelling at her while she does most of the talking..? All I wanted to do was to be helpful and let them know, to make sure other people don't get uncooked food.

At the end I just gave up and left, completely speechless and shocked at the atrocious experience I had and how aggressive someone can get over such a small matter.

I even questioned myself if I had said something wrong. But then I went on Google and saw SO MANY BAD REVIEWS directed at the same "blonde hair, blue eyes receptionist" about her aggressive manner, I understood that I wasn't the first customer to have experience her short temper and complete lack of professionalism.

Co Thanh is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in HK and I have directed many people there. I'm sad to learn it's the kind of establishment that tolerates such rotten behaviors where it's acceptable to disregard criticisms, gaslight customers and treat them with complete disrespect.

I won't be coming back or directing anyone there from now on. Especially with so many new Vietnamese options popping...

Tldr: food is decent, spacious, street like decor, music nice but odd, a bit pricey

One of the more famous Vietnamese places in HK. So thought I would try, I will try everything once.

At the door we were told to wait despite 70% of the place was empty, the manager seems to be dictating everything and not all of it makes sense. Loads of staff hanging about.

Interior is spacious, lots of steel tables, walls are bare brick, with steel stalls you would see in banh mi places in Vietnam. Vibes: check

Music was playing Cisse Starr, a bit confused but ok. It was loud, too loud in my opinion.

Menu has good variety from a few places in Vietnam. We order Phở tái băm, bánh ướt, ốc bu nhồi thịt (I think this is a typo) and chè ba màu (also possibly a typo).

Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk: Dirty taste, just like home. Perhaps more condensed milk needed.

Pho - overall probably closest thing to pho I have eaten in HK: hand cut noodles texture and flavour pass, dough stick (fritter) dunked into the soup, please never ever serve it like this, it is soggy, on the side please excessive herbs and onion in broth, pass, possibly missing saw leaf (mùi tầu, culantro) Meat patty, this is straight up weird, its basically a finely minced burger patty dumped into the soup. In Hanoi we serve it as sliced ternderloin (or similar) and then smack it with the back of the cleaver into a thin patty, but it is not minced broth clear, possibly too much salt and not enough fish sauce and msg

Bánh ướt: never tried this elsewhere, but somewhat similar to phở cuốn or bánh cuốn. Flavour seems ok, personally i find it a bit too sweet, otherwise fine.

Ốc bươu nhồi thịt (this is what i believe to be the correct spelling) - wife loves it: Finely minced pork patty, wood ear mushroom, snails and a form of Vietnamese sausage, wrapped with a twig of lemongrass and stuffed into a bướu snail.

Chè ba mầu (again i believe this to be the correct spelling, but in south Vietnam perhaps it is spelled differently): Standard desert with jelly, black beans, green bean/matcha powder cream and shaved icecream. Perhaps not sweet enough.

Total bill 560, a little pricey I would say, maybe more...

I wouldve given no star if it was option. First of all, I’ve been to Co Thanh before and I thought the food was average, I came back anyway because their review is descent so I was gonna try to choose something else from their menu.

I booked a table by phone for 6pax with an additional request of 2 high chairs for 12pm. On the day of reservation 5 minutes passed 12 one of the staff called and asked if we’re still coming. I said we are and i was already few steps away from the restaurant. Then the staff said to me “well we’re just worried you dont have enough time to eat because you have to give up your table at 1” What upsets me the most, is that I was never informed that we would only have our table for 1 hour. If I knew, I wouldve booked a table somewhere else flexible because we are with kids and we dont want to be rush out of a restaurant. And I think its pretty basic for any customer to expect to be informed when their table reserved has a time limit of one hour. When I mentioned all of that to the staff on the phone she replied “well its our regulation see you soon” That alone I thought it was already rude.

So when I arrived at the restaurant, I mentioned it again to the staff that I was never told that we would only have the table for 1 hour. Instead of getting a simple apology which would just be enough for me, the staff that claimed to be the manager on this day October 11th, became so defensive and rude to us. She pretty much repeated what I was told on the phone with a very offensive tone and aggressive manner. So we decided to leave and eat somewhere else.

I also have a background in service in industry so when the staff ended her argument with “she’s just doing her job” after all the rude comments she made, for me it was not the case and it was extremely unacceptable. Its one thing to stand by your company policy or whatever but manner is an attribute that any frontliner should acquire in ...