You Hanoi Me — Restaurant in Christchurch

To the owner: Mr. Whitelaw Your reply to my Google review is very unprofessional and disturbing to me and my husband! We came to Christchurch to enjoy vacation and we left 5-Star reviews everywhere i.e. to the Thai Orchid restaurant on Riccarton, Dux Dine, Duo Dumplings and Chateau on the Park hotel. You're the "only" restaurant getting 1-Star from us and our opinion of your restaurant on Google stays!!

We own a Marriott hotel in Italy with an upscale Asian restaurant onsite and a Hilton hotel in America also with an upscale Asian restaurant onsite. There were not many tables inside but our hosts always tried to accommodate any walk-ins no matter the customers were dressed up or not. You can reply "You Hanoi Us" messages to me again but it's more showing people that what kind of leadership is behind the restaurant.

The fact is that even if you claimed to say you had all Asian crews working at the kitchen that has nothing to do with your rude/cold receptionist. We've seen the low ratings and bad Google reviews of your restaurant here. Most of them also complained about the staffs or service attitude in your restaurant.

The other fact was that we actually had asked the receptionist that night how long was the waiting time for available table but she did not answer it. She simply drove us away and recommended us to a Mexican restaurant right next door. We tried to be patient but she would not like us to stay in.

If you're a successful business owner, you should be able to ACCEPT criticisms sometimes and just "BE APOLOGETIC" or think about how to improve it, instead of complaining back to us who were supposed to be "your guest".

Just like ALL the other Google responses that you've complained back to the other low ratings/Google reviewers. You have given us the same "arrogance" when you replied. It's hard to believe you are the owner of "You Hanoi Me" when we saw the unprofessional and uneducated reply from you.

Wish you more success in your career.

Sincerely, Joanna Xie

This place is totaly racist and DO NOT go there!!!!! As a Marriott/IHG/Hilton hotel owner, I and my hubby have travelled to many different Asian restaurants around the world, this "You Hanoi Me" Vietnamese restaurant is the worst unwelcome and most racist restaurant that we have ever been!! Last night, after our online Google searching on the first day arriving at Christchurch, we decided to try this "You Hanoi Me" Vietnamese restaurant for dinner at downtown. We stayed at the Chateau On the Park, Doubletree hotel for free and it was only 15 minutes away by driving. When we came into the restaurant, we were very excited to sit down for a delicious Vietnamese dinner after 18-hours flight, with jetlag, tireness and hurnger. There were a few empty tables in the restaurant and we were only 2 people. However, the receptionist first looked at us like "aliens" probably because I am an Asian with my caucasian hubby and we were not dressed very fancy either, then she simply asked us "Do you have a reservation?" I said, "No, sorry we do not. We didn't know we should have made a reservation first, because your website does not say "reservation only". Then the receptionist answered us in a cold manner that "Sorry, we were fully booked for the night. You can try the Maxicano's restaurant right next door." Wowwwwwwwwwww listen to this arrogance from the receptionist lady?! She really talked to us like she has owned the restauarnt. She's just the receptionist working in the restaurant!! My hubby wispered to me "If this restaurant does not want our money, let's go to spend the money somewhere else and it will be their loss!"

Last night the experience at this "You Hanoi Me" was totally a dissapointment and insult to us!!!! Overall, it is JUST a fancy-looking Vietnamese restaurant at downtown Christchurch but not sure of the taste yet. The attitude and arrogance of the staffs will never give us any desire to go back there again! PLEASE DO NOT GO THERE!!! If you are Asian, it's worse that this Asian restaurant might NOT welcome you at...

We had a really bad and unsatisfactory dining experience at You Hanoi Me and will never return or recommend it to other people.

We were there to celebrate a friend’s birthday. When we arrived we were greeted by a blonde hair middle age lady who we believe maybe the manger. She was unfriendly, not polite and no customer service showed whatsoever.

We were then seated down and ordered as per usual. At this point, employees started to comment on our cake and said it was really pretty and nothing further was mentioned.

When we finished our food we wanted to eat our cake therefore we asked the same blonde lady for utensils to prepare and cut our cake. The blonde lady using really bad tone of voice gave us a lecture and said to us “ we should have told staff we had cake as there is a fee to eat the cake in the restaurant and it is normal practice”. We have been in nz for a long time and have never come across this. Notwithstanding, the above when the blond lady seated us she saw our cake. She should have told us upfront of the service fees of eating the cake in the restaurant but she did not.

All staff in the resturant saw our cake and many staff had commented on it and told us that the cake was pretty and one staff even asked where we got it from. Therefore, telling us when we were about to eat the cake that additional fee is payable is not acceptable and unprofessional.

Later on one of the other staff came by and interrupted us again and told us our time was up as we had ordered through first table. This was incorrect as we had called up and booked the table. We did not use first table and when we told the staff this the blonde lady who took us to our table said that it is normal practice in NZ that all each customer only have a 90min booking and not longer. We were greatly offended, distressed and disappointed. There was a table behind us who had been in the restaurant longer than us and was not asked to leave.

The whole dining experience was unsatisfactory, waitresses were unprofessional, no manner and shoes no respect to paying customers.

This is the last time we will ever come and will not recommend it to...

The food was overall good, apart from some items being ice cold, but the service let me down.

I went to XYZ last weekend for dinner with my family. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and It looked like everyone was having a good time.

Approximately 10 minutes after sitting down, the waitress approached us, asking if we were ready to order. We said we were happy with water and ordered two starters to come out first and asked for a few more minutes before ordering mains.

About 10 mins later the waitress came back and took our order. We ordered a main each. The waitress then came back approx 10 mins later asking what we ordered again as she wasn't sure. We gave the order again. Finally, 5 minutes later she came back again and we had to physically point to her the four mains we ordered as she wasn't familiar with what was on the menu. Anyway, the ordering ordeal was over, and we were now looking forward to having our starters that we supposedly ordered 15 mins ago.

There was another wait for approx 30 mins when they brought out our mains first. A couple of minutes later they brought out the starters after the mains. It appears that the waiter didn't enter our starters into the system until the mains so we got them all at the same time. This was not ideal as we all went from being very hungry to have a whole table of food all at once.

The semi-redeeming factor was the food quality. The food was very well presented. I ordered the sticky pot pork belly. It was advertised as coming with a soft egg. The egg was more hard-boiled than anything but the main disappointment was that the egg was ice cold. It seems like they stored the pre-boiled eggs in the fridge and then put them in the bowl just before being served. It was quite unpleasant to bite into a cold egg with your nice warm bowl. The actual flavour of the broth was excellent, no complaints there.

Overall for paying over $30 for each main I expected better service and food quality. I don't think I will be going back even though they had some good dishes which is a shame. Hopefully, they can take this feedback onboard and make it better...