Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Absolutely last time I order from here. I've been a customer at this location for at least 2 years. Both ordering out, and in person. My order tonight, the packaging was open, box was ripped, grease stains outside of the box, and in light of the recent news of a delivery person dipping his private parts in food delivered by a delivery service, I was unwilling to take chances. I've ordered from here so much that I know the quality they normally put into their packaging.

This was NOT it. Something was definitely amiss.

I called the location and was greeted with a manager who should probably be demoted.

I admit, I was upset, but he offered no solutions except - sorry call Grubhub.

No solution, no, ok we can work to fix the order, or anything. Just basically, that's not our fault sorry. You know when you're hungry and all you want to do is JUST F-KING EAT your food. You order two things, and you just want to eat your food in peace. Not have to throw away something you've ordered in fear it could have been tampered with.

This restaurant has messed up my order online more times than I can count. Others have complained about this in the reviews. It's true.

However... A simple call ALWAYS used to fix the situation, they'd simply take your name and credit you for the order when you ordered next or came in. I suppose they no longer do this.

This inept manager then proceeded to talk to me like a child because he didn't like my tone on the phone, and when I CAME IN (drove all the way there to bring them the messed up order), he proceeded to act as if we didn't have a conversation about the order, had an attitude, and proceeded to talk down to me as if I'm a child in front of a restaurant FULL OF CUSTOMERS.

If this is how this company feels it wants its employees to act. Great! You can have it. I will not be ordering from here any longer. And yes, I will tell everyone about it. Hire better staff. Completely disappointed and upset by...

The food: I was craving some Bun Bo Hue and chose this restaurant based on numerous positive reviews touting its authenticity. Unfortunately, those reviewers led me astray. The Bun Bo Hue here was a poor imitation of the real thing, and the Pho was almost flavorless by Vietnamese standards. If these recipes truly come from the owner's mom, they should consider switching to the first recipe found on Google. I tried to add some spice with fresh chili peppers, but was offered jalapeños instead. After a confusing exchange, I learned they didn't have fresh chilies. So, instead of a taste of Vietnam, I ended up with something that reminded me of my sister's cooking when she was 14 and our parents were away.

The quality of service:

I tried to order Bun Bo Hue with my best attempt at an Americanized pronunciation. The waitress, who clearly wasn't Vietnamese, repeated back something that sounded like a completely different dish. I had to point at the menu to make sure we were on the same page. The adventure continued when I asked for scissors to cut up noodles for my 2-year-old. The waitress acted as if I'd asked for something outrageous, giving me a firm "no" and suggesting I use a knife instead. Eventually, they offered to cut the noodles in the kitchen, but acted like it was a major inconvenience. I noticed the kitchen staff were South American, completing a trio of Spanish speakers running the show. I came for an authentic Vietnamese experience, but left feeling like I missed the mark entirely.

PS: To the people who wrote any variation of “Best Pho in LA”. Please see if this condition applies to you.

Dysgeusia is a distortion or alteration of the sense of taste, which can cause foods to taste different than they should. Additionally, if a person has a complete loss of taste, the condition is known...

I ordered pho ga from Nong La Cafe via UberEats while traveling for work, and what happened next was a tragedy. A Shakespearean-level tragedy. A horror story of hunger and betrayal.

They. Did. Not. Include. Utensils.

Now, normally, I’d just grab some from my kitchen like a normal human, but I was in a hotel. A hotel that, for some mysterious, inexplicable reason, refused to let me come downstairs to get utensils and instead took 50 agonizing minutes to bring me some. Meanwhile, my pho sat there, slowly growing colder. And colder. And colder. By the time I finally got to eat, it was the coldest pho I have ever consumed in my life.

And the worst part? Even cold, it was delicious. Like, shockingly good. Which only made me more furious—because imagine how amazing it would have been if I had actually eaten it at the temperature God intended! To add insult to injury, I had to eat pho with a fork. A FORK. I have never felt more personally victimized.

I even tried reordering on UberEats to see if I had somehow missed an option to request utensils, but no. There was no option. No way to say, “Hey, I’d love to actually eat this meal you’re sending me!”

Look, I admit I’m being extra dramatic (because you don’t mess with my food), but come on—providing utensils should be basic. Or at least let people request them! The food itself? Amazing. My experience trying to eat it? A tragic tale of hunger, patience, and a poorly matched fork.

Would I order again? Yes, but only if I’m within arm’s reach of a spoon and a pair...