Diem Eatery — Restaurant in New York

Wish i could give a review on the Food, except i never got what i ordered. This past sunday(8.6.23) i walked in and ordered an ice coffee and chicken banh mi(please note) from the women at the counter. I pay and even tip. I get my ice coffee and was told the order will take a min. 30 mins later while everyone got their food, i have still not gotten my sandwich. I walk to the counter and asked the gentleman(the woman was gone) the status of my order. Two mins later i get my sandwich and notice it is the classic pate/pork. Not that i am strict kosher but i do not eat Pork. The gentleman at the counter told me that i should of checked the screen when i ordered, before i paid in addition to telling me that the woman whom I ordered with finished her "Last shift" and was fired(obviously not because of my order). He refused to even offer to make the chicken Banh mi( i would of waited) and blamed me for the mis-order. And even when i said do not eat pork, gave me an attitude for no reason. In the end, i was refunded for my sandwich, despite the individual threatening to not refund me because "i was giving an attitude". I consider myself to be a patient customer and understand mistakes do happen, but being blamed by the counterperson really left a bad taste in my mouth(no...

I love this place! I read the reviews and thought, 'Can this place really be that good?' Answer: OMG yes!!! This is my new everything spot.

The couple who own and manage the restaurant are so lovely and kind. The food is largely inspired by the wife's family, who are Vietnamese. This is the BEST banh mi I've had in NYC in 9 years of living here! And I've had proper banh mi's in Vietnam... the banh mi's at Diem taste like the authentic, real-deal! The bread was soft and crispy, with a touch of buttery savoriness, and lots of fresh chicken and veggies inside. The portion size of the sandwich was also impressively large. 10/10!

The Viet Milk Coffee is a gem! It obviously has the traditional condensed milk in it, but it's not overly sweet, which I appreciate. A good balance of richness and flavorful espresso bean.

The owner encouraged me to try a free sample of the gelato. They rotate their flavors every week, with mango-flavor being the only constant. They always keep a vegan and sorbet option in the rotation also.

The restroom is the cutest freakin' bathroom in Brooklyn. The restroom is through a hidden arched doorway in the bookcase. And the restroom is spotlessly clean and well decorated. It's like a magical cozy place.

And yes, they...

I don't usually leave bad reviews but I must inform the public of the severe food poisoning I experienced after eating here that resulted in my hospitalization for 3 days (6-8 July 2023) and 1 week of bed rest.

I ate half of their chicken bàhn mi (because the taste wasn't great), and within 1-2 hours I was experiencing the worst food poisoning of my life. The aggressive bacteria drained my electrolytes and made me unable to stand, nearly fainting, and delirious. Luckily, my husband was able to take me to the hospital as I could not even dial 911 by myself.

The doctors at NY-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital told us that the chicken from the bàhn mi was contaminated with Staph bacteria (Staphylococcus) which is typically a skin infection but can cause extremely severe food poisoning if ingested.

I'm a young very healthy woman in my late 20s and this put me down for a week. I have now recovered but I'm deeply traumatized and will never be going to that place ever again. I'm sorry for the cafe to have to report this, but the reality is this is extremely dangerous and they need to asses their suppliers or food prep. I hope this helps avoid people...