Pho 60 — Restaurant in New York

I had the fried tiger shrimp. They came out fried with the shells on - the only thing removed was the head, and then it was battered and fried over the shells. I have never experienced that from even the worst restaurants. I was chastised that it was my preference and not theirs, and that people had been coming in for years, and no one complained. I know many in in ethnic enclaves will not complain about anything - also, it is one of the more expensive items on their menu. It is kike they thought the adult shrimp were like soft shell crabs (they are not.)

I asked for it to be taken off. I had spit out one, but thought it was a mistake. I took one bite of the second, only to find the same thing. I asked for it to be taken off, and was refused, being told it was my fault. I hadn't started the entree yet, and got up and left. I was not going to lay for this when it was prepared incorrectly (NO ONE batters and frys shrimp with the entire shell on.) I told them on the way out the door that I was going to review the restaurant on google, and suddenly people were running after me. At first, I was chastised again for being incorrect. When I walked across the street, I was followed, saying they would take the shrimp off the tab. It was too little, too late. One of the people yelled about the entree that was made, and I should pay for it. I told them I had not eaten any, and they should have offered to take the shrimp off when I was still in the restaurant and not getting on a bus.

By the way, I never reviewed the grilled chicken items, because I really liked their grilled pork. I had the grilled chicken in 3 different dishes shared with 2 other people a few visits back. The chicken had gristle in the meat, along with hard cartilage from the top of drumsticks thrown in. The three of us couldn't eat it. We didn't send it back then, and we should have. The other two people stopped coming with me after that meal, but I returned a few times a month.

This isn't a hole in the wall with good food. This is a hole in the wall place with untrained cooks and bad customer service. They are uninterested in non-asian people being return customers. I don't live in their neighborhood, so I am an expendable patron....

TL;DR - I will be returning back to this place. The ambience, and food was great.

Location: If I did not live in the area, I would have never noticed the place. It's away from the busy intersections of 8th Avenue and just removed from Fort Hamilton. It's great because you do not have to deal with the crowds of people to get to it.

Interior: The place was definitely remodeled after the previous dessert shop closed down. Everything was redone and nothing seemed used or worn down. Most importantly the place felt clean along with their "A" grade health inspection.

Food: I have yet to find the best Vietnamese food place in New York since I moved here. I have tried places on 8th Avenue (Sunset Park), Chinatown (Manhattan), 86th Street (Bay Ridge), and Bensonhurst. From complete and horrible letdowns to passable, this place beats them all. One word, 'Fresh'. Nothing tasted old or have been sitting too long. I got pho (beef noodle soup) and a sinh to bo (Avocado shake). Pho and its broth are the most important factors for me before we even add anything else. This broth was the clearest yet. It was not fatty and didn't have a Chinese beef broth flavor. It was not the best I ever had, but far superior to many places I have been to. The noodles were cooked just right and the beef was great tasting too. There was not as much meat as I have previously encountered at other places, but I'm glad the quality holds up. My avocado shake was also delicious. Not too sweet, fresh avocado, and THICK.

Service: The waitresses were nice and were able to provide good service. My only issue was the lack of English. It was hard to communicate what I exactly wanted, like a soup spoon specifically for the pho and not a standard metal spoon. I got the right spoon eventually, but the language barrier...

I had been here a few times during the pandemic and once or twice before. Recently held a party inside, too. The staff is really nice and accommodating. During busier hours, I did once have an order forgotten (sushi from the bar in the same space) but it wasn't anything to cry about, really. Since the change of management in the Vietnamese restaurants in 8th Avenue, this restaurant is the one which has the best flavors in the area. The decor of the restaurant is nice and reminiscent of the wooden interiors in Viet restaurants I grew up with. It's not as big and a little snug, but they are able to move tables if needed for larger parties. There is a television in the back that plays Vietnamese singing competitions, and the sushi bar is near the entrance. Outdoor seating is available in small, hut-like enclosures. Food is great. The pho is the star and the broth is really flavorful, with plenty of aromatics, just as I like it. I am partial to the dac biet, which comes with numerous cuts of beef. Sometimes, it can come off too rich or fatty, but theirs is great. Sides like the cha gio are good, with more lettuce than rolls proportionally. Other mains like the Com suon and Bo luc lac are also not bad. When we bought our own wine and cake for our party, the staff was very nice and gave us glasses, plates, and forks. They even helped us take a few pictures. They speak mostly English, Mandarin or Cantonese rather than Vietnamese, so order in the appropriate way. Overall, this is my go-to spot for pho in Brooklyn nowadays, being conveniently near an N train stop and having some good old Vietnamese flavors that are harder to...