Thanh Đa — Restaurant in New York

It BURNS. Because it's "got the fire, and they're burning one hell of a somethin'," all right.

The infamous Bun Bo Hue. I love cheap eats, and I love trying new things, sometimes at the risk of being annihilated by that very thing. I don't usually eat spicy foods because I don't do so well with it. When I read about the Bun Bo Hue on yelp and in foursquare tips section, I had to go for it.

I wish I could turn back the hands of time. Words like Hot & spicy wouldn't even begin to describe this monstrosity.

Spicy dishes shouldn't be spicy for the sake of being so- flavor from the meats, vegetables, whatever else was used to construct the dish, should also be present. That's what makes a truly great spicy dish. However, the Bo Hue here is extremely dangerous. The chili oil sticks to the insides of your mouth and throat, and doesn't pass. It was so spicy that it took me 2 hours to eat it- it got so bad that I couldn't take two spoonfuls in a row.

The spring rolls are not what you may be used to; they are made with a different type of pork meat. The first time I had it, I thought it was decent. The second time I thought it lacked meat. The consistency was not there.

The next time I was in the neighborhood, I decided to give it another shot. Oh yes, I knew better than to order that bo hue madness again. I opted for another well-reviewed and received dish: the Bun Rieu, crab paste and tomato in a vermicelli soup.

It sounded delicious, but alas, it was very bland. The staff kept insisting that it was a favorite among its patrons. I kept wondering how that could be, considering the soup tasted like watered down tomato paste.

I didn't try the bahn mi that people seem to also be raving about. However, after two main noodle soups, I can ascertain that Thahn Da does not make good broth. That's incredibly disappointing for a Vietnamese restaurant, and one I will not be giving a...

Once upon a time, I gave this place five stars. That should give you some idea of how badly things must have gone recently for me to drop them down to one.

First and foremost, the food is okay. They're known for their sandwiches, so you can skip the pho. That being said, the sandwiches are definitely not what they used to be - not sure where they're cutting their corners. $7 for a sandwich, which is a bit high for banh mi.

So why am I giving this place 1/5 now?

Service.

The ladies here can teach a masterclass on being unhelpful, uninterested, and unhappy with life. They'll have you thinking that they're doing you a favor by taking your order - how magnanimous of them! The guy has been alright, but unfortunately he's not who you deal with on the phone.

Speaking of the phone, if you've ever tried to call in your order - expect them to ignore your call a few times, then tell you it's a 20-30 minute wait, before hanging up on you before completing your order (reading your order back to you before ending the call, just to make sure? HAH. Wishful thinking). Not that it really matters, because when you show up 20 minutes later anyway, they'll only have half of your order and swear on her mom's grave that that's all you said on the phone. If you want to add on what they missed? OH BOY you'd think it's the end of the world with how they react!

Once might have been an outlier, but with a consistent track record of atrocious service, getting food from here just becomes an exercise in...

Thanh Đa is a popular hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese spot for banh mi near 8 Av, Brooklyn. I read many negative reviews about the terrible attitude of the owner, skimpy toppings and how their prices have risen significantly. God knows how nervous I was when I walked into the shop lol.

Fortunately I didn’t have such poor experience when I went. I was very satisfied with what I got, and the owner and staff weren’t rude at all. Just keep in mind they no longer open dine-in area.

#1 House Special Banh Mi 清娜麵包 For the house special banh mi, they put together roasted pork, ham, cold cut, pickled carrots and radish and cucumber. The fillings weren’t overflowing, but it was sufficient and stuffed till the bottom of the bread roll. The baguette was toasted to a crusty finish on the outside, and a soft dough on the inside.

You can ask for jalapeno for extra spice (they forgot to add it to my banh mi tho). $8 for a banh mi is still reasonable to me in this economy, as I can split it into two meals.

Banh mi is made to order. It took around 10 mins even I was the only customer in store.

＊Ca Phe Thanh Ða (Thanh Ða Coffee) 清娜咖啡
This Vietnamese coffee was so pleasant. Dark roasted and rich in caffeine as you can taste from the robust and bold flavor. I asked for less sugar and less ice, and it had the perfect level of sweetness. $5 for the iced coffee is slightly steep but I’ll still...