Vietnaam — Restaurant in New York

All reviews are anecdotal. I take my banh mi seriously, and my Pho even more seriously. I don’t want to give this place 3 stars - it’s actually a 3.5 - but not a 4 star. There just isn’t enough to push it over the edge to the 4th star. Let’s start on the outside and work our way in - shall we. A good bread should be crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside. The crispy exterior should provide just enough resistance in a bite for a good crunch - then quickly gives as you enter the contents. This bread lacks the crispy exterior and the center is overtly bread-y. We tried both the tenderloin and the chicken thigh. The difference was clear. The chicken thigh was well seasoned. The grill smoke was present, and the chicken thigh appreciated the care of the grill. Very well seasoned and balanced - and a very generous serving of meat. It may sound bad to say this - but it was almost too much. I actually took some off and each bite felt a little more balanced and manageable. The carrots were abundant but lacked in pickling. Cucumbers were used sparingly in lieu of pickled daikon. A fair trade - but one that does not go completely unnoticed. More Importantly the pickled spears were a noticeable intrusion with each bite. I attribute this to the shape. Cucumber slices would have easily overcame the clumsiness appreciated during mastication. The cilantro was ubiquitous and present in every bite. This was well balanced and not over powering. The missteps were in the sauce used. I cannot place it. It’s not quite a sriracha mayo. It seems to be a house secret blend that doubles as a cohesion sauce (blending the flavors together - lemon grass of the chicken, carrots, cucumber and cilantro) - while simultaneously providing the heat - which would be normally accomplished by jalapeño slices.

Overall - it’s not badly done. One can do worse - but in the same breath, one...

This place has been on a journey. It was once extremely popular and prepared fare that, whilst tuned to an upper eat side pallette, ( I've had pho' in HCMC VN, so I have been to the mountain top ) was tasty and a welcome variation of flavours from your average, upscale manhattan Chinese restaurant. Then they closed for what ever reason and remained an empty store front for years. Back open and busy as before, I and a long time friend sat down to check out the present day scene. Ok first, Pruce; prices are pretty high. Average chicken dishes over $17 a plate. (Even for fried rice? ) To me that's expensive and I'm expecting something really exceptional and full of that South East Asian umami. Variety? Lots of it! you would have to keep coming back ( and emptying your wallet) to trying everything available.) Decor and environs are standard middle of the road decent. Great for taking people you know, not to impress. Quality? Well .. let's just say on this first return I'm not impressed. my friend ordered a margherita that he felt wasn't what he envisioned. And my shrimp friend rice didn't impress me. The laksa I ordered was .... meh. Service from the Hispanic staff was on point they were busy, Asian staff? well the guy I had was not a happy camper. Sum it up. I was not impressed. Would I go again? Not on my current budget. Thou I am curious to give it a second look. But the lunch counter fried rice at the TOOK Lai Dee on Soi 5 in Bangkok where fried rice is done up in front of you blows this away at a price less than half the tip we left. AND it came kitted properly, with slices of lime, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Am I asking, ney, expecting too much? Hard 3 here. Go for it if you like. But save money for a ticket to SE Asia to treat yourself properly. or look for the tiny taco joint across the street next to the ice cream parlour with real...

If you're looking for an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, this is not the place you should be looking at. It's a westernized version of Vietnamese food. First of all, Vietnamese dishes can easily be recognized by their original name. For example, Bun Bo Hue a relatively popular spicy noodle soup was named "Spicy Pho Udon"???? In every Canadian restaurants I have been to, they use the correct names.I had no idea what it was and the waitress didn't give me a straight forward answer either. Secondly, their pho broth was full of fat and noodles were overcooked. Thirdly, their fried rice was mushy and clearly overcooked. Asians pay special attention to how their rice is cooked. At the end of the day, our group paid a total of 165 with tax and then added in the tip. The waitress came back with the tip/change asking for more. A mandatory x% of tip is unheard of. When I ask her if it was mandatory, she said "if you like the service, you should pay more". But evidently, her choice of words when she asked for more showed that the service was not good. Disappointment is an understatement.

EDIT: Just an FYI, if you're going to nitpick people for not giving you the amount of tip that you want, maybe the restaurant should add in "x% will be added for gratuity." I am incredibly generous with tips. But I evaluate cleanliness (fair but I have to see the washroom), the taste (pho could be better, rice could be less mushy, pay attention to the noodles so it won't be overcooked), the service (went from fair to...