Cake

I can’t say enough about this place. It was so wonderful. Everything about the experience was great. The server was so sweet and kind (I didn’t catch her name) made lots of recommendations and was super honest; she let us know when she didn’t try dishes or drinks and she let us know what her favorites were. The pronunciation of the food items was not altered for the American audience. They are authentic. They have some outdoor seating (about six tables) which is heated and they have indoor seating. It gets busy really fast so get there early unless you want to wait. It is pretty clear that they are busy because the place is amazing. Such good food you really can’t go wrong. The sandwiches are great. The soups are great. The appetizers are great, we had the jerky appetizer, some spring rolls a couple of soups, some pho and a sandwich. It was amazing I can’t wait to go back.

TLDR: I'm Vietnamese and this place is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the world! I've tried it all over and this feels closest to home (after my mom's cooking of course)! How have I not reviewed this gem before?! My top 3 dishes here are the bánh tiêu (stuffed Vietnamese donut), phở bò (house beef phở), and bún chả (Vietnamese BBQ). I'm not a fan of their bánh mì but everything else I've tried is amazing! One day I want to try the egg créme hot coffee or egg créme cold brew! I just can't have coffee during dinner or else I can't sleep. I got there right when they opened at 6pm on Saturday and they filled up in half an hour! Pro tip: They have QR code you can scan to get in the virtual line where they text you when your table is ready. Service/timing can be slow and your beverages will likely arrive halfway through your dinner, but I still love this place so much. They currently have a special lunar new year snacks available for purchase through tomorrow! On the weekends they have a rotating specials menu from regions all over Vietnam. I went here for their second year anniversary prix fixe dinner and it was mind-blowing! I often tell people they need to come here for authentic Viet food!

Our group of 6 ordered the following items: Banh Mi BBQ Pork $13.95 Char fired pork belly, scallion oil, hoisin sauce Pho Dac Biet | Everything Beef × 2 ($17.95 ea.) combination beef pho with sliced rare beef, hand pulled brisket, beef tendon, and tripe Include sprouts, basil, lime, jalapenos Bun Rieu $21.95 House Beef Pho $15.95 sliced rare filet, hand pulled brisket. Bean sprouts, basil, lime, jalapeños on the side Include sprouts, basil, lime, jalapeños Banh Tieu Bo La Lot | Grilled Beef Stuffed Donut × 3 ($14.95 ea.) Savory grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves and stuffed into our sweet & salty donut with sticky rice and sausage Cha Gio | Crispy Spring Roll × 2 ($13.95 ea.) Crispy Spring Roll w Pork and vegetable filling inside crispy rice paper

I've lived in NY for the past 7 years in search for a true Vietnamese restaurant that reminds me of my family home cooking and Houston, Texas's Vietnamese food; this restaurant did just that! This long and arduous search had me dine at "highly recommend" Vietnamese places throughout NY (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Long island), but none hit the spot like this one (not even Madam Vo). My wife who wasn't really exposed to the world of Vietnamese cuisine initially though places like Madam Vo is good, but her taste buds quickly aligned after she tasted the liver pate mixture within the Vietnamese pork floss doughnut. The liver pate mixture in the fried doughnut-sticky rice is how it should be. It's very aromatic, flavorful and light so one would not feel greasy or heavy despite large ample quantity of food. Amazing flavor profile that's authentic in taste. This place is for comfort food and it serves more than just comfort and/or food, it served 110% satisfaction and place where I can see myself proudly telling friends/family that "there is finally a legit Vietnamese restaurant in NY". The menu is friendly that it's not off-putting to your not-so-average animal innards consumer, but it has these options for those who wants a true taste of Vietnam. The staple to all Vietnamese restaurant is their fish sauce mixture and Vietnamese coffee which they nailed down perfectly. But how can you tell this place is legit? Well for the lemon grass butter beef vermicelli bowl, every Vietnamese KNOWS you need LARGE quantity of fish sauce. This place served just the right amount! This place knows that this is the RIGHT way to serve it's customer in terms of comfort food hospitality. I did not order the Banh mi or any pho, but I will update when I do. Just a heads up. We arrived around 11:55am on a Saturday and there's already a line waiting and the tables are all occupied by 12:15 ish all the while managing take-outs. This speaks volumes to their quality.