The most overpriced and overhyped restaurant in all of NYC (coming from a Vietnamese). People go here for the aesthetic and the rare bún đậu mắm tôm dish, but it doesn't justify the $37 price. This dish requires less time, effort, and skills to make than phở and other Vietnamese dishes. Ingredients shouldn't be that much more expensive. Yet, the price is out of this world. The portion is also very small. $10 for 4 tiny quail baluts. They don't even have regular baluts (duck eggs). Real Vietnameses know to spend money else where.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Hua Luo
overpriced terrible service only nice thing is the aesthetic but that’s not what i’m paying for
V B
We paid $80 per person tonight for their “special” hotpot, and honestly, I had to laugh. In Vietnamese we say “treo đầu dê bán thịt chó,” promise goat, serve dog. And this was exactly that.
The hotpot itself? A bland, watery broth with a few cubes of tofu, a couple slivers of beef, four dry noodles, and one small bowl of veggies. I kid you not. That’s it. If you’ve ever wondered what $160 before tax can get you in Chinatown, apparently the answer is a sad soup and a life lesson. And that’s before adding $53 worth of appetizers, meaning the grand total for two people was around $230. Even for New York, $230 for this kind of service and food is outrageous.
Now here’s the part that really sealed it. The Resy reservation itself was titled “Hotpot reservation for Mắm x Andy Ricker x Saltfields,” so already, Saltfields was positioned as part of the night. Then the listing explicitly stated:
> “We’ll have refreshing rice beer sponsored by Saltfields, and additional drinks will be available for purchase at Lai Rai.”
That’s in writing. So when we asked about it, the server looking annoyed and telling us to buy drinks next door wasn’t just dismissive, it was dishonest. It’s not about the cost of two beers. It’s about honoring what you advertise and not treating your guests like they’re hustling you for freebies you literally promised.
When I politely showed the owner the listing, the response was basically, “Oh, you must have misunderstood.” No, I understood perfectly: overpriced hotpot, underwhelming service.
And the space? Ridiculous. Narrow seating with servers constantly brushing past and walking back and forth as if we, the guests, were in their way. At this price point, the least you could do is make customers feel welcome instead of like obstacles.
To be fair, the restaurant is clearly loved by many and has gotten lots of attention in the press. I even liked it before. But if this is the experience you’re offering at $80 a head, I don’t see the hype lasting.
As a Vietnamese diner, I can say this felt less like celebrating our food and more like a parody of it. I wish the owners well, truly, they work hard, but I won’t be coming back.
---- Làm ăn thì nên tính lâu dài. Dù có thành công bây giờ nhưng nếu coi khách hàng như vậy thì cũng không chắc giữ được. Hi vọng các bạn sẽ rút kinh nghiệm và thay đổi cách phục vụ.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Khanh-Linh Duong
(Almost) perfect northern style Bun dau mam tom. Should add lime to the sauce. Price is high. But in general, good option for northern people who miss home 😂 Dont expect good service tho 😂 they will forget whatever u ask them. Appetizers dont have much to bring home about
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fried Tofu and Vermicelli Platter, Snails Stuffed with Pork
Marina Chen
We had an incredible time here! The food was outstanding and the service was so welcoming - we loved how unpretentious and comfortable this spot was. We felt really taken care of and we really appreciated the willingness to accommodate our dietary restrictions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mai Emma
I love their seasonal menu. I felt like pho is okay, but their bun dau mam tom is very close to what I had in Vietnam. Customer service is great, price is affordable, and no tip needed. I will come back to try more from the restaurant when new dishes are announced ❤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leann
You can tell the owner puts a lot of thought into the food. The menu is small, but every dish is crafted with care and feels very authentic. The service is excellent as well, they even ask if the sauce is too strong and happily adjust it to a regular sauce if needed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alicia Fischer
This place deserves all the hype!
The food they have here takes a great amount of patience, effort and skills to make. Yes, the price is not on the easy side but it’s definitely worth it. Confidently say this spot is the best for bun dau and one of the best Vietnamese food presentation in the US.
Just hope the drink might have a stronger or clearer taste profile!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lena Lena
Food is blank, asked for sauces and waiter never showed up until checkout. Pig intestine is not clean with yellow stuff inside, sauce is limited and tastes wired. Guess they have good marketing skills to attract people to eat here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Aaron P. Chen
The food is just as impressive as the decor. It's a fantastic place to explore traditional Vietnamese dishes you might not find elsewhere. I was particularly impressed with their mastery of flavors; every bite is a delightful surprise. The dishes are based on a combination of sour and spicy notes, but it's not a simple, one-dimensional heat. Instead, you taste a complex blend of flavors, from the soft acidity of tamarind to the fresh kick of chili. These are perfectly balanced with the rich aromas of a medley of spices like lemongrass, galangal, and basil. This approach gives each dish a deep, authentic Southeast Asian character, creating a truly memorable culinary experience.
This restaurant is truly a hidden gem! The moment you walk in, the charming and unique atmosphere sets it apart from typical Vietnamese eateries. It's clear the owner has a strong vision, creating a cozy and special space.
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that this place is highly sought after any unique experience in New York City. It’s cute sitting on the stools in the middle of New York City is very authentic in the experience. This place was on my list for a very long time as well as I’ve been craving some really good Vietnamese food.
Food - however maybe I’m not the right market. Everything had Cartlidge and tendon and personally I don’t love the texture of that. The food is very authentic to a point where I didn’t really enjoy intestine sausage, or Cartlidge was little too much for me however, my friends collectively also agreed it was just OK. There were a couple of standout dishes. I think the mushroom dish was excellent. Also the snails we’re pretty good
However, all in all this isn’t a place I’ll go back to or take my friends however, I have to recommend if you love that authentic super authentic kind of food go go for it. I just want something a little bit simpler and maybe it’s just my simple pallet. It’s a simple person.
The staff is excellent on point very friendly very fun. We had a great time chatting with them. They had some recommendations. They had some thoughts. Service was excellent. No complaints in that apartment and no complaints with the atmosphere.
Fun fact, you can bring your own beer and there’s a store around the corner which we did
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Rain Tamayo PH
Amazing food✨ Our fave is the chicken tendons🤤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joy Zhang
They let you byob so so you can go to the deli a hundred meters away and bring your own. Def really good and some things I think might be an acquired taste but the sauce reminded me of stinky tofu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
April April
We booked ahead and arrived on time, but our food wasn’t served until around 3:15. During that time, we noticed some confusion — our dishes were brought to other tables, even though they hadn’t ordered them.
Another concern: while sitting inside, I saw a server handling cash with one hand and then touching fresh vegetables salad with the other, even though she was wearing a glove. It felt unsanitary.
That being said, the food itself was very good — I especially enjoyed the platters, chicken feet, and rolls. The sauce was a little too strong for my taste, but I appreciated that they provided alternative options.
On the downside, water was only served once and never refilled. The restaurant is extremely busy, and the space feels too small and understaffed, which probably explains the delays.
Overall, the food is delicious and authentic Vietnamese, but service and cleanliness could definitely improve.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Wai
Overall, the experience was great. We sat down and ordered first, but our food was served to others who arrived after us. Maybe they had pre-selected their dishes and the kitchen prepared theirs ahead of time. I also noticed staff handling cash and then touching food, which was a bit concerning.
The most overpriced and overhyped restaurant in all of NYC (coming from a Vietnamese). People go here for the aesthetic and the rare bún đậu mắm tôm dish, but it doesn't justify the $37 price. This dish requires less time, effort, and skills to make than phở and other Vietnamese dishes. Ingredients shouldn't be that much more expensive. Yet, the price is out of this world. The portion is also very small. $10 for 4 tiny quail baluts. They don't even have regular baluts (duck eggs). Real Vietnameses know to spend money else where.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
overpriced terrible service only nice thing is the aesthetic but that’s not what i’m paying for
We paid $80 per person tonight for their “special” hotpot, and honestly, I had to laugh. In Vietnamese we say “treo đầu dê bán thịt chó,” promise goat, serve dog. And this was exactly that.
The hotpot itself? A bland, watery broth with a few cubes of tofu, a couple slivers of beef, four dry noodles, and one small bowl of veggies. I kid you not. That’s it. If you’ve ever wondered what $160 before tax can get you in Chinatown, apparently the answer is a sad soup and a life lesson. And that’s before adding $53 worth of appetizers, meaning the grand total for two people was around $230. Even for New York, $230 for this kind of service and food is outrageous.
Now here’s the part that really sealed it. The Resy reservation itself was titled “Hotpot reservation for Mắm x Andy Ricker x Saltfields,” so already, Saltfields was positioned as part of the night. Then the listing explicitly stated:
> “We’ll have refreshing rice beer sponsored by Saltfields, and additional drinks will be available for purchase at Lai Rai.”
That’s in writing. So when we asked about it, the server looking annoyed and telling us to buy drinks next door wasn’t just dismissive, it was dishonest. It’s not about the cost of two beers. It’s about honoring what you advertise and not treating your guests like they’re hustling you for freebies you literally promised.
When I politely showed the owner the listing, the response was basically, “Oh, you must have misunderstood.” No, I understood perfectly: overpriced hotpot, underwhelming service.
And the space? Ridiculous. Narrow seating with servers constantly brushing past and walking back and forth as if we, the guests, were in their way. At this price point, the least you could do is make customers feel welcome instead of like obstacles.
To be fair, the restaurant is clearly loved by many and has gotten lots of attention in the press. I even liked it before. But if this is the experience you’re offering at $80 a head, I don’t see the hype lasting.
As a Vietnamese diner, I can say this felt less like celebrating our food and more like a parody of it. I wish the owners well, truly, they work hard, but I won’t be coming back.
----
Làm ăn thì nên tính lâu dài. Dù có thành công bây giờ nhưng nếu coi khách hàng như vậy thì cũng không chắc giữ được. Hi vọng các bạn sẽ rút kinh nghiệm và thay đổi cách phục vụ.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
(Almost) perfect northern style Bun dau mam tom. Should add lime to the sauce. Price is high. But in general, good option for northern people who miss home 😂
Dont expect good service tho 😂 they will forget whatever u ask them.
Appetizers dont have much to bring home about
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fried Tofu and Vermicelli Platter, Snails Stuffed with Pork
We had an incredible time here! The food was outstanding and the service was so welcoming - we loved how unpretentious and comfortable this spot was. We felt really taken care of and we really appreciated the willingness to accommodate our dietary restrictions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love their seasonal menu. I felt like pho is okay, but their bun dau mam tom is very close to what I had in Vietnam. Customer service is great, price is affordable, and no tip needed. I will come back to try more from the restaurant when new dishes are announced ❤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You can tell the owner puts a lot of thought into the food. The menu is small, but every dish is crafted with care and feels very authentic. The service is excellent as well, they even ask if the sauce is too strong and happily adjust it to a regular sauce if needed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place deserves all the hype!
The food they have here takes a great amount of patience, effort and skills to make. Yes, the price is not on the easy side but it’s definitely worth it. Confidently say this spot is the best for bun dau and one of the best Vietnamese food presentation in the US.
Just hope the drink might have a stronger or clearer taste profile!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is blank, asked for sauces and waiter never showed up until checkout. Pig intestine is not clean with yellow stuff inside, sauce is limited and tastes wired. Guess they have good marketing skills to attract people to eat here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food is just as impressive as the decor. It's a fantastic place to explore traditional Vietnamese dishes you might not find elsewhere. I was particularly impressed with their mastery of flavors; every bite is a delightful surprise. The dishes are based on a combination of sour and spicy notes, but it's not a simple, one-dimensional heat. Instead, you taste a complex blend of flavors, from the soft acidity of tamarind to the fresh kick of chili. These are perfectly balanced with the rich aromas of a medley of spices like lemongrass, galangal, and basil. This approach gives each dish a deep, authentic Southeast Asian character, creating a truly memorable culinary experience.
This restaurant is truly a hidden gem! The moment you walk in, the charming and unique atmosphere sets it apart from typical Vietnamese eateries. It's clear the owner has a strong vision, creating a cozy and special space.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that this place is highly sought after any unique experience in New York City. It’s cute sitting on the stools in the middle of New York City is very authentic in the experience. This place was on my list for a very long time as well as I’ve been craving some really good Vietnamese food.
Food - however maybe I’m not the right market. Everything had Cartlidge and tendon and personally I don’t love the texture of that. The food is very authentic to a point where I didn’t really enjoy intestine sausage, or Cartlidge was little too much for me however, my friends collectively also agreed it was just OK. There were a couple of standout dishes. I think the mushroom dish was excellent. Also the snails we’re pretty good
However, all in all this isn’t a place I’ll go back to or take my friends however, I have to recommend if you love that authentic super authentic kind of food go go for it. I just want something a little bit simpler and maybe it’s just my simple pallet. It’s a simple person.
The staff is excellent on point very friendly very fun. We had a great time chatting with them. They had some recommendations. They had some thoughts. Service was excellent. No complaints in that apartment and no complaints with the atmosphere.
Fun fact, you can bring your own beer and there’s a store around the corner which we did
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Amazing food✨ Our fave is the chicken tendons🤤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They let you byob so so you can go to the deli a hundred meters away and bring your own. Def really good and some things I think might be an acquired taste but the sauce reminded me of stinky tofu
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
We booked ahead and arrived on time, but our food wasn’t served until around 3:15. During that time, we noticed some confusion — our dishes were brought to other tables, even though they hadn’t ordered them.
Another concern: while sitting inside, I saw a server handling cash with one hand and then touching fresh vegetables salad with the other, even though she was wearing a glove. It felt unsanitary.
That being said, the food itself was very good — I especially enjoyed the platters, chicken feet, and rolls. The sauce was a little too strong for my taste, but I appreciated that they provided alternative options.
On the downside, water was only served once and never refilled. The restaurant is extremely busy, and the space feels too small and understaffed, which probably explains the delays.
Overall, the food is delicious and authentic Vietnamese, but service and cleanliness could definitely improve.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Overall, the experience was great. We sat down and ordered first, but our food was served to others who arrived after us. Maybe they had pre-selected their dishes and the kitchen prepared theirs ahead of time. I also noticed staff handling cash and then touching food, which was a bit concerning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
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