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Nha Toi
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
160 Havemeyer St(between 2nd St & 3rd St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
(718) 599-1820
- Nearest Transit:
-
Marcy Av (J, M, Z)
Metropolitan Av (G)
Hewes St (J, M)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
116 reviews for Nha Toi
Review Highlights
"The summer rolls are inventive (eg."
(in 21 reviews)
"For me this is maybe my favorite banh mi spot."
(in 36 reviews)
"Try the blueberry chicken bahn mi if they have it."
(in 19 reviews)
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116 reviews in English
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Review from Millie B.
Williamsburg, NY
1/29/2012
Phenomenal pho. I don't know what you haters are on about.
In my search for great pho, too many times I've been served a greasy bowl of fatty MSG broth. Not at Nha Toi. It is so light, fresh, fragrant and flavorful, (even the vegetarian which is SO rare for pho, as it turns out, all their pho is made with a vegetable based stock). Squeeze in the lime, pile in the bean shoots, tear up the basil and prepare for a party in your mouth. It is that good.
A word of warning, the small serving ($7) is HUGE, so unless you're a complete pho fiend who wants to consume your weights worth of soup & noodles, the small is a seriously generous portion and should satiate your pho appetite.
It's so large in fact, I was always too full to try any thing else on the menu, which saddened me, I was always left wondering what taste sensations I was missing out on given how good the pho was, but I could never bring myself to order anything else. Then I discovered the option to simply order a side of broth ($2). Yes it obviously comes sans noodles and other goodies but it's great if you want to try other things from the menu & still get a pho fix. The grilled lemongrass pork loin banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich, $6-7) is off the hook, as is the seared basa fish goi cuon (fresh rice paper rolls at $3-5).
FYI don't bother coming here if you're a picky eater who wants to substitute bits & pieces and be annoying with the menu, it's not allowed.
Otherwise, enjoy the pho-gasm that is Nha Toi. -
Review from Andrew A.
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was looking for good pho (in Bklyn and Queens) and a friend recommended this place.
As always I think it's important to call something what it is - This is a vietnamese restaurant that caters to the american palette - hence why it is located in Williamsburg.
So as far as americanized pho goes - it was decent (my brother felt it was too peppery - and definitely was farrrrrr from authentic - calling this authentic would be like calling General Tso's authentic chinese food). Also, there was practically no meat in it! $9 for a bowl of noodles with a few pieces of meat? You gotta be kidding me... -
Review from khaye m.
New York, NY
1/14/2012
My friend and I ordered for take out. We just asked if we can get extra spicy sauce. He said he already put two in there.
Um... Ok so can I get another one??
He responds "You might as well just buy the bottle"
Pfft, wow! Can I just say cheap and rude? Good way servicing your customers. Never coming back. -
Review from Trevor R.
Brooklyn, NY
1/7/2012
I moved to BK recently from SanFrancisco where cheap and delicious Vietnamese food abounds. This is the only thing I've tasted in NYC that comes close and now that I've been here more than a couple of times(like....four days a week for the last five months) I'd say that this might be my favorite bowl of Pho.
If you don't like the Pho here you probably should just keep trying. Unfortunately it's not always the same and I'm not sure I really care. This soup is made by the loving hands of a little Vietnamese lady(probably Fred's aunty) and the mildly inconsistent nature adds to the endearment. It's all worth it when you get that one piping hot, super fatty, not too salty, loaded with fresh cilantro, bowl of delicious Pho Ga. For $7 small and $9 large this is really the only decent working mans(womans) lunch in Williamsburg(besides Oasis falafel which is a pretty slammin deal).
*To the reviewer who says they are allergic to cilantro:I don't believe that anyone is really allergic to cilantro. Vietnamese food is not Vietnamese without it. Sorry buddy. -
Review from Kim N.
Chicago, IL
1/15/2012
Good enough pho.
But the rude jerk of an owner needs to go work in a real restaurant that will teach him what hospitality means. Then go back to Vietnam for a minute and humble himself. If not, find a job where you don't have to interact with humans.
After the 3rd time with each experience being off-setting, never going back.
This time, He made a mistake on my order, then blamed me for ordering the wrong thing, and then argued with me about what I said and what he heard.
Shame for the hard-working cooks in the back. -
Review from Hope R.
Brooklyn, NY
1/28/2012
Ok this is what you need to know: For Wburg Pho this is the place to go. Whenever I'm sick this cures me right up.
But if you want banh mi in the neighborhood, the place on Bedford and N 7 is better. -
Review from Amanda P.
Manhattan, NY
11/10/2011
I went to this spot during operating hours 2 days in a row (and I don't live in Brooklyn) and they were closed both times. I really wanted to try it and was even willing to overlook the interesting decor. I decided to call today before I went all the way there, just to make sure that they would be open and that there would be vegan options for me, given that I'd read that he refuses to make changes to any dish.
He answered. I asked him if there were anything vegan on the menu. He referred me to the menu on his website, which I've already read enough to know that it doesn't address my question. I ask him if there is mayo on the sandwiches. "Yes." "Can you make the sandwich without mayo?" "Absolutely not." "So there's nothing vegan on the menu?" "I guess not." Click.
Good luck staying open, dude. I love banh mi and would've been a loyal customer if I'd liked your food, but you can't alter something just a little so that I can eat it? My ample business goes elsewhere. He should be ashamed of the way he runs his business. -
Review from Erica J.
11/17/2011
It's difficult to find Vegetarian or Vegan Pho in New York; and near impossible to find GOOD veggie Pho. The soup at Nha Toi is packed with fresh mushrooms, bok choy, and onions, plus all the good fixings (no lemons like all those Manhattan places give you; Nha Toi gives you limes, bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos, fresh basil, chili paste and plum sauce, just like they should). the small is rather large, and I like to pair it with the pickled vegetable summer rolls, which are very unique and so crunchy and delicious. I've never tried anything else besides the veggie pho and the summer rolls, but those have been enough to keep me coming back. Once, I went here three times in one week. Yes, it's that good.
I hear they never pick up their phone, but I've never tried to call; I just walk on in and order. I've never had the owner act rudely towards me, in fact, he's always been either friendly or passive at the very least so I don't know what all the ruckus is about. -
Review from j p.
Brooklyn, NY
12/14/2011
I understand not wanting to make substitutions but they would rather lose your business than leave something out for an allergy. All I asked was to leave out cilantro and they flat out refused. What happened to customer service?!!
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Review from Su C.
Brooklyn, NY
1/14/2012
Fred's so great! We eat here at least once every couple weeks. Pho is pricey but good, the bahn mis and vermicelli can't be beat!
Tip well because Fred & the staff deserve it! -
Review from Tony F.
Brooklyn, NY
11/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great spot for authentic Vietnamese pho! Small space and limited dine in space but worth it and very friendly service!
Small but charming Vietnamese bistro! Great pho and spring rolls and cool price. Warning, small is large and large is humungous! -
Review from Kimberly H.
Brooklyn, NY
11/18/2011
A previous poster called the owner a douche. Fred is funny as hell, and trust me I'll be the first to point out if someone is abrasive and rude but Fred is not.
I agree the art on the walls is a bit intense(done by a neighborhood guy as the story goes) but it's part of what gives this place it's charm. This is Wburg not the burbs.
Either way the food is fantastic here, my favorite is the chicken Pho and the braised beef bahn mi. -
Review from Kevin Z.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 9/4/2011 1 photo
Look, Yelp. I've had a very good relationship with y'all for years, you've referred me to some of my favorite places. But we need to get something sorted, ASAP.
Getting accosted by the owner of this shop on my way home the next night after posting my last review--"Hey! Are you that piece of shit that took a picture the other day?"--after he called me a piece of shit for taking a photo of his Nazi propaganda for you all to see for yourselves? That's TOTALLY EXPECTED!! The guy's nuts.
The guy asked why I did that.
"Why? WHY Did I take a photo of your establishment? You have SWASTIKAS on your WALLS. The Nazis EXTERMINATED my PEOPLE." And then he just started making jack-off hand motions while I was talking and told me to research my shit, that his gay friend doesn't have a problem with the drawings so why should I? He's Vietnamese. He's a minority too. He gets shit from white people also.
JACKING OFF IN HIS HAND. At me, while DEFENDING HIS RIGHT TO HANG SWASTIKAS. I'm not saying a business doesn't have a right to hang a swastika. I'm saying that they shouldn't, which is the point of Yelp.
Again. Not to put too fine a point on it, but: THERE ARE SWASTIKAS ON THE WALLS OF NHA TOI. There is a GUILLOTINE, an AUSCHWITZ BANNER, and a COLORED-PENCIL DRAWING OF A JEW DANGLING FROM A NOOSE, all styled to look like the Holocaust is an amusement park a la Coney Island. I'm not interested in explaining on my way home why this offends me. I'm not interested in seeing this on my way home. I'm not interested in explaining to Yelp why this is unconscionable. I had a horrible dream last night, spurred by my anxiety about all this, that the Subway system was turned into a massive gas chamber a la Hitler. And the moral nuances of SWASTIKAS are NOT something that is up for debate.
"People on Yelp are hating on the owner, but he's always been nothing but friendly to my friends and I"--Really Christine Z.? Really?! I'm by no means a moral authority on, um, anything. But by those words you should be mortified of yourself.1 Previous Review:
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8/21/2011
There is a drawing on the wall of a Jew being hung at Auschwitz.
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Review from Alexandra C.
New York, NY
9/6/2011
This place left me not knowing what to think. I started reading the Yelp reviews while in the place and didn't understand what everyone was talking about. Then bf told me to look right next to me to my left and there were the pictures.
Weird. Awful. I don't know what to make of it. How could an owner hang up such offensive drawings?
That stuff aside - The pho was alright. Bf thought it was very good. I thought it needed some serious flavor - 5 spice....Something.
Sure it's a huge bowl and I liked the hard working older cooks in the back of the place but wouldn't return. Bad energy here. -
Review from Jimmy T.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 10/12/2011
Revisited. This place has some of the best pho broth in NYC.
and thats sayin something since Ive been around the block (and Im not talking Havemeyer)
Still pissed about the lack of weird meats, but watcha gonna do?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/12/2011
The scene is straight outta Reality Bites. Serving a secret Pho recipe has opened up a portal back… Read more »
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Review from Huy N.
San Jose, CA
9/6/2011
I've been in New Jersey for a week eating NY pizza, Shake Shack, Ippudo Ramen but have yet to try any Vietnamese food. The craving for good Vietnamese food struck me hard at lunch today.
A friend of mine suggest that I check out a Vietnamese sandwich shop in Brooklyn. At first I thought why Brooklyn? It's across the Hudson River and 100 miles away from my hotel. However, I gave in and left for the city at the peak of rush hour. It took a good hour just to get there.
I pulled up to Nha Toi pleasantly surprised that there are plenty of street parking. Keep a sharp eye out because it's small and dim. I waited in a short line before I met the owner Fred. I was famished at this point due to eating only a 6" sub from Subways for lunch. The order was for a traditional cold cut, lemon grass chicken, grilled pork and "Pho" banh mi. What the Pho?! I love pho and Vietnamese sandwiches. The two together is a brilliant idea!
All the sandwiches were tasty. The cold cuts had the right amount of meat with pickled carrots and daikon. The lemongrass chicken was tender and juicy. The grill pork was season perfectly. The "Pho" banh mi was amazing! Who would've thought seasoned meat used to cook pho would taste so good in a sandwich?
So were the sandwiches worth the drive? It was well worth the 3.5 hour drive(avoid the Holland Tunnel at all cost) to and from Nha Toi back to New Jersey during rush hour in the rain!
Visit Nha Toi if originality and flavor are what you seek to satisfy that hunger. -
Review from Reed M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/26/2011
Ah yes.... Nha Toi....
I have always been a fan of their bahn mi and pho, especially the blueberry pork bahn mi that pops up when the berries are in season. But my go to is the lemon pepper chicken which is soo tender and succulent. I'm usually not a cilantro person, you know that study done that says its chemicals in the head that makes people either love it or hate it, but I can put that aside for this. Also, the fresh fruit that changes almost daily is always a treat, you will definitely be trying fruits that you have most likely never had before.
BUT, this place also holds a special place in my heart. A week after getting my iPhone 4s I left it on the window counter and strolled off... 4 hours later after I realized I did not "just forgot it at home, oh well", I called and the owner said that he has it waiting for me. I picked it up, offered him some money for snatching it up and holding it though he refused it , his only request was that I continue to frequent the place and to tip (which I do).
This place is all around one of a kind, from the seating outside on the sidewalk, to the owners relatives making the perfect dishes, to the artwork done by Mishka on the gate when they are closed. You cannot find anything else like this in all of NY. -
Review from A N.
Brooklyn, NY
9/18/2011
I love this little spot. And i must say, I have never seen the owner grumpy, like the legend has it. I have ordered every type of summer roll and love them all! I also am a huge banh mi fan and the basa fish was awesome. I am so glad I live around the block from this place!! Highly recommended.
He closes at 9pm sharp, so get there early-- also the hours vary a lot anyway so it's hit or miss. -
Review from phanit d.
Brooklyn, NY
1/3/2012
Epic Fail. Bowl is the size of a cup noodle i thought it was a joke. Broth taste watery and bland, i cant even taste the MSG! Not enough meat, prob 2 slices of beef.. For $9 i can get a large bowl + an order of summer rolls in Chinatown manhattan.
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Review from mary k.
Brooklyn, NY
12/16/2011
Honestly, I am sick and tired of you pale-faced, sweaty-handed, cilantro-sensitive hipsters peeing in your Yelp shorts every time some guy gives you a little New York 'tude (except, props to the reviewer who used the term "douche bagel". That was pretty funny!)
This is the best pho in all New York, and I have tried nearly all pho/Viet joints in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. The broth is outstanding, and each bowl is filled to the brim with fresh cuts of vegetables and meat. Sure, the same sized bowl costs 80% less outside the Wburg, but the noodle : other stuff ratio pretty much sums up why it costs dirt cheap elsewhere (the equiv of a big burrito that is 90% rice). I will shell a few extra for freshness and color. I have no problem with that.
The sandwiches are spectacular, and they use a Parisian-style baguette (thin, long yet crusty, moist and dense).
As for the art on the wall, I have yet to see someone out right say that maybe this is rather a misinterpretation of artistic expression, rather than the owner-dude trying to shove Holocaust imagery into your banh mi. You can correct me on this one, and maybe the guy is a total Nazi, but I had to throw it out there. -
Review from Neil S.
Brooklyn, NY
7/12/2011
Wanted to like and support the place, especially these smaller type local restaurants. Food was decent, nothing amazing but for the markup of being in this neighborhood there are better options available.
Owner/counter guy, has Nazi attitude, along with art around the shop. I can respect that he's doing his thing, but maybe someone should remind him that they are in the hospitality business, but thats pretty much the last thing you find here. -
Review from Sandra S.
Purchase, NY
7/2/2011
As another user stated... "The guy at the counter is a self absorbed jerk and embodies everything that is wrong with north brooklyn."
The food was decent, nothing stellar. DEFINITELY better options for vietnamese food around. Even if the food wasn't blah, I wouldn't come back. Huge douche bagel, rude to employees as well as customers. Get the hell over yourself.
Oh, and the places is infested with flies. Disgusting! I guess if you really want to feel like you're in 'nam, it's great. -
Review from Mindy K.
Albany, NY
9/9/2011
Best. Pho. Ever.
Definitely the best in NYC.
I've traveled all over Vietnam, and this is really as close as it gets to the real thing. I've often dreamed about the real thing back here in the city. And finally, after a long search, shangri-la! Condiments - spicy and salty - on the table, sprouts and lime on the side. With real anise flavors and spices. Get the pho dac biet. It's huge, but it's totally worth it. If you can't finish it, take it to go! My boyfriend, a chef, was initially adamant that the best pho he's ever had was at a place in Providence. But with Nha Toi, he couldn't argue.
Their pho sandwich is also superb. So much deliciousness and pho-ness in the sandwich (the meat's braised in the pho broth, so melt-in-your-mouth good!).
Get their Vietnamese coffee if you like sweet, strong espresso quality coffee. It's nothing like espresso, as there's condensed milk mixed in, but it's got this deep, earthy, almost chocolate-y taste. Yum!
A tiny space, but it's kitschy and cute.
They do to-go orders as well and they're just as delicious eaten at home. -
Review from Aaron P.
Brooklyn, NY
6/15/2011
1. The pho is very solid, hats off to the cooks.
2. Images of the holocaust on the walls do not add ambience.
3. The owner is a nutbag dicknoodle. He yelled at me for not tipping, when in fact I had left a healthy 22% tip. -
Review from Jeff K.
Brooklyn, NY
12/7/2011
Love this place. The vegetarian pho is fantastic and the bahn mi is good.
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Review from Chiara Z.
Brooklyn, NY
7/14/2011
I use to live close by Nicky's and if you never had their banh mi you better jump on the train on go To the East Village. Well, when I moved in Williamsburg I looked hard to find a substitute. Well, Nha Toi it is not you.
Their pate it smells funny and it is sooo salty. The sandwiches are way to dry for my taste and their concept of spicy is a tiny tiny chili that lay lonely and miserable near your sandwich. And the poor little thing is not even spicy.
The beef bahn mi it is actually really good and the meat is fool of flavor.
But to kill this place is the owner. Man, if you don't like people you shouldn't work in the hospitality business!!! And what is with all that Nazi art? It is just sick! Never again!!! -
Review from Dominica C.
Brooklyn, NY
9/14/2011
After trying to sample the pho here for a number of weeks only to find the shop closed, I think it was worth the wait.
The broth was flavorful (though possibly not enough anise for my personal taste), condiments were fresh and abundant, and the bowl was enormous. I dare say the leftovers may have tasted even better later that evening. I also tried the Pho Banh Mi which was mouthwatering and juicy. Just the right amount of Hoi Sin. -
Review from Chris C.
New York, NY
11/8/2011
Gah, I want to love your Pho, but if you don't even pick up the phone when I call the number listed on your website 5 times, letting it ring forever each time, with no answering machine - I'm not coming to your restaurant. At least not today.
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Review from Daniel D.
Brooklyn, NY
5/21/2011
Sadly didn't get to try the food at Nhà Tôi. Upon calling to place an order for delivery, the owner put me on hold for around 4 minutes. When he came back to the phone, I asked him to pick two of his favorite Bánh Mi sandwiches and a summer roll. He refused to tell offer his favorites to me, offer the best sellers, nor would suggest a few from the menu. Instead he demanded I visit his website, and call back when I know exactly what I want. I quickly pulled up his website, started placing my order, when he aggressively said "read it all over" and he then then hung up on me. I called back, confronted him about hanging up on me. He said "I'm actually working here." and hung up again.
Obviously I won't be ordering food from them anytime soon. There are too many great options for Vietnamese food in this neighborhood (BEP for example), let alone Banh Mi shops. Customer service is key, regardless of how busy you are. I expect more from the restaurants in this neighborhood, and never would expect that type of treatment from the businesses owner. -
Review from Ryan B.
I've been going here steadily for a couple years now, and I am even more in love with Nha Toi than ever. Fred is such a stand-up business owner, he puts his heart and soul into that place. His food is incredible, and he is such a gracious host. People who have wrote reviews on here saying that he is a dick must have something wrong with them. I've seen him deny service to douche-bags who are rude to him both on the phone and in person. If you are a polite customer, he will give you the world. Chances are that people with bad things to say on here need to learn their manners. After recent renovations, there are even more seats and the place just looks wonderful. A++ all around. Thanks for doing what you do Fred.
Listed in: williamsburg
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/2/2010
I LOVE THIS PLACE. I have enjoyed Pho for years, but never heard of or even imagined a Pho sandwich… Read more »
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Review from Yee Mun W.
Brooklyn, NY
I'm actually not crazy about this place. The food was good but not great.... I was satisfied.
This place is really small and really dark.. too dark for my liking.
He ran out of some drinks and was cool enough to say.. "you can get something next door in the deli and bring it here, I don't care" I thought that was nice but he is not a friendly. I would read Buster T. and JoJo C. 's review. They did a good job explaining the attitude of the guy.
He does sound arrogant and doesn't really show to care for his customers. In a normal day I'll probably not go back... but if I feel forgiving and extra friendly. I would go and be entertained..
I appreciate small businesses and I would go to support if the food was not great and if they are friendly.. but even if the food is great.. I wouldn't want to be around someone that is not friendly.
I enjoy my $6 pho a lot more at Ave U. -
Review from Jake A.
Brooklyn, NY
6/19/2011
Man. If I am hungry, I want a sandwich. If I am high on drugs, I want a sandwich. If I am hungry, I want some pho. If I am high on drugs, I want some pho.
Definitely the best Banh Mi in brooklyn, possibly best Pho as well. Some of the best Pho I've ever had actually.
Every single type of sandwich is spot-on, and the specials are great too. Summer rolls make me want to by an orphanage full of children and place a single shrimp and some sauce lovingly upon their outstretched tongues, for yea, It is so: Nha Toi shall make a believer of ye (unless u r kosher)
Never disappointed by this place. You can always taste every ingredient used, fresh as a red-headed choirboy.
****One thing that actually sucks about this place: weird nazi art on the walls?!?! DO NOT want to be reminded of the holocaust while savouring meats.**** -
Review from Naomi A.
Durham, NC
9/23/2011
I went to Nha Toi today and admittedly wasn't impressed. It was okay, but I've certainly had better. The Pho just tasted like super salted chicken broth with a bunch of onions thrown into it. They skimped on the beef too... The Summer Rolls lacked flavor. Even the dipping sauce didn't help.
You ordered from a menu standing up at the back of the joint, which was okay, but seemed pointless, considering there are only about 10 places to sit in the joint anyway. The whole dining area is probably about 6 x 10, if that. I mean really, if they can bring you the food, can't they take your order 3 feet away as well? That just seems like lazy business standards to me and doesn't make for a welcoming environment, which brings me to my next observation: The "artwork". It was really dark and negative hand drawn NAZI shit. Very confusing, chaotic, and depressing, and plastered ALL OVER THE WALLS. The other reviews can tell you the details. I don't even want to give it the justice of my time and energy by explaining it.
Needless to say, I wont be back. I have no reason to. Any place that praises Nazi's and the holocaust is no place for me to spend my money. The only reason I did today is because I took a friend there (as per a couple of suggestions from other people... WTF). Besides, the food wasn't even that good!!
Would I suggest anyone else go? Yes, but only to splash paint on the artwork, then leave... quickly. -
Review from Laura L.
Brooklyn, NY
9/18/2011
I just recently moved to the Burg a few months ago and two of my friends recommended this place because I am Vietnamese from Southern Cali and have been on the endless search for an authentic Vietnamese pho.
So I get to the restaurant on a scorching hot summer evening and take a look at the menu. The Owner apparently was taking the orders. Coming from a largely Vietnamese populated neighborhood in Cali, I always ordered my food in Vietnamese so when it is translated into English I usually have to ask for clarification to make sure I'm ordering exactly what I want, just because some of the translations are a little off. So I ask the Owner which pho entree on the menu is equal to the Pho Tai (a typical Vietnamese pho). The Owner clams up and starts to get arrogant with me.
He rudely answers, "We don't have pho tai, NO ONE in Vietnam actually eats pho tai, its not authentic Vietnamese food"
excuse me??? I've traveled to Vietnam for a month and I had pho tai in every place that I stayed from the North to South of Vietnam and every where in between, and yes, I was in non-touristy areas too. There was absolutely no reason to make that type of statement just because he doesn't have it on the menu! I could have easily ordered something else, no big deal!
And who is he to talk about "authentic" Vietnamese pho....there is a "pho banh mi" on his menu!! I can guarantee you would NEVER find that in Vietnam. ridiculous...
So I suck it in, don't say anything, and order whatever was on the menu to-go. Pho was mediocre which I guess I could say was better than the service.
What makes my blood boil even more.....word on the street is that jerkoff has NEVER even been to Vietnam! After having learned that information, I had to break my Yelp cherry and write my first review. Go ahead, trick all your other customers that you know what authentic is....but this girl will never be back. No one should claim to be something they are not.
BTW- As I'm writing this I'm eating a delicious Banh Mi from Nam Nam. Great Vietnamese "authentic" Banh Mi also in the Burg and I overheard the very nice and humble cashier say they will be adding pho to their menu shortly! Excited! -
Review from Jennifer M.
Brooklyn, NY
7/24/2011
PHO is the best I have had in the city. Got it with the yummy thin sliced brisket. Order the small. The portions are huge here. Oh and it's BYOB. nice!
Cons:
tiny place so it's hard to grab a seat (worth the wait)
hot! (went there a few weeks ago and sweated through my clothes. combo of summer and hot soup)
Owner/chef was helpful and just fine. Can't wait til it cools down. It's just way too hot for Pho these days -
Review from Rio T.
Brooklyn, NY
8/5/2011
My local Vietnamese banh mi and pho joint. It has been a regular lunch spot for me since I moved to the area. I've tried several banh mi's: chicken thigh, chicken breast, basa, braised beef, the chicken breast pho, and the chicken summer roll - generally good stuff; in fact for a couple of weeks the pho was a daily staple as I battled the flu in the winter. Some of the weekly specials have been outstanding.
Fred is the owner/order taker, a San Francisco transplant as well (go Giants!), he's always been friendly, even though he's almost always on his feet doing something in the kitchen when not taking orders, cleaning up, or doing some DIY fix-ups in the shop. -
Review from Jane Y.
4/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amazing, delicious, cheap authentic Vietnamese. Had the beef brisket pho (small is 7 dollars), and the slices were incredibly tender. Also the crab and pork spring rolls (4 for 5 dollars), which are mini spring rolls of tastiness.
The food came out incredibly fast.
It's small. There are a few tables (including a video game console), and a counter looking out of the window.
It only serves homemade drinks (lemongrass soda, vietnamese iced coffee, and teas). No alcohol.
This is clearly a labor of love for the owner, but it shows in the food, which is the most important part. -
Review from anni b.
Brooklyn, NY
4/3/2011
Neighborhood gem! Loved it loved it! I believe I proclaimed that it is my new favorite place to eat in all of NYC. I'm obsessed.
It's really just a teeny hole in the wall that serves a very limited menu of Vietnamese staples. Bahn Mi, Pho, noodles, and spring rolls are basically it. But with creative awesome ingredients I'd never seen before in traditional Vietnamese food (bacon and shrimp summer rolls with 3 kinds of dipping sauce? Wha?) So amazing.
I was so excited to finally try the Pho Bahn Mi I'd been hearing about. It lived up to the hype. Pho ingredients on a bahn mi, with peanut sauce....mmmm, incredible.
The ambience is nil. It's really just a hole in the wall with like 4 tables. Really, more of a takeout joint. Not the place to go for a romantic night out. And somehow feels way more SF or Austin than NYC.
But the freshness, quality, and creativeness of the food is AMAZING.
You know what else is amazing? The PRICES! Dinner for two, which was a TON of food, was $20. No joke. Best $10 dinner I've ever had in my life.
Granted, Vietnamese is my favorite world cuisine, hands down, so I might be biased....but I think this is the best I've had in NYC in a really, really long time. Thank you for existing!!! -
Review from Buster T.
New York, NY
2/15/2011
Went to Nha Toi today for lunch for the first time. Big fan of Banh Mi and been checking out all the joints in the neighborhood but never tried this little charmer before.... And never will. I can't actually rate the food because Nha Toi and I never got that far in our relationship, so I can only rate the restaurant-customer relationship - Short but not sweet, it went something like this:
Nha Toi dude: - What would you like?
Me: Your Banh Mi veggie meat special sounds good - I'll try that.
Nha Toi dude: - Ok cool.
Me: -and can you leave out the cilantro please, thanks?
Nha Toi dude: - I can't do that.
Me: (..face a question mark)
Nha Toi dude: - I can't make modifications.
Me: uh..but..aren't the sandwiches made...to order..?
Nha Toi dude: - I can't make modifications.
Me: Hmm, I'm allergic...You can't just leave it out...?
Nha Toi dude: - I can't make modifications.
I'M *SAVING* YOU CILANTRO, YOU MORON! I then totally did not scream into his face.. But I should have. Fantastic customer service...
While I understand places that do not modify their *complicated* dishes it really is not very ****ing hard to *leave out* a cilantro leaf, now is it?
Now of course I could have gone through the hard work of removing it from a purchased sandwich myself...But I didn't think of that until after my imagined outburst of rage - and furthermore, there are other, much friendlier places in the neighborhood that can have my money... -
Review from Paulina V.
Brooklyn, NY
6/5/2011 2 photos
Hands down some of the best Pho I've ever had period. I'm quite the Pho snob (I'm Vietnamese and have lived in SoCal) and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with their Pho. The location itself also adds to the charm. It's an extremely small storefront seating 16 people tops (so if you have the utensils for Pho at home, I'd recommend take out) but well worth it. I love that the menu is as is (because it doesn't need to be changed!) and how simple it is. I'll definitely be coming back especially because I hear the Banh Mi is just as wonderful :)
I got the Pho Bo Vien and my room mate got the vegetarian Pho which was extremely yummy as well.
Five stars for amazing food (catering to vegetarians) and cool workers :) When they brought out the Pho, they found me by telling the cook that I was the Vietnamese girl, it made me smile and giggle :) Oh and the pricing wasn't terrible either. We got Tofu Goi Cuon (summer rolls), each a small Pho, and Iced Coffee for $12 each. Each item was delicious :)
