Beautiful Vietnamese spot w/ delicious pho & unique fried dough dippin'. Upscale vibe, friendly staff.
La Dong, a Vietnamese restaurant located near Union Square, offers a visually appealing dining experience with its Colonial-era inspired interior, featuring wooden arches, private booths, and lotus lamps. The ambiance is frequently praised as beautiful and upscale, providing a pleasant contrast to more casual eateries. The menu includes Vietnamese staples such as pho, banh mi, and summer rolls. The pho is a focal point, with some patrons enjoying the flavorful broth and tender meat, even suggesting a unique way to enjoy it by dipping fried dough into it. Others find the pho to be just adequate, and some believe the restaurant leans towards fusion cuisine rather than traditional Vietnamese flavors. The crepe appetizer and shrimp summer rolls are frequently recommended, as is a fried dough dessert with coconut ice cream. While the restaurant is noted for its attractive setting and friendly service, some customers feel the prices are a bit steep for the quality or authenticity of the food.
La Dong offers Vietnamese cuisine with a focus on pho, which receives mixed reviews. While some find the broth tasty and the meat good, others describe it as just 'fine' or not traditionally authentic. A unique recommendation is to dip the fried dough add-on into the pho. Other dishes like spring rolls and a crepe appetizer are highlighted positively. The restaurant's banh xeo is noted as being more like a taco, and some feel the food can be fusion-oriented rather than strictly traditional Vietnamese. The prices are generally considered comparable to other basic Vietnamese restaurants, but the more upscale environment is seen as a plus.
"The chicken pho is recommended, with a unique suggestion to dip the fried dough add-on into the broth. The crepe appetizer and shrimp summer rolls are also highlighted positively."
Customers generally have a positive sentiment towards La Dong, praising its beautiful interior and friendly service. Many enjoy the pho, with some specifically recommending the chicken pho and noting the unique experience of dipping fried dough into the broth. However, some find the prices a bit high for the portion sizes or feel the Vietnamese dishes lean towards fusion rather than traditional authenticity. There are mixed opinions on whether the restaurant excels at Vietnamese cuisine compared to Thai food.
Important Note
Some find the Vietnamese dishes to be more fusion-oriented rather than strictly traditional, and opinions on the pho's authenticity and price point vary.
"The user mentioned that La Dong serves good pho, which can be made intensely spicy by adding all the accompanying bird's eye chilies."
Positive"The user recommends La Dong as a restaurant option."
Neutral"I 2019d like to try the Banh Mi there. I had the Pho and was underwhelmed, I didn 2019t find it that flavorful."
Negative"This is the best photo I 2019ve had in NYC imo"
Positive"La Dong is owned by Thai Villa/Pranakhon 2019s group I think, the interior style is very similar"
Neutral"I like the texture of the dough when you dip it in the broth. I liked the broth, another commenter said it 2019s northern Vietnamese style pho so no hoisin or sriracha, but it was good on its own."
Positive"The dough is more like a gimmick tbh, could do without it."
Negative"i liked la dong but it didn 2019t scratch a pho itch for me. was more like a good noodle soup? also a little pricey for what it is imo"
Neutral"I personally wasn 2019t crazy about La Dong. Knowing that the owners opened Thai Villa and Pranakhon, I feel like they should stick with Thai food instead."
Negative"There were some items that tasted more on the fusion side to me but for authentic viet, La Dong would be last on my list."
Negative"Has anyone tried their buns b 00f2 Hu 1ebf to see if it 2019s legit? I 2019m so tempted!!!"
Neutral"It 2019s good for certain items. Would just caution it isn 2019t very traditional viet food, their banh xeo is just a taco."
Neutral"I did enjoy their dry pho"
Positive"Look at the interior for La Dong. Clearly La Dong is much nicer and there's a time and place for choosing a hole in the wall or very basic restaurant vs choosing a much nicer upscale place. And even though La Dong is way nicer from an environment perspective, the prices are nearly identical for pho and spring rolls...$21 and $14."
Positive"It's literally priced the same as much more basic hole in the wall type places lol. I thought it would be way more expensive but it's $21 for pho and $14 for rolls which is about the same as any other basic vietnamese restaurant place but you get to sit in an actual nicely designed and laid out restaurant."
Neutral"Put La Dong in your mouth and savor La Dong 2019s taste"
Neutral"They gave me little chilis and garlic on the side"
Neutral"I wandered in here last night, and I loved it! Beautiful interior, super friendly staff, great food. Whoever is in the kitchen working the fryer is the real MVP."
Positive"The crepe appetizer was the highlight for me, and the donut with coconut ice cream and coffee dessert was banging."
Positive"The pho there is fine"
Neutral"Honestly, I really wanted to love this spot, but after three visits I feel that it's not worth the high price."
Negative"The only standout item I've had is their shrimp summer rolls, which are packed with fresh veggies and shrimp with an excellent dipping sauce."
Positive"The pho had a nice broth, but the meat was fatty, and they don't give you a plate of fresh herbs and peppers to apply yourself."
Neutral"Get pho and get the fried dough add on, dip fried dough in the pho. Texture-wise it 2019s a bit like dunking a donut in coffee. The broth was tasty and the meat was a bit fatty and tasted really good"
Positive
