Nha Toi

This place was amazing. The food was amazing. And the owner, Fred, was nice. He was direct, which is possibly what put off some of the other reviewers, but, seriously, if you’re expecting a fine dining experience from a small shop where you order and then sit down, well, you need to get a reality check. When the place was remodeled, he stopped carrying drinks, but he encouraged you to go to one of the bodegas on the corner (ten foot walk at the time) to grab something and bring it back. The reviewer who mentioned the annoying electric guitarist who would intermittently preach between songs, well, yeah, that sucked. But he was only there on Sundays, and you can’t really blame the restaurant for that. It was small, but you could call «cramped» cozy and be right.
But, sadly, Nha Toi closed. The website says it will open up in a different location perhaps soon, and I can only hope and wait.

I don’t know what the haters are talking about. The owner is rude? Well, I wasn’t there, but hey, people have bad days, running a business is hard and streesful, WHO CARES?! He’s always been polite and friendly with me, he remembers me and we always have a nice chat. Honestly, I’ve never seen him being rude to anyone.
How is the food? ALWAYS AMAZING! I come here 2 or 3 times a month, on average. In the colder months, I’m more inclined to get the phở. But generally, I order the ever-​changing specials. I’ve had some really magnificent ones, like anything with persimmon. Pork is always a good bet, no matter how it’s prepared. They also have some nice seafood, fish, shrimp, even cuttlefish But literally, nothing is a let down at this place. Definitely some of the best Vietnamese in NYC, if not THE best.

Don’t go to Nha Toi.
It’s very small, the guy running it can be a bit terse, there’s no drinks on the menu, the other day there was a guy on the other side of the street bashing out Christian rock tunes on his electric guitar like a hobo Neil Young so loudly that it made talking inside the restaurant a bit of a task (and it made me question my faith a little).
This place has nothing going for it, other than fantastic bowls of vietnamese loveliness, a dedication to good ingredients and a genuine celebration of the cuisine.
The cramped seating arrangements allow for overhearing the hipsters nudging each other in their boney rips whilst agreeing ‘This is the real shit bro!‘
And it is. Huge fried chunks of tofu, too many Portobello mushrooms, salads laden with fresh mint, soft tasty rice noodles that if placed end to end would reach the moon and back…
It’s the best vietnamese place in the neighbourhood. The other spots don’t compare, if you disagree please let me know because I love Vietnamese food and am disappointed by how few good places there seems to be in NYC.
For all of it’s failings and quirks if it’s a giant, tasty, fresh bowl of Phở or Bun that you’re after, then head here. Or don’t, because I want to be able to get a seat when I come back.

This was my first Vietnamese experience. So good!!! The place is pretty small but if you are lucky enough to find a table, sit down.
The portions are huge, I could have easily shared with someone. You must have the soup it was amazing.
If you a vegetarian (I am) this is a really fun option.

Family owned
they put so much love into their food

I’m always a bit apprehensive about coming here as I“m a big dude and, while they serve pretty huge portions, this isn’t really a big dude kinda place. It’s tiny and I’m pretty sure the stools you have to sit on were stolen from a kindergarten picnic table. The place is also weird as shit. Extremely random crap all over the walls that makes absolutely no sense but lends well towards the overall uniqueness of the joint (which is rarer than one might think in this neighborhood).
They have one menu taped to the wall with a bunch of notes taped around it with their specials written on them. You read the notes, figure out what you want and give the owner-​dude your order, who then barks it in, what I’m guessing is Vietnamese to his kitchen folks. Food comes fast. We pretty much only go for the Phở but whatever was cooking up last time we were in there smelled f-​ing delicious.
The phở: It’s not the best in NYC but the broth is decent. We get the veggie phở. Lots of noodles, mushrooms, tofu and scallions. Not much else in the way of veggies in here which is a bit of a disappointment but it’s still tasty. Dress it up with all the fresh basil, bean sprouts, sriracha and the jar of hot peppers on the table and you have yourself a nice, hot bowl of amazing. They don’t have drinks, save for a small water cooler with tiny cups but the bodega next door has plenty of options that you can bring in.
I’m not sure if this would be a destination spot if we didn’t live in the area but I do love the overall experience of eating here. Also, I’ve never had anything resembling an unpleasant experience with the owner. He’s always been awesome and friendly. Of course, I always throw money in the tip jar when I pay as should everyone else.

I consider myself a Phở connoisseur. Since moving to NY, I realized my professional opinion on my favorite soup when to a halt. WHERE THE PHoCK is ALL THE PHO?!
On a sunny warmish winter afternoon, I took the opportunity to conquer my Phở finding mission. This is day day where I hiked through Bed-​Stuy, got hooted and hollered at, tripped over some Steele Reserve bottles and slipped on a diaper, just for the love of this Vietnamese soup!
I had the LARGE brisket. It was probably the best brisket broth I have ever had. They had everything perfect. The perfect noodles to broth ratio, the perfect amount of meat. The perfect amount of sweet and spicy condiments swiveling by your side.
Their napkin dispenser had normal napkins and I didn’t have to tear them out piece by piece, which seems to be a common flaw in Phở joints (because your face gets all wet with broth and your nose runs, we need lots of ‘em).
Minus one star for the weird tasting water with the tiny disposable cups.
Ill be back, maybe tomorrow, but with my own water!

Fried catfish with rice and a side of phở for $ 12 bucks (good size portion too)! The meal came with pickled carrots and radish and a salad which complement the catfish and rice well. The catfish was really good! Nice and crispy yet very juicy. FYI — The side of phở is phở broth only.
It is nice not to have to go into Chinatown for Vietnamese food! It is also nice that prices aren’t ridiculous like other Vietnamese restaurants in Williamsburg such as An Nhau. The server was nice, helpful, and accommodating. I will definitely return to try more entrees especially their banh mi but unfortunately they won’t be serving them until summer.

Don’t be a fool and ignore the negative reviews. I did and look what I got.
Food: Looks like the best thing on the menu was their sandwiches, but they dont make those anymore. If you’re used to beef phở with rare beef, they don’t have that here either. I got the beef brisket phở and the broth was bland, the noodles smelled like bad breath and the beef was just plain overcooked brisket (see picture).
Service: I read a lot of negative reviews about the owner but I didnt care since I’m pretty agreeable, but I ordered two large soups for take-​out and when I got home one of the soups had spilled into the bag. It was in one of those sturdy plastic containers so it must’ve not been shut properly. When I called to request another soup or at least just the broth delivered, the guy on the phone (who I can only assume was the owner from other reviews) got extremely defensive and said that I must’ve been «swinging it around while I ran home in the rain». Then he told me to never come back and hung up on me.
It’s one thing if you’re a dick and make amazing food — I would just suck it up and try to understand the guy — but the food isn’t even good so ya, it matters that the guy is a jerk.
This place should just give up and stop writing fake 5 star reviews.

Although you can find similar quality for less in chinatown, in williamsburg nha toi is the best you’ll get. The phở is actually damn good which is unusual for a place that doesn’t have phở in the restaurant name. Truly funky décor as well, its not typical over cute themes but its definitely curated with a certain aesthetic.
Some people have problems with the owner/​proprietor but just don’t be a dick. I’ve seen him flip out and it’s a bit scary but it was due to people being dicks and thinking nobody will call them out if they are paying money to them. Nah, Fred is the real deal, a businessperson with integrity. Minus one star cause I miss chinatown prices.
PS the fried spring rolls are the best I have ever had, and I lived in Vienam for a year so I have had the absolutely real deal, and Nha Toi just has some secret.

Yeah the dude who owns it is a dick. wahtever, get over it. it’s a hole in the wall vietnamese joint. That said, he is a DICK.
The phở is mediocre compared to great phở, but so is all the phở in the city. Gotta go out west, or surprisingly philly, for great phở. This place does the trick when you’re in need.
I don’t fux w the banh mi here. I head over to Nam Nam for those.

I come here because I live in Williamsburg and sometimes I want Vietnamese food and there is no good Vietnamese food in Williamsburg. Also, it’s a hole-​in-​the-​wall (blink and you’ll miss it) and I dig the ambiance: it’s open fronted and local puerto ricans sit on benches outside. They shout to the owner, Fred, when the cops are coming; sometimes he dashes out of the store in the middle of taking your order cuz he needs to top up his parking meter.
I’m not vegetarian but I prefer the veggie phở to any of the other options — it comes with shitakes and fried tofu. The brisket in the beef phở is dry, the chicken is bland. The phở broth has some flavor and it’s not unpleasant. The summer rolls are pretty good, the veggie sides are good and usually only $ 2. Never tried the banh mi — they look horrible.
Don’t be surprised if Fred gives you the wrong order or if it’s mysteriously closed when it’s supposed to be open, definitely don’t come here if you are uptight, and prepare for disappointment if you’re used to West Coast Vietnamese food (or Vietnamese Vietnamese food). Otherwise, it’s not an unpleasant lunch spot.

I have not eaten at their restaurant, but I did have the pleasure of trying their food at the Weeksville Heritage Center’s «garden party» in Brooklyn.
They said the items were not on the menu, but if the food at the event was any indication, I would definitely eat there. They served grilled prawns, corn, pineapple and salmon with a great selection of homemade sauces.
These guys really seem to be into their food. I can’t speak about service in their restaurant, but I will give it a try very soon and update this review. They were very nice at the event.

The guy taking orders is a total asshole. I walked in, read the menu on the wall, and turned to place my order:
«What are you having?»
«I’ll try a beef brisket bahn mi, and one of the pork rolls please.»
«Where’d you see that? You gotta say what’s on the menu.»
«Uh, it says right here ‘pork roll’.»
«What’s the name on the menu?»
Even though I was pointing at it, it wasn’t enough for him. You’d think when someone is willing to pay your high prices for poorly rated food, you’d at least be helpful. Needless to say, instead of ordering I told him to fuck off and walked out.

When I ordered at this place, I asked the guy to hold the cilantro. Cilantro tastes like soap to me which has been documented as a genetic issue not just a matter of taste. He said very rudely that he wouldn’t do that. Fine, I decided I would just deal with it. Then he had the nerve to complain to me when I didn’t put anything in the tip jar.
Whatever, ate what I thought was pretty unexceptional Vietnamese food before the same guy, who I think is the owner, came out and accused my friend and I of taking pictures of the food. My friend had a backpack with him but we both didn’t have cameras and didn’t even have our phones out. We told him we weren’t doing anything and he said «You’re food bloggers right?» We told him we weren’t and he went back to the counter shaking his head. Weird.
As we left to got up he kept talking about how we were going to blog about this. He then said he knew we were food bloggers because we were Asian and Asian people are really into «Thinking hard about shit» and «Analyzing things.» I don’t care that he himself was Asian, I don’t like going to restaurants to get told what Asian people are «like»
I would also like to mention while we were there a bunch of white hipsters were coming in and out and he was giving them fist daps and chatting them up. I have no problem with him being friendly but I think it’s messed up that he made my friend and I feel so uncomfortable and feel like we were getting very different treatment because of our race.
Anyways, definitely not going to this place ever again and telling friends to stay away which is their loss since I live close and would likely have been a regular if the person that worked there was a decent human being.

I had Banh Mi for the first time here, and I’m definitely a fan! I chose the Lemongrass Pork, and it was delicious. The pork, tender and well-​marinated, couldn’t have been better, and was topped by the perfect amount of pickled veggies and mayo. And the bread was just how I like it– lightly toasted, and not at all soggy.
My friend ordered the Vegetable Phở, and she said that it was among the best that she has had in NYC.
And the owner was amicable, and added to an already enjoying evening.

I’m always on the lookout for great banh mi spots in NYC, so when fellow Unilocaler Ryan B. recommended Nha Toi, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
The storefront might be a bit hard to miss since everything around it is so much more colorful. It’s not the biggest shop, but the owner (?) did mention that they had just completed renovations and everything wasn’t back in order yet (they didn’t have specialty drinks yet).
I ordered the Classic because I wanted to see what their interpretation of banh mi was like. To my surprise, the people in the kitchen actually speak Vietnamese (or at least not Chinese), so that’s gotta count for something.
My sandwich did take a little longer than I liked (there were a few walk-​ins after I took a seat at the counter), but when it was delivered to me in a basket, halved and presented nicely over some napkins like a stork delivering a food baby, all was forgiven.
I had to add some Sriracha to it, and tried out their other sauces they had available (one was a vinegar based sauce, probably meant for spring rolls; and the other was just hoisin sauce). The only condiment in the sandwich was a version of mayo, and I didn’t taste too much of the pâté, which was listed in the ingredients. That aside, I scarfed it down since I was starving. The baguette was crisp without being too flaky (I hate choking on bread dust). And the cuts of meat were tender and had a smooth texture.
While I was here for the banh mi, I think I’ll be back for the phở since all the reviews are so positive. And I don’t even like phở that much!
Also, the free water is a nice touch!

This place left me not knowing what to think. I started reading the Unilocal 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 phở 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.

Look, Unilocal.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 Unilocal.
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 Unilocal 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 Unilocal 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.

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 phở a lot more at Ave U.