I'm a big fan of Ha Long Bay- I love their apps and curries. However, my dish this time wasn't as good as usual. We started with Vietnamese shrimp and pork spring rolls, these were delicious! The peanut sauce is great and you can tell these are super fresh. The crab rangoons were also great! A lot of filling and very tasty. We also tried the chicken wings and LOVED them! Soo good, we could have ordered more. I tried the Nem Khao Tod.. it wasn't my favorite. A very overpowering mint flavor.. My husband has the green curry soup with extra noodles- he enjoyed his quite a bit. Still love this place and recommend to others read more

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Everyone knows Ha Long Bay is a truly a Madison staple. I ate the crab wontons before I got a chance to take a pic - they're that good! The food is great and service is friendly. If you're in Madison and you haven't tried this place, get your booty over there ASAP! read more

Ha Long Bay - TN4. Pad Kee Mao - Drunken Noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Had planned to stop in to curb my month long craving for a warm bowl of Pho. As I got there it was very busy, so I decided to put in a go order. Staff was friendly, told me it was a 30min wait, and I explored the area while waiting. I was worried about getting pho to go since I always enjoy being able to add all the sauces, and fixing to my dish. However, I was surprised, the to go bag had my pho, also included all the toppings (as I expected), and they put in hoisin sauce and siracha! Was glad I could include all the elements of my meal at home. Was it the best bowl of pho I ever had? No. But it was good and definitely did the job in addressing the craving. read more

Ha Long Bay - PH4. Pho Tai Gan - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Terrific food We didn't have to wait long even though this place always seems busy . This is our third try but this time we were able to get in. Remember you're there for the food not the decor but it was bright and fun Really good food and tailored to the heat level of the diner. The papaya salad was delicious. Spicy dumpling's delicious so that we fought over them. The crispy rice dish with pork sausage which was Laotian was our favorite. We also had a thick noodle dish with the noodles fried which was a rich mix of flavor and texture The servers were working hard to get things done. The only dissatisfaction was a short beer list but Spotted. Cow goes with everything LOL Worth the effort read more

Absolutely wonderful food. Definitely a hole in the wall... Perfectly delicious comfort food!! We will be back! read more

Ha Long Bay - Drunken noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I enjoyed my lunch here but I'm honestly not sure why it's so popular, though I assume it's because of the fact that it's downtown which makes it accessible to all of the college kids. No matter the reason, it's a busy and small restaurant which means it can be loud, hard to find parking, and difficult to get a table or even place an order over the phone sometimes. The first time I came here was on a Saturday around 7pm - I went in because I called three times and it was either busy or they didn't answer so I couldn't place a pickup order. When I got there, they were absolutely packed with no tables available, there were 3-4 people in front of me who were waiting to order, and more people were piling in behind me so I decided to leave. I went again today around 3pm and there were only a couple of customers inside so it was fairly quiet and I was able to get in fast as well as find close/easy parking (I recommend the free lot beside the St. Vincent De Paul Store). The Thai Spring Rolls are huge and they taste great plus the lime water is wonderful, so no complaints there! As for the Beef Meatball Pho, it was good but I've certainly had better broths and the meatballs had a bit too much fat for my liking. They were also out of guava juice which was a bummer, but my waiter was very friendly and helpful. Overall, it was a nice experience but I don't think I'd go back. read more

Ha Long Bay - Thai Spring Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Been planning to have dinner at Ha long, but we balked on two occasions. First, we were unable to find a place to park near the restaurant and had to with another place that had ample parking, The second time, we took Uber but the wait times for a table was too long and the place was very crowded to our liking. Today, the third time was a charm. We found a close parking place, wait time was a mere 15 mts! Place was still crowded, and after we sat down, a waiter came apologized and said he will be back soon! It took at least 20 mts but we were ok and realized it was crowded and the semester had just begun in Madison. Soon the appetizers and main dishes came and all the delays were forgotten. Food was hot, nicely made, tasty, spicy and generous portions Overall very happy with the food and will recommend this place. Hopefully they will address the parking and wait times issues read more

This place went down hill so bad. We sat for a hr with no one in there waiting for someone to take are orders. Then another hr 30 min for spring rolls. We finally got are food and it was so salty we had to send it back to be re made. We use to come here all the time and it was good, idk what happen. The only good part was the owner came out and made things better but we were there for well over 2 hrs. The papaya salad really disappointed me today. No flavor or spice to it. read more

Ha Long Bay - SL1. Som Tum - Papaya Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Huge menu with so many vegetarian options! I came in around Christmas time to visit a friend and we were so thankful for the delicious, heartwarming meal. We were also thankful that we arrived before the dinner rush -- it got so busy! I really loved the fried Golden Tofu appetizer, and it was the perfect portion for sharing. I also ordered the Squash Curry, and while the flavors weren't my favorite personally, I was impressed with the texture of the squash and the freshness of all the vegetables, thoughtfully prepared. Clearly this is a place with people that respect food, as there were so many inventive and unique entrees. I look forward to coming back! read more

Ha Long Bay - TC6. Squash Curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

YUMMMM!!! Came here on a Friday afternoon and the place was decently packed. Luckily there was no wait so we were seated very quickly. The menu was a little overwhelming as they have so many delicious dishes to choose from! I ended up getting the pho and shared the crispy chicken banh mi. Pho: 8/10 They pack a lot of meat into their pho which I really liked, but the broth wasn't as flavorful as other places I've eaten pho at. However, still probably one of the best places to get pho in Madison! Banh mi: 10/10 WOW! The banh mi was very very good. It was packed full of chicken and veggies! The chicken was nice and crispy and full of flavor. Amazing deal for only $7. The only thing I would critic about this place is that some of the servers looked like they didn't want to be there, which isn't usually a problem, but this time it was very noticeable. Luckily my server was super nice and patient, even when I told him I needed a little more time with the menu twice! read more

Ha Long Bay - Banh mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Delicious food!!!!! Sometimes there is a wait and it gets busy but worth it! Recommend this place for sure! read more

Some of the best Thai food I've ever had! Very basic atmosphere and very reasonable prices. What else needs to be said?

It was our first time eating at the restaurant with friends. We have gotten take out once before. They were super busy with a line of people to the door either picking up food or to be seated. We had a reservation so it was a little easier for us to get through the crowd. I stuck with my usual squash curry with chicken (TC6) because it's the absolute best! I love it for leftover lunch or dinner too. We had a larger group so it took awhile for the food but it was worth the wait. I can see how this place is always so busy that you can't get through on the phone line! The food is delicious! read more

Ha Long Bay - TC6. Squash Curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Their food is always excellent and the menu has a ton of options so everyone can find something good. Looking forward to going back soon!

The food was good, but the service was not so great. After we were seated we got moved because they put us in a seat that was reserved. Then the waiter we got in our new seat disappeared and it took forever to get our food while everyone around us got their food and finished eating. I probably will not go back. I can get good Thai food other places. read more

Ha Long Bay - Wide noodles and Squash Curry. - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Used to be my favorite place to dine in and order to go. My favorites were Spring rolls, Pad Se-euw (thick noodles) and mango sticky rice for desserts. Very obvious that they changed recipe or ingredients or just the way to cook them because TASTE definitely changed and not good! I want them to stay in business and I hope they read this and try to bring back original quality! Spring rolls: used to have ground pork but now it's this sliced pork meat that has No taste! Very bland! Same with the whole veggies with it! Missing the amazing salty/sweet flavor from previous version. The thick noodles dish, noodles were over cooked! They were basically melting in my mouth and tasted like raw dough! They used to be very flavorful and perfectly cooked! The mango sticky rice, the mangoes were sour that it seems they've gotten a bad batch of mangoes and did not even care to bother to do quality taste check! The sticky rice used to be a little sweeter. I remember having the same desserts from Little Palace and it was good there. I heard the same owners for the new Ha Long Bay and Little Palace and I don't know why their quality is far way different! I hope HLB makes some necessary changes and improvement to their dishes or they will continue to lose customers like me! read more

Best Laos food I've ever had at a Thai restaurant. The flavors were very authentic and everything I ordered was made perfectly. I was told there's always a long waitlist but I was lucky to go on a night that wasn't too busy and got seated right away. If you love Thai and Laos food, don't miss the opportunity to try it. read more

We came to this restaurant by recommendation and word of mouth. When we got there, it was super busy so we waited 45 minutes. It went by quickly though because there's a bar called Gib's right across the street with wonderful drinks (try the cocktails)! Once we finally got inside, our night took a turn for the worse. Our server, this shorter white guy with a ponytail was incredibly rude. He never once checked up on our table and moved super slowly. The only way we could get him to our table was to ask the other servers for their help. Those servers were so nice and sweet! I think we would've had a much better experience with them. We don't even know his name because he didn't introduce himself (probably good for him now lol). After like an hour (with the help of two very kind servers who kept trying numerous times to find our server), we finally received our two orders of salad rolls (one shrimp and the other shrimp and pork), tofu pad see ew, the Vietnamese fried shrimp, and duck squash curry. The food was okay; not amazing, but not bad. I felt like it was very fair for the price we paid. I would probably give it 3.5 stars based on food alone. However, our waiter really ruined our experience. He was so short with us and so rude that we've been talking about him on and off for days after cause we're all still in disbelief. When he handed us the check, he just slid it on the table and left, not looking back or saying a single word. It was especially weird because he treated the table in front of us so kindly... I'm not sure what was wrong with him, but it was not cute. I've never been treated this way before. I'm only giving this place two stars instead of one because the other servers were so wonderful and the food was decent. read more

Ha Long Bay - Not depicted: our awful server - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We visited this place on a whim for dinner one night. I got the Vegetarian Pho and Thai iced bubble tea. It is quite difficult to find a good tasting veggie pho, so I didn't have high hopes. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The broth actually had flavor and the bowl was loaded with veggies. This has become my favorite pho place in the area. read more

Ha Long Bay - Vegetarian Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This place has been on my list for a couple of years, and I finally made it in yesterday. I read a few Yelp reviews and looked at photos to help narrow down the massive menu, which features Vietnamese, Laotian, and Thai dishes. I settled on the Fried Chicken Wontons that Steven T. recommended. They were definitely delicious, and I can't complain about more filling, since they were fairly inexpensive. The fresh spring rolls with friend pork eggrolls inside of them (AP10 on the menu) were pretty good, but the dipping sauce really elevated them. I decided on the pho for my entrée. I ordered the PH7 menu item, with rare beef, flank steak, and meatballs. The broth was one of the best I've ever had, with an amazing fragrance and savory flavor. The meatballs were great, the rare steak cooked in the hot broth and was ok, but the flank steak was thick cut and pretty dry and flavorless. Food was good and service and value were both excellent! I will absolutely go back. The Laotian dish with ground chicken, sausage, and crispy rice (menu item LS7) will be my entrée next time. The table next to me ordered it, and it looked amazing! read more

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Had heard from friends and seen in the local press that this was THE place for Vietnamese and Thai food in Madison. We also heard that given this popularity the waits are gruesomely long. Despite this knowledge the four of us showed up stupidly on a Saturday night at 7pm and were told it was a one hour forty five minute wait. Wow! They only take reservations for five or more. In the end we ONLY waited 45 minutes. The problem with waiting here is there is nowhere to wait and no bar. And they use no technology to alert you that your table is ready so you are stuck waiting in the tiny entrance area. We finally get seated and I realize I should have been studying the massively long menu - lots of good choices. Each of us ordered a different dish - I got a Thai curry dish that was good but nothing special. I know the others liked what they had but in the end my conclusion was that it is not worth the wait. Being new to Madison we haven't checked out other restaurants of this genre but I find it hard to believe that somewhere else doesn't serve equally good food without the wait but then again it won't be on trendy Willy Street... read more

A group of four were excited to try the restaurant based upon glowing reviews. I'm sorry to say that we were sorely disappointed. Things just did not rise to the level of our expectations. My wife and I are very experienced in Asian cuisine. First, our pre dinner wine orders were served in warm glasses and were much too warm to enjoy. We wanted to enjoy our meal somewhat leisurely, but we were very rushed to order...appetizers even before the drinks were served. I must say that the Vietnamese fresh rolls with shrimp were excellent...nice sized portion, fresh delicate flavors and both the fish sauce and peanut sauces were good. But from then on, disappointment. We hadn't finished the rolls when the waiter was prompting us to order the rest of our meal. He was in such a hurry that he failed to remind us that we could order different spice levels with our dishes. We both tried the Tom Kha Soup, a dish we usually really enjoy. The coconut broth was fine, but it seemed to be lacking some crucial ingredients, such as Thai chiles, cilantro and oyster mushrooms (it seems that button mushrooms were used instead). There was adequate chicken, but the expected heat from the chiles was distinctly missing. We were again rushed to order our mains, and, again, disappointment. One of the entees (Pho Tai Nam) was delivered cold and had to be returned. The Green Curry was average at best, with a very watery base, and not many ingredients outside the chicken. Most disappointing to me was the Pad Thai. Overdone rice noodles, adequate pork, but no sprouts, cilantro and very few peanuts. It was quite bland due to the lack of spice. The restaurant was very busy and, therefore, very loud, so much so that the four of us had difficulty communicating. I personally love the concept of this restaurant, but unfortunately will not be returning. read more

It's been over four years since I've been to Ha Long Bay - and I remember my last experience being good. Ha Long Bay has a good reputation, but I was extremely disappointed I chose it for dinner. I don't know if we just were unlucky, or if things have declined, but the food was generally lackluster and flavorless. The service was okay; our server was nice but clearly flustered...confusion with our orders being correct, not having the utensils needed to eat...it was just a generally disappointing experience. The one good thing about it was we didn't have to wait for a table; but maybe if we had, we would have gone somewhere else. We started off with some appetizers, which were easily the best food items of the evening. The Spicy Wontons were my favorite - these were the most flavorful things we tried. They were perfectly spicy, and the bok choy was a nice touch. The sauce was delicious. The Thai Spring Rolls were nice, although the noodle was a little odd and floury. I prefer the rice spring roll wrapper, but these were solid. The fillings were good, as was the sauce. I ordered the Green Curry with Tofu and immediately regretted it. I had asked for a 2/5 spice, but there was no flavor to be found in this dish. The curry was so extremely watery...this was probably the worst curry I've ever tried. The sauce was more of a flavorless, thin broth. The tofu was odd and looked like compressed, wrinkly scrambled eggs, the eggplant was almost non-existent, the bamboo was tough and chewy, and the green beans basically seemed to have come out of a freezer bag. Maybe I just got unlucky and it was an off night for whoever made it, but I was so, so disappointed. I ate some of it because I was hungry, but I really wish we had just ordered more appetizers and not bothered with the main dishes. The Duck Pho was alright; the duck was a little tough and chewy for me. The broth was alright but not as flavorful as most pho I've tried. The bowl was big, but the toppings which accompanied it were a small amount. The jalapenos were sliced too thick to eat as they were, and there weren't many bean sprouts. All-in-all, I would not recommend going to Ha Long Bay. I don't know if it was just an off night, but the experience was a far cry from the reputation they have. As we were leaving, we saw a couple get turned away at the door because they had too long of a wait. I was left wishing this had happened to us as well. read more

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Ha Long Bay has gotten so much better! I cannot live without their pan fried chicken dumplings at least once a week.

Spring rolls were ok. Nothing like they used to be. Pot stickers were big with this weird dough with small filling. Chicken satay was very small and not at all with the money. We had this fried ramen dish that was disgusting and inedible. Our server was very sweet. They were out of the better of the two Thai beers they offer. Floors were sticky thought the entire restaurant, including the restroom. I saw a male employee enter the single use women's restroom, while the men's was unoccupied. I had to wait quite some time for him to depart the restroom. Restaurant smelled off. I live in California and have always come here when I am home for a visit. I loved their food. This visit was pretty terrible! I will never go back. read more

Too bad the new owner tossed out such an amazing place. Favorite Asian food in Madison and now she is gone after 15 years or more

One of the best curries in Madison! Staff are friendly. The only downside is their phone line is often busy. If you are calling for take out, be prepared to keep trying until you get through. read more

The famous LS7 Nem Khao Tod at Ha Long Bay in #madisonWI Crunchy rice, peanuts, coconut, onions, cilantro, mint, lime with lemongrass ginger Hmong Sausage is just out of this world good! It's simply the best dish in Madison! read more

Ha Long Bay - Laab - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Authentic food that is variable in quality. We have visited twice, ordering a mixture of Thai and Vietnamese dishes. The high quality spurred us to visit again a couple of weeks later. On our second visit, we tried the Pad Thai, which was subpar. We saw Pad Thai on the table next to us, and it looked completely different than ours. Ours lacked bean sprouts, theirs did not as an example. Clearly some work needs to be done to create consistency with the chefs at this popular spot with a very casual atmosphere. read more

Ha Long Bay is a Madison classic for good reason! My wife and I have eaten there more times than we can count, and have never been disappointed. The quality of food is amazing for the price. Favorites are the hand-made crispy pork egg rolls (AP1), and pan-fried chicken wontons (AP5), and the Pad Lad Nar (TN2), which has thick fried noodles that are both crispy and chewy. They get extremely busy around dinnertime and have limited seating, so try to go during non-peak times. read more

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Please read....I hate to post this but it's gotta be done. We have loved this place for years. Our last take out order had cockroaches cooked in our Currie dishes. We took pictures. We have not contacted the restaurant because we simple will not be returning. I'm sure they are aware of the problem. Where there is one there are usually a few dozen or hundreds more. I'll never order food from there again. This is my first ever Yelp review. I'm sad it's a bad review because I'm a huge food network and "foodie" guy. If you want to see the pictures let me know. read more

One of my favorite places to eat. I've had the larb/laab (beef) raw & spicy, 8/10. I've had their kaopoon (coconut curry with noodles) 8/10. My partner really likes their pho! The Mok Pa, steamed fish in banana leave, is a bit pricey, however it is a traditional specialty dish. I haven't had this in a long time. From my memory of it, mok pa is minced. This one isn't minced. It's okay. I'll say 6/10. read more

Can't get enough of this place. I am not sure if it is a good thing or bad thing that we live about 40 miles away. If there is a downside it has nothing to do with the food. It would be lack of space because there is always a wait to get a table. They only take reservations for 5 or more people. We have waited for up to an hour but one time we were told it was a 90 minute wait and we opted to go somewhere else. There is usually a line for takeout too. That says a lot for the food. Recently we stopped in for lunch and got Seated right away, shortly after 11. But by 11:30 there was a wait line. Ok-now for the meat of the review-the food. Having been here about 6 times and Getting takeout 2-3 times I have tried a few of the items. They have a fairly extensive menu. Everything has been exceptional but we are stuck on a couple dishes. My husband loves the chicken curry. Once he tried it, it has been the only thing he orders for a main dish. I have tried the Pho, a couple different noodle dishes and recently a fried noodle dish which I had twice in one week. It just may be my new fave. The vegetables and meat (your choice) come served on a long plated on top of a bed of fried noodles with a light broth. Flavorful and crunchy. Even the leftovers are still Delicious. If you are looking for good, fresh, Asian food you need to give this place a try. And if you aren't up for a little wait, call ahead and pick up. It is worth it. We always order steamed dumplings and they are very good, served with an awesome dipping sauce. I had the hot and sour soup, thinking it came in a "cup" but it was a full sized bowl. This was also superb. Just the right balance of spicy and sour. I'm getting hungry just Writing this review. read more

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This place has a special place in my heart. It was one of my favorite spots when I lived in Madison. I just remember when the place shut down because it got hit by a car and had to be renovated. I checked their website literally once a week to see if they had reopened. Not the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, but definitely the best in Madison, Wisconsin. read more

Yum yum yummy! It's no wonder this place draws quite a crowd. Ambiance is basic but the food isn't. The dishes are flavorful, delicious and well-portioned, and you can order takeout or dine in. For recommendations, the pho was 'pho-nomenal' and their take on pad Thai was tasty. Both yielded a couple hearty meals and the leftovers were just as tasty if not even more so. The crab Rangoons and fresh spring rolls hit the spot for us as well! read more

Amazing food if I had a bigger stomach I'd each everything!! Fast service amazing quality and interior of the building is very well designed

There is NOTHING bad on this menu! The food is amazing and the quality is reliable time and time again.

3.5 stars. Decided to try this place again, as it remains a very popular place. The place was packed on a weekday. Came here for lunch this time and tried pad thai as well as drunken noodles (very classic and basic). 5 stars for the tom yum soup that we had. It was the perfect blend of spicy and sour, with delicious pieces of tofu and bamboo. Yum! The pad thai and drunken noodles were both alright. Both were technically well done but nothing blew me out of the water. The portions sizes were generous though, which I appreciated. Service is slow here, as the place is perpetually busy. Keep that in mind before you check this place out. read more

Ha Long Bay - Vietnamese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I have been here on several occasions, but yesterday was the first time I ordered CARRY-OUT PHO (PH8, regular and large). I wasn't sure if this was a good idea -- but it was perfect, rainy pho-weather, and I didn't have the ingredients (or time) to whip up my own. The order was made around 6:40 pm and she said would take 20-25 minutes. We arrived a little after 7, and boy was I glad I ordered carry out. Even with the tsunami-like weather, the entry way was packed! I made my way to the register and the transaction was quick. My order was ready, nicely packed. When we got home, it was still warm enough to eat right away. The broth and meatballs were packed in a plastic container, scallions, noodles and other meats in a take-out box, veggie garnishing in a zip lock (bean sprouts, basil, jalapeño and lime), two small containers of hoisin and a packet of Sriracha sauce. Everything was placed into our bowls. We used to think the pho servings at restaurants were small and this proved us wrong. Our bowls were loaded! Broth was delicious, noodles and meats the perfect texture! We are definitely doing carry-out pho again -- but only if/when we're short on time. Other times we've been here, we've enjoyed many dishes. Their AP10 (Spring Roll with Egg Roll) has inspired me, and the LS7 (Nem Khao) is my favorite! I'm a spice-fanatic, and they not only have chili garlic oil on request, but freshly minced Thai chili, too! If your palette is accustomed to SE Asian flavors, you may not be a fan of their Larb or Papaya Salads. They only con I have is that the sit-in service can be slow. There have been many times where I joked with my Hubs, "Ha Long Bay" is really "How Long Bae?" I get it though -- they get busy, have an extensive menu (Thai, Lao and Viet cuisine!), and a teensy kitchen to work with. So this hasn't deter us from returning. read more

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I know what the problem is. I expected too much. Between the Yelp reviews and the locals recommending this place, my expectations were too high. RED CURRY FRIED RICE - Ordered with tofu, no egg, no mushrooms, and level 5 spice (their highest spice level). I expected lots of flavor, especially with the addition of the red curry, but I was extremely disappointed with its lack of flavor. It also lacked spice. If level 5 had no spice, I can't imagine what level 1 and 2 are like. MANGO CURRY (TC9) - Ordered with tofu and spice level 5. Their tofu is too spongey for my liking. The flavor itself was just ok. I thought a mango curry would bring some exotic sabor, but it didn't... Aside from the pieces of fruit, it didn't stand out from a regular red curry. The spice was good in the curry though. PAN FRIED DUMPLINGS - Fried dumplings, filled with veggies and served with sweet & sour sauce. They were pretty good. CURRY PUFFS - Now these were delicious!! Crispy pastry puffs filled with curried potatoes and served with sweet and sour sauce. They were the highlight of the meal, and the only item that I'd recommend. Aside from the Curry Puffs, this place just doesn't hold up to the hype. Nothing was extraordinary, flavor was lacking in all of the entrees that I ordered, and the service received from the hostess during my carry out process left much to be desired. At this time, I just can't see myself wasting my time or money returning for mediocre food. read more

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