What to Order at La Dong, the New Vietnamese Restaurant in Union Square | Eater NY
"Announced only on Resy, I went to La Dồng, a brand‑new Vietnamese restaurant at 11 East 17th Street, at Fifth Avenue, described as an “Asian colonial house” whose dining room includes a bright mural of a woman in a straw hat with jeweled tassels holding pink flowers, a bamboo‑walled bar, booths under stained wooden arches, lotus‑flower lampshades, mullioned windows glowing orange like a sunset, and an overall 19th‑century colonial impression. The chef is Pithayakorn Panapoi and the owners are Jaruwijit Jaruthiphayakhantha and Hathaichanog Setasathien, the latter responsible for the elaborate design (their earlier projects include Thai Villa and Pranakhon). The two‑sided menu is ambitious — 45 dishes in seven categories — and standout items include a pho Hà Nội ($21) that I consider one of the best in New York: a simple, spare, lightly seasoned broth with scallions and cilantro, notable fatty brisket, and broader, chewier rice noodles served with Thai bird chiles (with seeds) and vinegar; a crispy summer roll ($15) served as four in a lettuce thicket with a delicate shredded‑wheat‑like shell layered with shrimp, pork, crab, and mushrooms; bánh cuốn rice roll dumplings topped with shallots and served in a banana leaf; a bone marrow and pâté appetizer ($17) that I enjoyed but found short on toasts and somewhat masked by a cognac‑flavored gelée; and the best dish of the evening, a Hanoi‑style whole fish (cá chiên nước mắm), a turmeric‑ and dill‑flavored branzino ($39) served bright yellow and delicious wrapped in lettuce and herbs, with plenty left to take home. The shaking beef was less enjoyable — bouncy, slightly rubbery cubes in a sweet glaze with crushed peanuts — and the “classic” bánh mì I took home was warm, smeared with pâté and layered with a thick plank of sausage, lettuce, shredded carrot, and basil. Without a liquor license yet, their nonalcoholic offerings are notable, especially a tall iced coconut salt coffee from Huế that is not sweet, slightly bitter, and pairs nicely with many dishes." - Robert Sietsema
