Bonnie T.
Yelp
I was happy to encounter another Vietnamese restaurant here in Manhattan. Although my general assumptions about my culture's food quality in the city is rather pessimistic, my desperate reminisce of home lured me into Non La.
What we ordered:
The bun bo hue here didn't taste quite right. It seemed rather heavy and was too forward in tomato flavor. This proved to be rather distracting and took away from the essence of a classic BBH. It lacked that spice, kick, and acidity that BBH usually boasts. While the meat was delicious (I am a lover of tendon and this place satisfied), the meal outside of that was underwhelming.
On the contrary, my partners combination pho was pretty decent! It reminded of a Pho Hoa, a basic and affordable chain readily available back at home. Although it wasn't what we usually go for quality-wise, it did just the trick to satiate the cravings (for now).
I really enjoyed the limeade soda here, which was comprised of limeade and seltzer soda. It shined a great balance of sour and sweet with a tinge of zing.
The staff here are nice. I really appreciated that the server and host were Vietnamese people. You don't run into many Vietnamese speakers here in the city, so finding that sense of community, although rather small, is wonderful.
I will return to try the clay pot and shaken beef the next time I'm craving Vietnamese food. The staff, warm and cozy atmosphere, and intimate setting of the restaurant makes a perfect secret little getaway on colder days about the town.