Tuan D.
Yelp
I have been to Kim Long many times since I have family in the area and they are big fans of the food. Over the years, the level of service has gone downhill.
Before I get into details, let's get some disclaimers out of the way. Unfortunately, there is a definite lower service standards at some Asian restaurants, but I'm already taking that into account when grading Kim Long. I'm also not sure having no sauces and condiments on the table was a health precaution in a post-Covid world and/or if it was the owners' discretion.
However not having sauces, salt, pepper, and napkins on tables mean your servers have to be extra attentive to guests. This is where the service at Kim Long was shockingly bad. I was here 2 weeks ago and chalked it up to maybe 1 server having a bad day, but today I observed multiple servers and confirmed that it was a pervasive issue. What I saw was that the servers treated guests as transactions, and everything was approached with a let's get them seated, take their order, drop off food, and clear the table afterwards as quickly as possible. The servers around the dining room avoided eye contact with diners and rushed customers through the ordering process.
I took my elderly dad here at his request, and our server basically rushed thru the order and mumbled to himself that my dad wanted the Chicken Pho, small size, regular noodles, skin on. Normally, you would hope your server give you (the customer) the options to choose from and not order for you. I did not want to ruin my dad's mood so I let that go.
My dad had Pho and I ordered Hu Tieu Dai (clear noodles, pork broth). Only one plate of fresh vegetables was brought out but it was just Pho basil and bean sprouts. Hu Tieu normally comes with its own (different) vegetables. They also brought out hoisin and sriracha for both me and my dad. I wanted soy sauce and chili for my Hu Tieu and finally was able to flag down a server to ask for it after at least 5 mins of sitting there looking around. And my request, just like other requests from other diners, was fufilled with an attitude that we were inconveniencing the servers.
Overall, food - above average, maybe even very good with the caveat that you will have to ask for whatever sauces you want. The ambience was busy and loud, and the lackluster service made it feel like a food court or cafeteria. Being busy is great for the restaurant, but when your service suffers, then your diners do not feel appreciated.
I will probably be back again when family wants to eat here but I will not take anyone here of my own volition, and cannot recommend this place to anyone that has a standard expectation of what good restaurant service is, until they change.