Hy-Vong Vietnamese Cuisine

Yes the restaurant is closed however the owner, Cathy (I think it is) now hosts Dinner Pop Ups. This is my second pop up I attended. Excellent, tasty, fresh, on the spot made dishes and friendly staff make the experience wonderful. The last pop up was at a church and offered an all you can eat buffet for $ 40. Extra tables were set up as people came in and space was limited. Hy Vong has a large group of followers who attend the pop ups and patiently wait one day until the restaurant opens again. I will certainly drive to dine there!
Out of the below list, my favorite items were the squid salad, green papaya salad, phở, the spicy pork ribs and the bread pudding. The bread pudding is in such a high demand that one of the guys had to leave and fetch the bread pudding (someone had forgot to bring it).

New Menu Items Added as Requested by Our Customers!
All you can eat buffet of delicious Hy Vong food ($ 40 per person).
No reservation needed
This Weekend’s Menu:
Pork and Tofu Spring Rolls
Squid Salad
Spicy Pork Ribs
Pork or Tofu Rolling Cakes
Green Papaya Salad
Beef Short Ribs
Phở — Beef Hearty Soup
Pork Stuffed Cabbage
Chicken in Pastry
Fried shrimp
Tofu, Vegetable and Fresh Rice Noodle
Bread Pudding
Strawberry Shortcut

Okay, so Hy Vong is now currently closed but I wanted to write about our second experience. The food and ambiance were significantly improved. I thought that beef phở was offered daily, but I was wrong. I had my heart set on seeing what my family thought of their phở but it was unavailable.
They had a different soup offering and it was so delicious. I wish I had the itemized receipt so I could share what all the dishes we tried were. The cha giò (egg rolls) are unique in that they use the historically correct wrapper (rice paper) instead of the wheat flour and egg based wrapper commonly found most everywhere else. I like that they are presented with all the necessary and plentiful herbs, lettuce, and dipping sauce. In general, frying the rice paper wrapper to a crispy state is difficult and they do a good job.
The spicy pork ribs were extremely spicy but tasty. I couldn’t eat more than two ribs because my mouth was completely on fire, but luckily my brother was happy to finish them. The owner was so kind to us. She even made sure the server brought out a complementary yummy soup and white rice for the toddler in our party.

I’m sad that I Never got the chance to dine in this little Jewel on the wall. I just found out the other day thru The News Time of their sudden Closing so I ran there on my scooter to find it already CLOSED due Greedy Land owner selling the land for development. I hope to be able to meet them when and if they open once more. Like the saying goes. One land door closes for a Better and Brighter one to Open the doors to you Hy Vong. I will keep you in my Prayers for all to go well for your new Grand Opening next Year 2016. Year of the Monkey!!! Hey Hey we’re the Monkeys! Lol BEST OF LUCK.

So we waited three hours! Yes you heard right three hours! Apparently this place is closing and my husband wanted to try it before it closed. The wait list was about 80 people and the groups that were in there were not moving (as a matter of fact there was a table of ladies who did not seem to see the wait because they finished eating and stayed there till midnight. We finally got to eat at 11:30 (I wasn’t hungry) and the food was good. I had the rice noodle with shrimp and my husband had the thin noodles with chicken and shrimp which were delicious. I hope that when she opens this place again, her new location can accommodate her clientele and that the waiting area is an appropriate size and with appropriate sitting (current waiting area is outside the restaurant on 8^th street side walk… Be careful don’t dress too scandalous or someone may try to pick you up)

Hy Vong Vietnamese Cuisine opens for 5 hours a day, closes Mondays & Tuesdays and unless you’re in a party of 5 or more; you can forget about a reservation. Once seated, the staff rewards you patience with complimentary Pumpkin Soup or Avocado Salad. Savor the Feuilletes, a puff pastry-​wrapped pulled chicken dolloped with watercress cream cheese, carrot strings and scallions. Pork Bánh Cuôn was invented to test the limits of your tastebuds. Sautéed pork and wood ear mushrooms are rolled in flat rice noodles that are garnished with crunchy carrots, crispy shallots and fragrant mint. If you could only have one entrée, make sure it’s the Fried Noodles, which incorporates plump prawns, shaved almonds, chili, and nuöc mám.

Let me start off by saying I’m no expert when it comes to Vietnamese food. With that, I must say their «hearty soup of the day» or beef phở is delicious! The portion is quite large, has a good amount of beef and different textures to make it stand out among others. Their broth is very savory and needs nothing extra.
Fortunately, we were seated right away and served quickly. I was able to catch a glimpse at the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to see the owner working her magic in a tiny homey kitchen!

Good is fantastic, fresh and affordable. The duck with currant sauce was excellent. The spicy ribs appetizer was very spicy but somehow I could it stop eating them! Service is pretty good and very friendly. The only complaint I have is how terribly flimsy and uncomfortable their chairs are. They are rickety, hard and old! Other than that, I highly recommend this place!

I decided to give this place a second chance after trying their «phở» a few years ago and remembering it tasting like the great salt lake. Maybe things improved? Ironically, this place always has a line of people waiting outside, which is either a testament to their food or their incredibly slow service.
So I come again on a Wednesday night and find myself putting my name on a waiting list with 5 parties in front of me. There were definitely a few empty tables inside and no one was being seated. So the waiting commences, and I find myself being sacrificed to the mosquitoes while watching the passing Miami traffic. We were seated within half an hour, better than what I had expected.
I then realized that despite the Vietnamese sounding name, no one who works here is remotely Asian. They’re all Latinos who barely speak English. The menu was just too much nonsense, their «phở» was actually called the «hearty soup of the day.» Whatever, I’ll get that. We also asked for the bbq pork bun ga nuong, but to my absolute disbelief, the entire restaurant was out of pork! Our server convinced us that they can substitute with chicken and that it was delicious, so we decided to go with it.
Then it took over 30 minutes to actually get the food.
The reason this place is getting one star from me is mainly because the meatball in my «hearty soup» was actually so bad I had to spit it out. It tasted like something that had rotted for a few days and was picked out of a dumpster. Also, the portions were tiny and no way in the world could a measly appetizer sized chicken stir fry vermicelli noodle dish cost $ 17. There was nothing special or very tasty about this dish the server convinced us to get. I would have been happier at Panda Express.
If you want real Vietnamese food, don’t bother coming here. Slow service, bad food, and didn’t strike me as very sanitary.
There will be no third chance from me.

I didn’t think there could be a worse Vietnamese place than Phở Thang, but it looks like Miami is just really lacking on this front. My party was at the restaurant for 3 hours due to some unknown reason — probably some combination of incompetency on all fronts.
There is only one server that takes every guest’s orders, and it seems that all the other servers defer to her and are not allowed to communicate with customers. The only timely order we got in was when a bus boy actually took an order and got out our appetizer in a reasonable time frame. Everything else seemed to work at a snail’s pace — not sure how normal restaurants get food out within twenty minutes because I’ve now found that this place makes it seem near impossible.
The entrees were quite salty as others have mentioned. By that point we were at our wits’ end from waiting so we weren’t really paying attention to the food quality. Sure, you get a free pumpkin soup or avocado salad. I’d rather not spend triple the amount of time it’d normally take me to dine elsewhere.

Long line to go inside but it was worth the wait. I enjoyed my dinner. The desert was to die for!

Waited an hour to get a table. Then waited an hour to get our good.
Nothing is authentic and all of what we had was over salted.
Lol at this place, Versailles and la Carreta are walking distance from here. You’re better off there guys.

So I live in Orlando now. The Vietnamese food game here in Orlando is hard to beat. But I still always want to visit Hy-​Vong when I’m in Miami. This place has changed a bit over the years, but it’s still the best in Miami. I remember we used to get $ 1 beer bottles here all the time.
I really like the food here. Of course, you have to try everything on the menu. There is just such a wide variety that you have to keep coming back to find out what you will personally like. I really appreciate the good taste. With Vietnamese food, I’ve found that it’s either really good or really bad and disgusting. Hy-​Vong is 100% delicious. And the service is excellent.

The food is special. The ambiance is out of the ordinary. A very different experience which will not be for everyone. Diners are seated as they arrive before it «opens». The restaurant opens at 6 pm, and every table’s order is taken at that time. Arrive early and be patient. The wait for the food is worth it.

Excellent place, best Vietnamese food in town, great customer service. There is always a line to get in because of the greatness of the food and the affordable prices. One of my favorite spots!
Wide variety of local and international beers.

We are always on the lookout for authentic Asian food in Miami. It’s few and far between. This place was authentic. A little different then the CA vietnamese food we are used to, I think they use a lot less sugar in their fish sauce. The ambiance is a little hole in the wall. The service is friendly and welcoming.
The appetizers were delicious. The ribs were spicy! The calamari was tender and well seasoned. The pork rolls are the most popular and they were very good.
We shared a bun for our entrée and it was good. The first time I’ve ever had it «tossed» for me by the server.
Apparently they are known for their desserts. Everyone around us seems to be ordering them and they look amazing.
Closed out the meal with a vietnamese coffee. I thought it was strange they didn’t serve it over ice, so I had to ask.
I will come back when I get a craving. Try it!

Finally, good Vietndmese food in Miami.
FOOD
I’m Vietnamese, and in my opinion, the food here is authentic Vietnamese food. It reminded me of my mom’s home cooking. I highly recommend the banh cuon (pork rolling cakes), squid salad, and spicy ribs (be careful, this will burn your mouth). We also got a complimentary avocado salad and pumpkin soup with our meal. The iced coffee was also delicious (make sure you request an cup of ice with the coffee), and made with traditional Vietnamese expresso and condense milk.
ATMOSPHERE
As with any Vietnamese kitchen, you will smell a hint of fish sauce in the air. It’s just something you have to expect when eating Vietnamese food. The restaurant was full but we got a table right away.
SERVICE
The host and server were all very warm and welcoming. Unfortunately, the service felt rushed. We were waited on by 3 or 4 different people, so I didn’t know who our servers were. They also forgot our iced coffee so we had to remind them, which isn’t a big deal, really.
All in all, I will probably be coming back to try their phở, egg rolls, and rice dishes.

Best vietnamise in town, no doubt about it!
This is a Miami classic! Right in calle 8, this couple of ladies run an authentic vietnamise cuisine. Very small in size, almost always packed, very cozy and attended by her own owner.
As you go throughout the menu, ita going to be hard for you to choose from, but don’t worry, it’s hard to make a mistake here, because every single dish (at least from what I have tried) its perfect!
From the appetizers I love the tonge and the spring rolls; entrees are up to you, desert: the shortcake is a must! And don’t forget to finish it with the vietnamese coffee.
Have fun!

I wish this place was consistent. Because the first time I came here, I LOVED their southern Vietnamese style phở. It’s what brought me back again. Last night, the broth was average. The noodles were undercooked (welp, it’s possible), and we left entirely unsatisfied after two hours of waiting, ordering, trying to communicate with one particular waiter, and finally eating.
We also got spring rolls — two bite sized, deep fried pork filled messes (we were expecting traditional shrimp spring rolls in rice paper wrap), and the strawberry shortcake. Shortcake was tasty for a Vietnamese restaurant… But that shouldn’t be the best tasting thing we had all night.
And the wine. We ordered one glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter (easily the most UNhelpful guy in the entire restaurant) brought all three of us glasses to fill, a sample of their «sexual chocolate» red wine and their Syrah, and didn’t understand us when we said one Cab Sauv. He brought two at last.
I love Kathy — she always takes care of us and asks us how we’re doing, and prompts the waiter to fill our glasses and take our order (because he really does need the reminders). But I probably won’t come back here.

The food here is delicious. There is a wait, but it is well worth it.
Must try:
Appetizers — pork rolling cakes, calamari salad, spicy ribs, razor clams
Entrée — duck with black currant sauce
Dessert — double chocolate cake, Vietnamese coffee
This was the first time my husband and I came here. we will definitely be back again, wonderful dining experience.

I’m not even sure how I ended up here tonight! Some friends & I were just thinking of picking up something to eat at home, but I’m glad I finally got to try this place that my husband has been raving about for about 3 years now.
The restaurant is small. The service is ok. But the food is delish! This dining experience is a lengthy one — don’t expect to be here for less than 2.5 hours. Each course takes very long to come out.
We started off with Cha Gio, Vietnamese spring rolls. It was my first time having them, and they were tasty! I just wish they were bigger!
My husband had the pumpkin soup, and it was so flavorful and hearty, very tasty indeed.
I had their signature salad which has
lettuce, watercress, avocado, tomato, cucumber a homemade lime vinaigrette dressing. The avocado was very fresh, and I LOVED their vinaigrette. Seriously, it was just so good I kept raving about it and my friends looked at me like…“ok it’s just salad dressing” lol
Next was the Bun Thit Nuong, which is barbecued pork with vermicelli rice noodles. I didn’t taste it, but everyone liked it.
The chicken wrapped in pastry with watercress cream cheese on top was divine! The cream cheese was luscious and went so well on the chicken. A must try!
The special of the day was the pork chop. It was huge, cooked perfectly, and very flavorful. Oh, and did I mention huge?! It was huge!!!
I’ll definitely be coming back to try more and more things :)