You might be familiar with pho and banh mi sandwiches, but have you ever tried Vietnamese stuffed squid or turmeric crepes? New restaurant La Dồng — a new restaurant less than a block away from Union Square and around the corner from NYU’s Carlyle Court — is gaining praise for both its Vietnamese classics and elevated twist on street foods, highlighting flavors found only at hole-in-the-wall spots or on the streets of Hanoi. 

Jaruwijit Jaruthiphayakhantha and Hathaichanog Setasethien opened La Dồng in mid-September, and large crowds have since been filling the restaurant’s modern-retro dining room every night of the week. Like their other New York City restaurants — popular Thai spots Pranakhon and Thai Villa — La Dồng fosters a lively, vibrant atmosphere just a block away from Union Square. 

“Being able to expand the possibility and potential is the way to show the strength of Vietnamese food in New York City where the melting pot is a big thing,” Jaruthiphayakhantha said in an interview with WSN. 

Reflecting the customs of Southeast Asian cultures, La Dồng is decorated in the style of a Vietnamese colonial house, featuring a hand-painted mural at the entrance and large, locally-crafted lotus flower lights that hang over the main dining room. The restaurant’s atmosphere sets the tone for La Dồng’s innovative food, through which the owners hope to create a strong cultural and culinary representation of Southeast Asia.

“When you come in you see the waiting area being part of the house where we greet guests,” Jaruthiphayakhantha said. “It just makes you stop and become mesmerized by this kind of vibe.”  

Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants in New York — which feature dishes primarily from Saigon — La Dồng is centered around the Northern Vietnamese cuisine of Hanoi, the country’s capital. The menu features dishes like steamed rice cakes topped with delicate shrimp and crunchy shallots, along with Bún Chả Hanoi, which includes grilled pork skewers, crispy crab and shrimp spring rolls on a bed of fresh herbs with a sweet, tangy dipping sauce. While many of La Dồng’s dishes are presented in a deconstructed manner, this purposeful tactic introduces customers into the traditional style of Vietnamese food, allowing them to try different components of each dish at their leisure.

Other signature items include the Chả Cá, a whole Hanoi-style branzino cooked with a zesty turmeric paste, topped with herbs and fried shallots for a showstopping presentation. The scallions and dill in particular offer some brightness to the fish, making this dish flavorful but not too overpowering. The Wagyu Pho — which, like all of La Dồng’s pho, is served with the Northern Vietnamese garnishes of pickled garlic and freshly chopped chilis — is one of the restaurant’s most memorable dishes. The delicate rice noodles in savory beef broth are tender and soothing, allowing the thin slices of melt-in-your-mouth Miyazaki A5 Wagyu to shine.

La Dồng also has a range of non-alcoholic drinks, from the Coconut Salt Coffee and lotus jasmine iced tea to creative mocktails, such as the salted plum Mậngarita and the Mock Mock Gee with hot mint and citrus. Customers over 21 can try Bia Hơi, a Vietnamese draft beer that is rarely found outside the streets of Southeast Asia.

“All in all, we want Vietnamese cuisine to go big,” Jaruthiphayakhantha said. “And I think it’s time for people to know what Vietnamese food is all about and what it can be.”

Contact Lauren Aragon at [email protected].