Scene: Birthday party dinner at Mien Tay Key actors: A birthday Yelper and about 5 subsidiary Yelpers, plus a couple newbies. Snippets of the conversations from the night: Excuse me....sir, Excuse me? Um, can we order now? Hello? **20 minutes later** Yes, I'll have the number 134. No...no, not the 27, the 134. ONE.THREE.FOUR. That one by my finger. No....YES, that one! **20 minutes later** Um, excuse me? we haven't received our bottle of Prosecco....Prosecco. Sparkling Wine. NUMBER 21! Basically, the service is what did it in. It took forever to get our food, they misunderstood half of our order and at the end of the night, they actually had the audacity to pick up my friend's coat and bag as he pushed his chair out and basically pushed him out the door thirty minutes before we were supposed to be gone from our pre-booked table. Yes, the food was very good, but seriously? Going to have to step it up a notch, guys. read more

You don't need to go to the West Ends ChinaTown for the infamous farcical rude service anymore - Visit trendy Hoxton and Mien Tay! I've been meaning to check this place out for some time now, but don't really come out to hipster land too often. But we were invited here as part of a friends birthday meal. There were a good group of us and we had to make sure we weren't more than 5 mins late of we'd loose our table! Upon arrival we were told 'You order now' when half of the table hadn't even sat in their seats. However, we got a couple of Vietnamese rolls, whole fish in chilli and beers for the table while everyone perused the menu. Another cute quirk to the place is the somewhat eerie scenes encased in the tables. Mini wells and dried out foliage trapped inside the glass made a great conversation piece with friends of friends you've never met. But overall the decore is modest and clean. Don't say Mien Tay doesn't give you choice, because oh boy do you get options. All 10 odd pages or so, which makes it just so much harder to decide! Eventually I opted for a mixed seafood in black bean sauce with egg fried rice (again, not particularly adventurous but I just couldn't decide in time!!). The food came out in what seemed like record timing. It was generous, fresh and really tasty. The Spring rolls to start were equally as moreish and I would say a must when visiting. Everyone was making noises in appreciation and loosening their belts at the end of the meal. There were a modest selection of beers on offer, but wine was only served by the bottle - so get use to sharing. At the end of the meal, the bill came and I was amazed at the value. They must had knocked a few bits off the bill for us because we ended up with £20 per head inc drinks. Bargain. Despite trying (and we did) not one of the staff cracked a smile the whole evening and after the last plate was taken away we were asked to leave! I will definitely go back and choose something a bit more adventurous on the menu next time. It's just great value and great food brought to your table quickly and with a whole heap of attitude. read more

I miss Vietnamese food. It was a staple lunch for me for a good couple of years and suddenly, it's gone. Poof. Just like that. So far, I believe there is only one pho stop in Edinburgh, and it's not within walking distance for me either for lunch or for dinner. I knew London would be different. Turns out Kingsland Road is the place to go when you are craving a vermicelli bowl (like me) or pho (not like me). So I made the trek (literally, as half the tube network was down for maintenance on Saturday) to finally appease my cravings, unsated for 6 MONTHS. This was going to have to be good. So, down to it. First of all, stars a-plenty for the appetiser - summer rolls (aka fresh spring rolls) stuffed with prawn. No pork! Which means I got to tuck into something I hadn't had in a long time. Oh the combination of shellfish, fresh coriander and mint, vermicelli all dunked in peanut satay sauce is just divine. Next up - my all-time-fave, vermicelli and veggie spring rolls. Now, it was pretty good, but the spring rolls tasted suspiciously meaty (on inspection couldn't find any trace), and the sauce was a sweet chilli base - got to admit, I like my fish sauce unadorned with sweet chilli, so it wasn't the most ideal for me. Overall though, good portions and I was stuffed to the core. My waiter kept disappearing so it did get a little confusing for me to figure out what was going on at times and left before presenting me with a bill. So really, what am I saying? Mien Tay is good, that is for sure, but I think I would want to try other places along the K-Road (as I now call it) prior to tipping my hat at it. read more

Along Kingsland Road you have lots of choice in Vietnamese restaurants, and if you are local, you can try all of them.. but as you will find, some are good for certain dishes, whereas others will make deep pho broth.. depends what you are looking for, and quite popular now (for us winos) BYOB is a nice addition - this place doesn't For starters, we had the salt, pepper and garlic squid - the batter was even and crispy upon bite. There was very little carrot and daikon pickle (which I love), instead there was plenty of randomly shredded cabbage and carrots. The stir-fried onions was nice but the almost-raw-crunchy ones were a bit much for a weekday lunchtime - like hey, I have the rest of my day and the lovely squid gets a bit ruined by this strong, pungent flavour. For main, I had the bo luc lac - shaking beef 'salad'. In this case, it was still pretty tasty but not as authentic. Tasted like they had used some chinese 5 spice mix, but my experience with that mix has always been good so the dish in front of me was tasty and with that similar depth. Admittedly, my dish is bo luc lac and different places cook and serve it differently, so hey I am a bit extra in terms of standards, authenticity and taste - but every foodie has their preferences, eh? Try it if you are local, as you can work your way through Kingsland Road, but don't travel here especially.. its a-ok ! read more

First of all, a massive thank you to all you wonderful Yelpers who recommended this place to me, you certainly know your stuff!! I was meeting up with some friend that I had originally met while travelling in Vietnam and was looking for an authentic Vietnamese restaurant to relive these memories. Mien Tay is pretty much as close as you are going to get in this country (the only thing missing was the force-feeding of the spring rolls, may be if we had asked...) They have a huge menu which included the usual pho and noodle dishes as well as some more unusual seafood dishes. We went for the salt and pepper squid and vegetable spring rolls to start. The spring rolls seemed particularly authentic, using the Vietnamese wrappers as opposed to the normal Chinese ones you tend to find in this country. They were tasty and not too greasy which is always good, and served with some amazing pickled veg. For main course I went for scallops with ginger and spring onion, the scallops cooked to perfection and not at all chewy - top marks here. The rest of the table thoroughly enjoyed their meals and were very impressed with my restaurant choice (thanks again Yelpers!) The restaurant is BYOB so this keeps the costs down and I thought the whole thing was very good value for money. I was surprised at how busy the restaurant was - we got there before 7 and took the last table, by the time we left people were waiting for to be seated in the cafe next door. I would recommend booking in future. The only things stopping this place from getting the full five stars are the fact that the staff can be a little surly and the dining room isn't anything to write home about. Cám on Mien Tay for a great Vietnamese dining experience. read more

I've decided that my love of pho makes it my responsibility to try it at as many places on Kingsland Road as possible. I know what you're thinking - wow, she has some lofty goals - but I think this is a worthy cause. Mien Tay is the second place I've been on the "mile of pho" (Song Que was my first) and I was not disappointed. The space is a little cramped as most of the restaurant is taken up by large faux flower arrangements and no one was in a big hurry to take our order after we were seated. I grazed on the prawn crackers that sat in a wicker basket shaped like a duck while I waited for service. I was already on page 6 of the paper when I asked for the usual: fresh rolls (known as summer rolls in the States), a bowl of pho with sliced beef, and an iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. There are only five pho options at Mien Tay: sliced beef, sliced beef & brisket, sliced beef & beef ball, beef ball and a mix of all four types of beef. My husband was sad that tripe is not an option. The fresh rolls were stuffed with lettuce, mint, pork and prawns and served with a sweet-ish dipping sauce. The mixture was a bit too heavy on the lettuce and the flavour of prawns was lost in the shuffle. The pho packed a deeply flavourful, meaty punch with lots of fresh herbs and hot peppers. The soups were served with the requisite Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, limes and hot peppers and, as usual, I spiced my bowl up until the broth took on a reddish hue. Even though the service was a little spotty, we left with smiles on our faces. I noticed the hours aren't listed on Yelp, so I'll post them here. Monday - Thursday: Noon - 3pm, 5pm - 11pm Friday - Saturday: Noon - 3pm, 5pm - 11:30pm Sunday: Noon - 11pm read more

BYOB and good pho. The makings of a good night. Their spring rolls here are made with a different wrapping. It was lighter and had a softer crunch to it. They were a bit small but tasted good. Good service and well presented food. I was happy eating there. read more

Mien Tay - Spring rolls and pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

The second star is because my pho was quite tasty and they had the accompanying plate of condiments/toppings that I've been missing from other restaurants. Otherwise the service was bad. They had a hard time taking down our orders despite seeing the menus for themselves and going sometimes by item number rather than what we said. Even still they forgot parts of peoples orders, especially the drinks part. I was at a ten top table for a birthday party and according to the birthday girl who reserved the table they started kicking us out of the space about 20 minutes before our allotted time was up. They were really trying to rush us out of there and even asked us to please leave at one point. I was about to say I'll try and come back here another time with a smaller group on a slower day but why bother? There's like five other vietnamese restaurants on the same friggin street. Thanks but no thanks Mien Tay. read more

I like Mien Tay. We passed by the near empty restaurant next door as we enter Mien Tay and I think "gosh they can't compete with Mien Tay". But I am wrong, its actually the overfloor section for Mien Tay... we go back out onto the street and enter. There are a rake of empty tables in the front half, but we are put down the back in the corner, squished in, surrounded by occupied tables. Odd really, but it amused me really. The staff are focused on serving quick and they don't really focus on the service with a smile tactic. Again something that amused me. And boy were they quick. All dishes were brought out in quicktime. We were visiting friends in London and this was their favourite Viet restaurant in the City, so we let them order and we shared everything. My highlights were the Octopus and Spring Rolls, as starters. For the mains I enjoyed the shredded duck, chicken curry and whole sea bass with ginger. There is an office licence two doors away from Mien Tay, it had a good selection of wine and beer, so get your BYOB here. I recommend Mien Tay, its was a bustling close up experience. read more

I tried this place for the first time last week and was bowled over by the food. We began with vegetable spring rolls, which were interestingly latticed, crunchy but not greasy and served with fresh mint, crisp lettuce and clear, sweet/sour chilli dipping sauce. The other starter was beef with betel leaf, which had a surprising nettle-like taste, complemented by the crunch of crushed peanuts. For my main I tried the eel, fried with chilli and lemongrass. The eel was perfectly cooked - moist, succulent and gently flaky on the inside, crispy on the outside with a tang of lemongrass and crunches of garlic. I did get a bit of food envy watching a whole seabass with mango strips arrive at another table. Must go back. read more

YES. Best pho I have had in Europe! As a visitor from a California, which has a larger selection of authentic Vietnamese restaurants, I was really missing pho ga that had savory broth and flavorful chicken. This restaurant was delivered from the heavens. I don't think that my boyfriend and I even talked to each other during the meal - That's how quickly and enthusiastically we were eating! And free shrimp crackers on the table as a starter? Now that's 5 stars. read more

Mien Tay - Pho ga! - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

Walked by here on a stroll through Hoxton and decided to check the reviews on yelp before trying it. Brought my boyfriend as he had been craving for some good pho like we used to have as students in Vancouver, BC. We had some pretty high expectations (based on reviews and photos) plus we are kind of particular about our pho. My review is mainly concerned with the service we experienced, the pho turned out to be excellent. We went on a weekday at 4:30 before the dinner rush. I ordered the chicken and he ordered the beef brisket. The first thing I noticed was no matter what meat you chose, the broth is always beef. I'm not sure if other places do this but the restaurant I used to frequent in Vancouver made my chicken pho with chicken broth. The food came and to my surprise, we were served two bowls of beef. Additionally, the beef one brought to my boyfriend was not the type of beef he ordered. Just as we were about to say something a man and our server come over to our table. I mentioned the situation and I think they gave us a rushed apology but what I clearly is feeling like they barely acknowledged us and just treated us like we weren't there while they talked to themselves about the problem. The bowls were taken away, as well as the plate with the garnishes, and eventually replaced with what we actually ordered. Then they replaced the garnish plate with a different garnish plate and I was a bit disappointed since the new did not have as much basil. I don't really see the necessity to replace it when we didn't even touch it. I never found out what happened exactly but I guess there was a bit of a mix up in the kitchen. Since the pho was very good and I live close by, I would be willing to come back and try here again and hope this experience was just a one time accident! read more

So, the staff aren't always perfect and the decor isn't exactly smart but I don't care! The pho is amazing. The menu is so big you could never get bored and everything I've ever ordered has been amazing. And it's such good value! The salt, pepper and garlic squid is amazing and the quail is pretty good too. I'm pretty sure the best thing on the menu is the beef steak pho, but I'm going to keep going... just to make sure. read more

I can't decide whether The Bodyguard soundtrack that was playing during my meal made the mediocre pho better or worse. Incidentally, RIP Whitney Houston. read more

Not the cheapest place to get Vietnamese, and the service isn't the best but the food makes this place worth a trip. The spring rolls are beautifully crisp with a delicious filling of moist pork and prawn and come with a generous amount mint and coriander (they could do with more lettuce, but I find this with most Vietnamese places). The pho is light and fragrant with a great flavour. We also went for the crispy sea bream with mango and fish sauce which was cooked well - crispy skin with succulent flesh that just flakes away from the bone. read more

For full review see http://www.thehappinessprojectlondon.wordpress.com We went to Mien Tay in Battersea on Friday night (they also have a branch in Kingsland Road in Shoreditch). It isn't really anything to look at from the outside, and inside with its bright lights and white paper tablecloths, is definitely cheap and cheerful. But there are also some treats bottles of Saigon beer which made me nostalgic from a much-loved trip to Vietnam, super-posh thick wooden chopsticks, and coffee made the typical South East Asian way (with condensed milk disgusting but reminded me with fondness of my trip). First things first, fresh rolls with shrimp and pork. Absolutely blummin' lovely especially with the thick satay dip. I could have eaten these all night. Then salt and pepper squid which sadly lacked a bit of flavour. For mains, we had a sizzling duck with black bean sauce which arrived bubbling with heat it literally exploded all over our table, which thereafter resembled an oil slick. It was tasty, thick and meaty but didn't blow me away we could perhaps have ordered something a bit more interesting (note: I realise this isnt a typically Vietnamese dish so woudl order differently next time). And, following a suggestion from Bibendum Wine on twitter, we had the steamed sea bass with ginger and chili. This was really gorgeous a whole de-boned fish, delicately cooked and spiced, fresh and juicy, so it melted in the mouth. All in all, for 3 beers, 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 portions of rice, and 2 coffees, we paid around £20 each and had a fun night. Recommended for a relaxed, tasty meal as long as you don't mind the lack of glitz and glam (although I imagine the karaoke tables downstairs would be fantastically glam). And next time I go, I'll make sure I choose some of the more unusual menu options. read more

One of the best Vietnamese in London. Its popularity increases every day and it is more and more difficult to get a table. Book if you can because it gets crowded. This place is ideal for vegetarians, look up for the first page of the menu and you will see a selection of "beef-like" "chicken-like" tofu. I recommend the "beef-like" one. I have not had such a good "bun" elsewhere. Also try the starter with tofu - it is very original and tasty. They bring an orange with the bill. Nice sweet taste before leaving ... full! You can ask for a tupperware if you don't manage to finish your food. You will be happy for lunch the next day I promise! read more

Mien Tay - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

I went here once, during a busy weekend. There was a huge queue outside, but I already had friends inside waiting, so I got to skip the wait. Having had such a great first Vietnamese food experience with Viet Grill before, I expected Mien Tay to be at least as good, food wise. Didn't happen. My aubergines were too greasy and under salted, and the waiters kept trying to take my bowl of rice away - in fact, they were in a massive hurry to take all our plates away, have us leave, and get more people inside to eat. Well, I hate being rushed. Two of our friends asked for alcoholic drinks that took a very long while to arrive, and my other friend's entrée never arrived (but was charged nonetheless). The staff were unfriendly, unhelpful and just acted like they wanted people to eat quickly and leave. I know this is the norm in Asia, having grown up there, but I think it would be nice for them to be a bit more the Mediterraneans - let me eat in peace, let me lounge for a little bit, and don't take my plate away until I say it's okay! Frankly, if I never go back there, I'll be very happy. read more

A group of 6 of us ate here on Saturday night. We had to wait for nearly an hour for a table, although for most of that we were told 'table will be ready in 5minutes'... We were however given prawn crackers to eat while we waited - a nice touch. The food is FANTASTIC, excellent value for money. I especially recommend the fresh shrimp rolls, the Vietnamese clay pot curry, the beef pho and the soft shell crabs. The staff weren't great.. even though we got a table at about 9pm, we were constantly rushed through our meal, the staff made it very clear they wanted us out of there as soon as possible. We were a little mystified by this as there were plenty of tables free so they clearly didn't need ours, and there were plenty of other people still in the restaurant. That said, our waiter was helpful when we asked questions about the dishes which was appreciated. Our meal came to £61 and that was 5 starters and 5 main courses (one was a whole fried fish). We took our own drink. The bill wasn't itemised but at that price we were more than happy to split the bill equally. All in all, great food, great value, shame about the service! read more

Really really good. The only vietnamese restaurant i go to in the area. My favs - beef salad, mixed bun xa bo, beef pho, fresh spring roll. Don't go there for 5 star service. There is a 30% chance the service won't be great (wrong dish, late dish, rushed staff etc.). For some reason the staff seem to be more efficient during dinner rush. Don't go there for the ambiance - it's not the best (bad lighting, strong smell at times, not too comfortable, risk of embarrassing cover playlists, etc) Go there for the food and it won't disappoint. Never disappointed me! And - great value. read more

Recommended by a friend of mine VERY demanding with Vietnamese food after living there for several years. AMAZING Really good experience, staff and food. Note: if you are dessert lovers, not the right place to go to though ;) Great: Pork meatballs with honey and spices. read more

Mein Tay is a great place for Asian food. Its quick and tasty and pretty cheap as well. Can get very busy and they like to get you out for the next people to get in. On this street it was by far the busiest place and there's a lot of competition so that should give you a good idea how good it is. read more

Once was enough for me here. I've been to all of the Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road, some many times, and my experience here was definitely the worst. I work in the area, so came for lunch. We were a small group, and the restaurant was almost empty. Despite this, it took well over an hour to bring the food (at lunchtime). We asked a few times, and the staff reacted in a grumpy manner. When it finally came, it was below the standard of the other restaurants in the area. I may have given two stars, as I've had worse food, but the final star is lost for the level of hygiene. You see, our office overlooks the kitchen at the back. Regularly we see them washing pots in the street, and you really don't want to be there when they take the bins out. All I'll say is that prawns should definitely be disposed of in a more timely fashion! read more

One of my favorite places in London. I'll be honest: the quality of the meat in the pho varies quite a bit, but everything else is totally spot on. I have absolutely wonderful memories of sitting by the window with a bottle of wine (BYO), a cute boy, and a steaming bowl of noodles with fresh herbs and spicy tofu. Definitely one of the best ways to spend 10 quid. read more

Four and a half if not for the stink. Oh well what to expect from Asian restaurants that has poor ventilation and pungent food. (pungent in a good way FYI). food is good, reminds my good old pho days in the US; paired with the great sriracha reminds me of my freezing cold college days. Have not had good pho lately but since reviews says its good, so off I go to fulfill my cravings and hunger while visiting this beautiful town! piece of advice, if you want to get the fish sauce, tell them the soy sauce kind, not the mixed up kind (has vinegar, sugar, chilli variation, don't really like it but it does the trick). I'd say a must visit, this place!! read more

The food here never fails to live up to expectations. From the outside it is very unassuming and doesn't stand out on a street full of Vietnamese. It's worth finding it though and there may even be a queue but the food is worth it. They have an extensive, authentic menu and it's all reasonably priced. This place used to be BYOB but now they've got their license there's a selection of beers to choose from. This is definitely one of the better places to eat on the Pho mile read more

If I didn't see their reviews, I would have completely missed it because it was in the same area as the famous Song Que and I would have just walked past it. It's not the nicest place, quite crumby honestly and the furniture looks run-down but the food is great and quite cheap. Love that you get free shrimp crackers to start :) We all got different phos for a Sunday lunch and their rolls are yummy. Would go back if I were in the area for something really chill and casual. read more

Mien Tay - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

We came here for dinner the other night after reading some reviews online. Overall we were quite happy with the whole experience. We were seated as soon as we arrived. It is worth noting that there were two of us and we came here on a Monday night. As such, i don't know if this place gets crowded on weekends. Service was fairly quick and everything that we ordered was quite good. Also, we got a bottle of wine for just under 15 GBP which seems reasonable for London. The only downside is that the place is fairly small and you wind up sitting quite close to other guests. All in all, I very much enjoyed dining here and would definitely return. read more

Update I've returned to Mein Tay several times since my initial visit. While the food was always good when I visited, a friend of mine (who also loves Mein Tay) once took a few people there for lunch and said that not only was the food horrid, they managed to forget one dish even though they were the only guests at that time. And apparently the Vietnamese coffee they served was 90% condensed milk and 10% coffee. When I went there a few weeks ago, I ordered Prawn & Pork summer rolls. After eating a bit I realised that they were pork-less. I complained and first I was told that the waitress had misunderstood my order. When I asked to have the dish replaced the story was suddenly changed and I was told that the kitchen did not have any pork for the rolls. Although they brought me a pot of tea to compensate, I would have preferred to a) be notified that they were unable to serve me the ordered dish, instead of serving something different and hoping that I would not notice, or b) either replace the item or take it off my bill when I did notice. During the same visit a guy came in to tell the manager that they had charged his card twice for the same meal. After some hemming and hawing, they finally agreed that he could come round and have some food on the house, i.e. they were not willing to give him his money back. Having said all that, I still think that Mein Tay is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in Shoreditch but I'm concerned that they are starting to go downhill as a result of their success. The lunch disaster indicates that they may have badly trained cooks in the kitchen during lunch. Their refusal to react appropriately to mistakes they made, i.e. overcharging customers or serving the wrong dishes, may fall back on them one day. I certainly hope not; watch this space for further updates. ##################### There is nothing to fault about this place. We had several starters, of which the superb summer rolls deserve an honourable mention. As a main course I had a lovely hot and sour Vietnamese fish soup. It was a huge portion but so good that I finished it off. We then ordered Vietnamese coffee and the super-lovely owner (previously metioned in other reviews), after hearing about my friend's trip to Vietnam, brought us a tea on the house after the coffee because 'in Vietnam they drink some tea after the coffee' - a very kind and sweet gesture. All of this combined with the huge portions and byo add up to the Mien Tay being my favourite Vietnamese in London, I'll be back for more! read more

Last time I was in London I had a fierce craving for Pho - that delicious beef noodle broth which is the signature dish of Vietnam. I didn't care where I got it from, I just knew that I had to have it, or else there would be hell to pay. Thank goodness then that I somehow found myself on Kingsland Road, spying up the mighty Mien Tay. Whilst there are other (dare I say it) slightly fancier looking Vietnamese eateries situated in Shoreditch, I would seriously doubt that there are many that serve up such tasty and terrifyingly cheap fare. To say that Mien Tay is cheap would be an understatement. My lunch of fresh, cool and delicious Summer Rolls (bursting at the seams with basil and prawns), a magnificently delicious, authentic (and huge) bowl of delicately spiced Pho, a large Tiger Beer and a Vietnamese iced coffee only came to £12. When you take into consideration that a lot of starters in London restaurants are priced at £12, this is scandalously good value. Best of all, Mien Tay doesn't skimp on portions either - by the time I left here I practically had to be rolled out through the door. With all this, AND a 'Bring Your Own Booze' alcohol policy, Mien Tay is undeniably a rare gem of the London restaurant scene. If you live in London and haven't been yet, go. Go now! read more

Our favourite Vietnamese on the Kingsland strip - this (along with Tayyabs and Lahore Kebab House) is perfect for a night out with friends. And what do they all have in common - BYOB! Not sure what that says about me...Makes for a seriously cheap night...we first ate here a couple of years ago when they first opened - we nearly had the place to ourselves then. Now it has expanded to the shop next door and the queues grow longer. Favourites - sea bass, soft shell crab, squid, clay pots - actually the menu here is just great. You need to visit often and work your way through it to make sure you do not miss any delights. This place serves seriously good food at ridiculously cheap prices. read more

Mien Tay - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

This is a lovely and tasty Vietnamese restaurant at Kingsland road. After reading the reviews, I make a right choice to try there. We ordered a few dishes which is recommended by the friendly staff. The signature dish would be mango Seabass, it is .highly recommended. It does not disappointed us although it seem to be a busy night in the restaurant. We would go and revisit again. read more

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If you look for a quiet place for a romantic evening, that's probably not the best place to go. It's packed (be prepared to share a table with strangers in much closer vicinity than in Wagamama), it's laud, there are people queuing to get tables staring enviously into your plates. But once you get your food, you immediately forget about everything! The food is absolutely fantastic! The portions are massive (also the starters), and considering the crowd, we didn't have to wait very long. I take one star for the service. Mine and my boyfriend's starters arrived about 10 minutes apart. They didn't bring the drinks we ordered and when we asked for them they said they lost the order and they don't know what to bring. The service was a bit chaotic, but that's probably what happens when you have 5 different people serve the same table. The nice thing is that you can bring your own bottle of wine. And don't forget to book a table, otherwise you'll have to queue for 40 minutes to get one. read more

This packed restaurant is essentially the Vietnamese version of New Tayyabs. It's crammed, the service is fast and careless and it's cheap. Booking is vital if you'd rather not queue for half an hour and they'll graciously give you a time to have to vacate the table by. They've got a license these days but still allowed us to bring our own wine in though I can't say how long this will last for. As far as I know they've not started stocking their own booze yet. Like Tayyabs, Mien Tay has built its reputation on its food. Being on Kingsland Road, it's surrounded by Vietnamese restaurants none of which are as busy. You don't go there for a nice romantic meal, you go there to eat and head on. Personally I'm a fan of the Vietnamese curry but don't wear white. It's splashy. read more

I had this one in the drafts for quite a while... I visited Mien Tay on a Monday night so the place was fairly quiet. Despite being half empty it still took quite a while for the staff to get our order and for the food to arrive. Nothing too bad... ... except... ... it sucks to wait when your table is in close proximity to a door that leads straight to the street. It was a particularly cold evening so every time someone opened the door you would get the occasional glacier breeze. The place feels like a family business that hasn't change since the seventies (and there's nothing wring with that). There's always this background music that could be taken out of a half empty shopping mall - think Hotel California, the polyphonic version. Ambiance covered, onto food! The spring rolls were nice and so was the pork with egg and rice, but what really shined was the pancakes. OMG. Call off the search for delicious food, your prodigal son has returned! It's the kind of stuff you wish someone had introduced in your life when you were 10 years old. Try them and you will know exactly what I mean. So all in all, it's not the most amazing place in the world but it's not bad either. I give it a 3 and a ;) but wouldn't mind coming back for more of those pancakes! read more

Got noodles with vegetables: great, well seasons, good portion. Also 1/2 of a duck: DON'T RECOMMEND!! looks like food for dogs honestly, not well seasoned, not worth spending £17!! What can I say about service, not very kind nor welcoming. read more

Slightly peculiar interior design....but its definitely 'cosy'. Made a booking for dinner at 9ish so were seated pretty quickly. We sat upstairs and were faced with the touch decision of ordering from a long menu, where so many of the dishes sound so appetizing! Finally was able to come to a decision and went with the Chicken Clay Pot. BYOB so that definitely deserves a star on its own. The food was yum, service good, cheap, came to just over a tenner each for the 3 of us and were able to leisurely enjoy our meal at our own pace and were not rushed at all. Definitely recommend this for some authentic vietnamese nosh. I noticed on my walk to Shoreditch the variety of vietnamese restaurants in the area, but I was happy with my experience, so would skip the rest and go back to Mien Tay next time too! read more

Another good Vietnamese choice! We really enjoyed Mien Tay. We especially liked the fried spring rolls. They were a unique preparation we had not seen before. I enjoyed it! read more

Glacial service and little basic manners. Overcooked beef on the chow mein and bland tasting - perhaps the most bland tasting Vietnamese I've ever tasted. Went through the entire meal without being brought so much as a drink of water. Way overpriced for the schlock they're shovelling onto plates. InCREDIBLE that this made a top 10 in TimeOut. read more

This restaurant became licenced in May so I was interested to see just how they were managing that so I went there last sunday to see. There is a sign on the door just saying "We are now licenced". It was not as full as previous Sundays and plenty of free tables. There was no wine list and no sign of any stocks of drinks. Inside it was obvious many were still bring their own drinks. A sign on the wall repeated that they were now licenced and had at the bottom in very small writing "We encourage any alcohol but not soft drinks". I felt comfortable with my wine bottle. When the bill came it was not itemised but was now split into two figures meals and drinks. The drinks showed £5-10p. We had only ordered one carrot juice. I therefore would guess the juice was £1-10 and there is a corkage charge of £2 per person. Or perhaps the juice was £2-10 and corkage of £1-50 per person? Nothing on their web site or the menu so its a try it and see situation! Still lovely food though! Tony read more