We arrived around 8:00 PM and ordered three dishes: Bánh Bèo Chén, Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm, and Lẩu Gà Lá Giang. The hostess was very friendly and welcoming, and we just had to wait a few minutes for a table to be cleaned.
The food itself was decent, but the service really affected our experience. The first dish arrived about 15 minutes after ordering, but the second didn't come until around 45 minutes later. We honestly don't mind waiting when the restaurant was busy, but no one ever informed us there would be a delay. A simple update would have made a big difference.
The last dish arrived only after we had finished the second one. Since the restaurant closes at 10 PM, we had only about 15 minutes left to eat our hot pot, so we rushed to finish. After that, we waited for a to-go box and our check, but it felt like we were being ignored. No one checked on us or acknowledged that we were ready to leave.
So, don't expect to have a dedicated server taking care of your table. The food was fine, but the lack of communication and attention made the overall dining experience disappointing.
I give them a 4 start review bc the food and the service were ok nothing exceptional.
I have to say the salted pork was very delicious, crispy and the vermicelli noodles were very nicely display and texture was great!
The lemongrass tofu was not our favorite bc it was breaded and it soaked too much oil.
The service was OK, we like fast service and they were not that fast!
I forgot to mention the egg fried rice was very well done, warm and delicious.
The overall experience was ok for a hungry night coming out of a regatta event.
5
Stopped by for dinner on a weekday and this place was packed! I got the shaking beef which is absolutely incredible, the waiter mentioned it’s the best item on the menu. Also tried the Savory Crepes which was amazing. Can’t wait to come back and try more dishes!
5
We had such amazing authentic Vietnamese food from Gabriella’s Vietnam. Starting with the location, it is a considerably spacious restaurant on Passyunk that can accommodate for up to groups of 7-8, but mostly people come here as couples. I would recommend coming in a bigger group setting as a lot of dishes are meant to be shared. These are what we ordered:
1. Appetizer - calamari, 4/5. Amazing with the chilis and shallots, giving it a sense of Vietnamese street flare and flavor bomb. I’d like the calamari to be more crispier.
2. Appetizer - banh xeo, 4.5/5. These are made to be smaller than the typical ones you find elsewhere, but great for sharing. Its crispy exterior was a nice contrast with its gooey pork, shrimp and bean sprouts filling. Only thing I’d wish for is for its coconut flavor to stand out more.
3. Appetizer - coconut cake, 3/5. Compared to banh xeo, this wasn’t much of a surprise factor.
4. Appetizer - prawn and mango salad, 5/5. This was the favorite of the table. The shrimps were grilled to perfection, not overcooked and very flavorful. They are such a good match with slightly unripe mangoes, chili and shallots!
5. Main - Grilled catfish 5/5 - very well cooked, not fishy. Eaten perfectly in a combined bite with rice crackers, fermented shrimp sauce, vermicelli noodles, lettuce, cucumbers.
6. Main - Shaken beef, 5/5. Another popular dish on the table. Very juicy and tender beef that absorbs all the umami flavor of the sauce.
7. Main - chicken hotpot, 5/5. Definitely an acquired taste for those who are not used to a sour spicy soup. Which I ended up really enjoying!
8. Main - egg fried rice, 5/5. Very flavorful fried rice cooked with Chinese sausages.
9. Side - sweet and sour Brussels sprouts, 5/5. Decently cooked Brussels sprouts that turned my husband into liking the dish for the first time.
We would definitely return and try more dishes!
5
This was our first time at Gabriella's, two of us, visiting Philly for the weekend and having saved this place after reading a review. It was an excellent experience overall: food, service, atmosphere. We ordered the prawn and mango salad as a starter to share, the shrimps were cooked perfectly and the combination and seasoning were divine. As main dishes we ordered the salted pork hok and the mini coconut cakes with shrimp. So absolutely delicious! We'll be back!
