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- Neighborhoods:
- Chelsea, Midtown
At a Glance
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92% ambiance
“Atmosphere is gorgeous - brick walls, candle-lit, cozy tables.”
100% dessert
“Spring rolls were good, and the mousse for dessert was great too.”
83% drinks
“There were many helpful people, not only one waiter - kept refilling the water, the wine, asking if everything was okay.”
86% food quality
“The food and our server(s) were very very excellent, prices were very good, but she's just left a horrible taste in our mouth both times.”
66% menu variety
“Very vegetarian friendly menu too.”
100% return potential
“Great food, good service, would def go back”
61% service
“The service was fine, nothing amazing.”
90% value
“usually go with one other person, and we order maybe three appetizers, the pork or the fish, and maybe the curried vegetables, and that's plenty of food at a really good price.”
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Omai
Tips for Omai
February 19, 2012
Overpriced! Small portions! Big attitude!.
We've been here last Friday. After reading the good reviews we thought we can't go wrong, but unfortunately it was very disappointing. We will not be back, there are so many other good places in NY.
Food:
Overpriced! Small plates! Lame taste!
Food is totally overpriced and on the smaller side. We had the duck for $19 which was just a few pieces of duck. That's all. No vegetables, no rice (rice is extra). We also had a curry for $19 which was a very small portion and not especially tasty (taste was not bad, but it was lame). You need two entrees for one person to get satisfied. Because I am a lover of Vietnamese food we have eaten it all over the world... also in Vietnam but also many times here in New York. I must say this was the worst experience.
Drinks:
$11 for a small glass of vodka tonic. The mix was not good. Don't understand it because even I can mix a vodka tonic.
Service:
We had two waitresses. The Vietnamese waitress was very nice. The other one was very pushy and a bit rude.
Restaurant:
It was empty on a Friday night. Now we know why. Every other restaurant we've passed on our way was packed with people.
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Heart
November 16, 2010
Great food weak drinks.. The delicious and authentic food is enough to draw those in the know to this cozy, candle lit place, nothing about it draws the attention as you pass. Though the food is as great as in Vietnam so too are the drinks as weak as those you get in Vietnam. The small-but decent- selection of wine and sake is the way to go here. Menu is meat and fish oriented but as a vegetarian I left very satisfied. A little pricey but well worth it. Service friendly and prompt. Will visit again.
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Heart
March 09, 2010
Nice Space, Excellent Vietnamese. My best friend and I go here all the time, a remnant of when she lived in Chelsea. We get the Lemongrass Tofu, soft inside and fried perfectly crisp outside. We love the curry vegetables, the shrimp-pork-chicken egg noodles, and the eggplant. Grat atmosphere too.
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Heart
November 22, 2008
Amazing and Authentic. My Vietnamese friend took us last night. He claims it to be one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the city. He was not lying. The appetizers were the best part. We had crispy spring rolls, grilled prawns, and a lemongrass beef roll. Then we had another order of crispy spring rolls. We learned that the greens that come with are not a garnish, but you should wrap the spring rolls in the lettuce and ginger provided and dip the entire thing. It was amazing. We ordered 3 entrees and shared them and they were good, but the crispy spring rolls were delicious enough to die for. The place is hard to find, since there is no sign, and the front door doesn't close automatically, so if you sit by the door you will have to get up constantly to close it. The service was fine, nothing amazing. The wine selection is small, so we ordered liquor. They don't have a cocktail menu, just a full bar. Martinis were $11, sparkling wine was $7. Prices are decent. I will definitely come back.
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Heart
November 10, 2008
Best Vietnamese in NYC. I've traveled extensively in Vietnam and love the food. O Mai and its sister restaurant, Nam, in SoHo, are to my mind the best Vietnamese places in the city. I've been to O Mai probably 15 times since it opened and have never found the hostess or wait staff to be rude; I don't know what these other reviewers are talking about. The food's great and very well prices. Try the spicy beef salad, and definitely get the shrimp ravioli. The green papaya salad is really good too, not your ordinary green papaya salad at all. The Hanoi style pork is fantastic, but ask for extra vermicelli. Also love the red snapper, I think they call it tamarind-glazed crispy red snapper or something. I've taken loads of people there and they've all thought it was great (but the dishes I mentioned are, to my mind, the best on the menu). The curried vegetables you can get as a side dish are really good too. I usually go with one other person, and we order maybe three appetizers, the pork or the fish, and maybe the curried vegetables, and that's plenty of food at a really good price.
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Heart
May 12, 2008
Great food, good service, would def go back. Great duck, really good summer rolls. Loved the coffee. We didn't have dessert, but it looked good. Don't go here for the pho. It's also very crammed seating.
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Heart
April 06, 2008
Omai-What a disappointment. I took my wife to the joyce theatre tonight, and decided to take her to Omai because I read in Zagat that Omai is so good they do not need a sign on the door.I truly believe that this review has gone to the owners head.The food was so bland, and tasteless,but I must admit it was clean. The service was awful.The waiters,and waitresses were up at the bar talking away,and not paying any attention to us.I am sorry to say that I could never recommend you to anyone-What a shame.
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Heart
November 08, 2007
Cozy, trendy, and very very tasty. I love love this place, one of my favorites and regular friday night dinner places. It looks like in the picture... intimate room, close tables, trendy but intimate. I always have one of two dishes the crispy snapper or the beef sate. both are great. with my friends we always drink the tamrind margarita, maybe more than one sometimes. service is always solid. can be quite tight between tables, and when its full its also really loud. best table are those by windows, there are two of them they sit 6 you'll be lucky to get them.
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Heart
January 03, 2007
Nam's little sister brings inventive Vietnamese to Chelsea..
The Scene
Diners sit elbow-to-elbow at paper-draped tables, sipping from wine glasses and straining to speak over high-decibel mood music that bounces between the brick walls. Ill-informed servers are often rushed, and parties are rarely served at the same time.
The Food
Fans of Nam may experience deja vu--the menu's virtually the same here, and the creative, casual Vietnamese dishes are attracting crowds. Start with cucumber and cilantro stuffed tuna rolls, sizzling wok-seared sirloin and watercress salad or monkfish with peanuts, mint and peppers. Soups, such as creamy pumpkin curry or fish broth with shrimp dumplings, are excellent. Both the chili-lime glazed snapper and steamed bass over ginger-scallion noodles are reliably good. Some familiar dishes, such as chili-lemongrass chicken and roast duck, are humdrum. Creamy chocolate mousse with orange marmalade, and chilled coconut cream topped with tapioca sauce are nice finishes.
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