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| - My wife and I stopped in at 7:30 on a Saturday night expecting to wait 30-45 minutes for a table. The hostess gave us a 45-minute wait time, which we gladly accepted.
One peculiar thing about Ha Long Bay is the lack of a bar or other space to enjoy drinks and appetizers while waiting for a table. The hostess counter doubles as the cashier station for the dine-in guests and steady supply of carryout customers. Had we been offered a drink, we would have gladly ordered a round to help pass the time. The interior is spacious, yet cozy, and could quite easily be modified to clean up the crowded waiting area.
As our 45-minute mark approached, there were still several people who had arrived before us that had not been seated. A table for eight was reserved and left open the entire time we were waiting, and the group actually arrived around 8:15. As it turned out, my wife knew a member of that party and they had two unfilled seats, so they were nice enough to invite us to join them. Otherwise, it might have been another 15-20 minutes before we were at a table of our own.
After sitting with our group, service was cordial and steady, but definitely with room for improvement. We each ordered Thai Iced Teas, along with the Pan-Fried Chicken Dumplings (six per order) and the Chicken Satay (four skewers per order) as appetizers. Both dishes were flavorful and cooked perfectly, with the appropriate garnishes.
The menu here is huge, and covers at least three different asian cuisines extensively. For our entrees, we tried the Panang Chicken Curry and Xao Tham (a ginger chicken dish). The portions for both were huge, the Xao Tham could easily have been shared by two people, and the Panang was also very hearty. In terms of spiciness, the curry could have been ordered at least one notch higher (I ordered medium, but it was very tame). Like our appetizers, both entrees were cooked perfectly and comprised of high quality ingredients.
The other members of our party had a variety of different entrees (Laab, Red Curry, Green Curry) and everyone was very satisfied with their selection.
The waitress had no issue giving us separate checks upon request, and our bill for two (two appetizers, two entrees, two Thai Iced Teas) was just under $40 before tip.
Long wait times seem to be consistent regardless of time of day/week, so plan on a two-hour experience from walk in through walk out, and possibly longer for a larger group. Put simply, go here with people you enjoy killing time with.
Ha Long Bay could make the leap from 4.25 out of 5.0 to 4.5 or even 4.75 with relative ease by sorting out the waiting area, adding a bar, and finding ways to make service easier on their own staff. The food is on the same level as Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. We will definitely be back often, as this is easily the best Asian restaurant we've been to over our 12 years in Madison.
Yelp Scorecard
Food: 5
Service: 2.75 (the chaos up front really hurts them in this area)
Cost: 5
Decor: 3.5
Overall: 4.25
Zagat Scorecard
Food: 25
Service: 15
Cost: 28
Decor: 20
Overall: 22
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