The food is horrible. The service is horrible, and creepy to an extent. I didn't even want to stay for food after how badly our drink orders went (we had a dr. pepper and water). We had spring rolls for appetizers and some type of beef dish for our entrees, but both lacked any decent flavor. My girlfriend had a chicken dish, of which she took three bites of before pushing it away. We are not snobby people, but the food here is just disgusting. It is not right to call it VIetnamese, or cuisine. They should take it off of the sign.
The food is horrible. The service is horrible, and creepy to an extent. I didn't even want to stay for food after how badly our drink orders went (we had a dr. pepper and water). We had spring rolls for appetizers and some type of beef dish for our entrees, but both lacked any decent flavor. My girlfriend had a chicken dish, of which she took three bites of before pushing it away. We are not snobby people, but the food here is just disgusting. It is not right to call it VIetnamese, or cuisine. They should take it off of the sign.
I worked with Nancy at The Tenth Street Vegetarian Bistro for about two months and was paid a salary of 150 dollars a week-- which equaled out to about 3 dollars an hour.. At one point, I was asked to forfeit 40 percent of my tip money to help support the cost of operating and to hire a cook.
When I left, I filed a complaint with the Federal Department of Labor regarding Nancy and her wage issues and have recently been informed that she supplied "documents" to the DOL showing that she paid me minimum wage and that I only worked a few hours a week there.
This is not true.. I worked about 48-50 hours a week while employed with Nancy and she knows that. I also hope she knows that falsifying documents for the federal government is a crime.
Nancy has become successful by walking on the backs of students and needy employees who didn't know better-- until now. I would urge you to think about it,
I, for one, choose not to frequent any of her establishments and am waiting patiently for the day that Karma kicks her in the ass.
This place is authentic alright... its like being in some back alley shop in The Nam. The food is cooked in MSG, the cleanliness leaves much to be desired and I have a strong feeling they freeze and recycle food. Its gross...
This place had horrible service. The place was silent except for a off beat refrigerator. The spring rolls were pretty good. This place must be reallly realllly cutting their budget. We ordered fried rice and a dish called "spicy mushroom veggie chicken." It contained neither mushrooms or spice. The bowl was just full of flavorless noodles, dark brown potatoes skimpy tofu and bad sauce. The veggies were all from a frozen bag (cabbage, carrots). The fried rice (which i always enjoy) was just white rice with oil all over it. Upon complaint the respond was slow and rude. They brought a bowl of canned mushrooms with the brine sitting at the bottom. They took two dollars off our bill although we could not swallow the food.
The owner was rude, as was the waitress. We ended up very unhappy. I would not suggest anyone eating here.
Went there last night for the first time, to check out other side of menu the Southern Cuisine. Was served RAW chicken. I kid you not; it was cold. They must deep fry frozen meat. And they still charged me for it (3 pieces and a side of "cole slaw" - which was really kimchee, and two pieces of toast, $8.95). PLUS the bathroom had no soap or towels. You could use the hand santizer.... NOT RECOMMENDED!!
Well, I have to stand up and defend Nancy. I worked for her as a server for over a year at The Orient, and I'd like to offer my perspective on the place and Nancy.One, please realize that the Vietnamese language is a TONAL language. In english, we can say words in different ways to imply meaning- for example, take the word "love". You might say you love your mother and you love mashed potatoes, but you don't mean the same thing even though you use the same word- it all comes down to tone and inflection, context and manner. In tonal languages, the meaning of the word is completely changed by the tone. For example, if I'm not mistaken the chinese word for "princely" is "wang". If you say it one way, it means "princely", but if you alter the pronunciation, it means "froglike".Now, I told you that to tell you this:Many asian languages, to our americanized ears, sound angry to us. You need to get over it and look beyond your own personal impressions, though. There are cultures where bearing your teeth (smiling) is taken as a sign of aggression. For at least a month that I worked for Nancy, I lived in constant fear that one day she would unleash upon me the anger she had for the vietnamese employees- then eventually I realized something-It's not the way she talks. It's the way I was listening.One of the coolest things about eating at the Orient is that it's like stepping into a foreign country. Things are done a little differently there, and no, you wouldn't tolerate the raised voices or other quirks in an american restaurant, but that's the thing- you're not in an american restaurant. As far as the food goes, I would like to say this- I've helped prepare it, and I know what goes in it. That ground- beef looking stuff on the Chicken Phat Thai is chicken- seasoned and ground. The meatballs in the Pho are beef- ground and shaped somehow. There's no messing around when it comes to the food.I'll end this with one last point- The Orient has been there for years. Years and Years. Say what you'd like about it and it's owner, but the simple fact that it's been successful for this long is irrefutable proof that she's doing things right. Where's Ole Tapas? Where's Lotus? Where's Paradise? Where's the countless failed flash in the pan businesses that couldn't make it? When I worked for Nancy I was treated fairly and well, and I nbever saw any skimping or cheating.Nancy Nguyen is good people, and the Orient has damn fine food at a fair price. That's that.
This has to be the worse Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been in. I ordered the pork chops and rice one time and it tasted nothing like how Vietnamese pork chops should be. Another time I ordered the pho. It had meatballs that were square. Square?! I wouldn't mind the shape so much but that did not taste like meatballs. The only way that place is still in business is because most of the white people who come there don't know what good Vietnamese food tastes like. I'm already planning with 3 other investors into opening a Vietnamese restaurant soon, whether near Sprint Center or in Lawrence we don't know yet. We'll show you how real Viet food is supposed to taste like.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I come back to lawrence all the time to eat there. Spring rolls to die for peanut sauce good enough to chug. Oh and if you go enough nancy will remember you and you'll realize she's not so tough. though one time she did yell "chicken soup" really loud but it was funny
I was really disappointed with the food in this restaurant. Coming from a Vietnamese background, I've had my taste of good Vietnamese food and bad Vietnamese food. This is bad Vietnamese food.
What kind of decent soup shop would not serve any bean sprouts, lemon/lime, Asian basil with their Pho dish. That is extremely disappointing. Also, the Pho broth was not tasty. If it was made for vegan or vegetarian, then it would be fine, but I ordered a Pho dish with beef in it. It was nasty.
Another dish, Bun Bo Hue, was decent, but not really good. The spicy flavor was really lacking, and the noodle soggy.
I've given this restaurant five chances now, and every time, they have disappointed me.
I wish someone would open a Vietnamese restaurant that would be an exemplar for Vietnamese food, and at least give this restaurant competition to make their food better. Like those in Wichita, can we import Saigon here?
Come on people, half the charm of going to the Orient is listening to Nancy yelling on the phone. It's called Free Entertainment. And I also don't think it has anything to do with her cultural background...I think she just yells a lot.
This is the best Veggie Phat Thai ever in the history of mankind. I think they put crack cocaine in it to make you crave it constantly. I'm like Pete Dougherty, but for the Orient's Veggie Phat Thai...
I must say I'm impressed with the Orient's face lift. Very nice signage, they cleaned off their office from the front two tables and they've made a real effort to step things up a bit. Nancy still has her yelling fits but all in all I really dig their food and am glad they are trying to improve things. The wait service has always been great as well.
Very tasty... I had the chicken pad thai but for the life of me, I still don't know what else is on top. There's pieces of chicken, and then stuff that looks like ground beef. They swear it is chicken, but looks different. Tastes good, though.
I thought only Jade Garden served pho in Lawrence, until I was introduced to the Orient. The Pho is amazing as far as flavor, and for those who complain about Nancy yelling at her staff, she's not yelling, it's just her culture that makes her talk so loudly. I've also had thier spring rolls which were very fresh. Everything there is homemade, and I believe it is the best Pho place in Lawrence. If I had a suggestion for her, I would recommend getting bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime for the pho, she told me her distributor charged too much for those necessary items.
It is a shame that the owner is so unprofessional. The other evening I went to the Orient to order take out. Nancy, the owner, was very audibly yelling at some poor bastard on the other end of the line. I was floored by this action, trying to understand how she could rationalize this as a proper behavior in front of her customers. She wasn't just talking loudly, she was yelling. Loudly. Very loudly. This went on for at least fifteen minutes. I was about two steps away from walking out but liked what I had ordered too much to abandon it.
So, Nancy, quit it! I would love to support your establishment but you make it difficult.
It is a shame that the owner is so unprofessional. The other evening I went to the Orient to order take out. Nancy, the owner, was very audibly yelling at some poor bastard on the other end of the line. I was floored by this action, trying to understand how she could rationalize this as a proper behavior in front of her customers. She wasn't just talking loudly, she was yelling. Loudly. Very loudly. This went on for at least fifteen minutes. I was about to steps away from walking out but liked what I had ordered too much to abandon it.
So, Nancy, quit it! I would love to support your establishment but you make it difficult.
I love the food at this restaurant! The vegetarian pad thai is especially good... I get it almost every time. Yes, Nancy is not so pleasant, but the food makes up for her attitude and the odd decor.
I have to agree with the last review. I believe it is Nancy (the owner) who takes the order and I have found her to be very unfriendly. She seldom greets us when we come in. The wait staff is great though. I do enjoy the food but also have commented about how unfriendly Nancy is.
This place has wonderful food. I used to eat there about once or twice a week for about 5 years. I stopped going there because the lady that takes your order is very rude and very unprofessional. I would rather eat somewhere where people are at least trying, even though I do miss the orient's food.
This is my favorite restaurant in Lawrence. I have introduced dozens of people to this place and none have gone away unhappy. My favorite entrees mainly come from the vegetarian side of the menu and the spring and egg rolls are to die for.
More people should know about this great hole-in-the-wall. Fantastic Vietnamese curry. Nice people. Real booths to sit in. No dumb blonde KU girls chatting on their daddy's cell phones. A nice place :-)
I've been eating here most of my adult life...Back in the days when it was drakes to now..While I do miss chef Terry and the oops omelet, The owner makes kick ass asian dishes in a place that you can chill out in.
Comments
CKM742 11 years, 11 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
THIS IS THE WORST RESTAURANT EVER!!!!!
NEVER COME HERE.
EVER.
The food is horrible. The service is horrible, and creepy to an extent. I didn't even want to stay for food after how badly our drink orders went (we had a dr. pepper and water). We had spring rolls for appetizers and some type of beef dish for our entrees, but both lacked any decent flavor. My girlfriend had a chicken dish, of which she took three bites of before pushing it away. We are not snobby people, but the food here is just disgusting. It is not right to call it VIetnamese, or cuisine. They should take it off of the sign.
HORRIBLE.
CKM742 11 years, 11 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
THIS IS THE WORST RESTAURANT EVER!!!!!
NEVER COME HERE.
EVER.
The food is horrible. The service is horrible, and creepy to an extent. I didn't even want to stay for food after how badly our drink orders went (we had a dr. pepper and water). We had spring rolls for appetizers and some type of beef dish for our entrees, but both lacked any decent flavor. My girlfriend had a chicken dish, of which she took three bites of before pushing it away. We are not snobby people, but the food here is just disgusting. It is not right to call it VIetnamese, or cuisine. They should take it off of the sign.
HORRIBLE.
William Welch 12 years, 1 month ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I worked with Nancy at The Tenth Street Vegetarian Bistro for about two months and was paid a salary of 150 dollars a week-- which equaled out to about 3 dollars an hour.. At one point, I was asked to forfeit 40 percent of my tip money to help support the cost of operating and to hire a cook.
When I left, I filed a complaint with the Federal Department of Labor regarding Nancy and her wage issues and have recently been informed that she supplied "documents" to the DOL showing that she paid me minimum wage and that I only worked a few hours a week there.
This is not true.. I worked about 48-50 hours a week while employed with Nancy and she knows that. I also hope she knows that falsifying documents for the federal government is a crime.
Nancy has become successful by walking on the backs of students and needy employees who didn't know better-- until now. I would urge you to think about it,
I, for one, choose not to frequent any of her establishments and am waiting patiently for the day that Karma kicks her in the ass.
antney 13 years, 2 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
This place is authentic alright... its like being in some back alley shop in The Nam. The food is cooked in MSG, the cleanliness leaves much to be desired and I have a strong feeling they freeze and recycle food. Its gross...
av 13 years, 8 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
gross
av 13 years, 8 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
This place had horrible service. The place was silent except for a off beat refrigerator. The spring rolls were pretty good. This place must be reallly realllly cutting their budget. We ordered fried rice and a dish called "spicy mushroom veggie chicken." It contained neither mushrooms or spice. The bowl was just full of flavorless noodles, dark brown potatoes skimpy tofu and bad sauce. The veggies were all from a frozen bag (cabbage, carrots). The fried rice (which i always enjoy) was just white rice with oil all over it. Upon complaint the respond was slow and rude. They brought a bowl of canned mushrooms with the brine sitting at the bottom. They took two dollars off our bill although we could not swallow the food.
The owner was rude, as was the waitress. We ended up very unhappy. I would not suggest anyone eating here.
justthefacts 14 years, 1 month ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
Went there last night for the first time, to check out other side of menu the Southern Cuisine. Was served RAW chicken. I kid you not; it was cold. They must deep fry frozen meat. And they still charged me for it (3 pieces and a side of "cole slaw" - which was really kimchee, and two pieces of toast, $8.95). PLUS the bathroom had no soap or towels. You could use the hand santizer.... NOT RECOMMENDED!!
jericho138 14 years, 9 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
Well, I have to stand up and defend Nancy. I worked for her as a server for over a year at The Orient, and I'd like to offer my perspective on the place and Nancy.One, please realize that the Vietnamese language is a TONAL language. In english, we can say words in different ways to imply meaning- for example, take the word "love". You might say you love your mother and you love mashed potatoes, but you don't mean the same thing even though you use the same word- it all comes down to tone and inflection, context and manner. In tonal languages, the meaning of the word is completely changed by the tone. For example, if I'm not mistaken the chinese word for "princely" is "wang". If you say it one way, it means "princely", but if you alter the pronunciation, it means "froglike".Now, I told you that to tell you this:Many asian languages, to our americanized ears, sound angry to us. You need to get over it and look beyond your own personal impressions, though. There are cultures where bearing your teeth (smiling) is taken as a sign of aggression. For at least a month that I worked for Nancy, I lived in constant fear that one day she would unleash upon me the anger she had for the vietnamese employees- then eventually I realized something-It's not the way she talks. It's the way I was listening.One of the coolest things about eating at the Orient is that it's like stepping into a foreign country. Things are done a little differently there, and no, you wouldn't tolerate the raised voices or other quirks in an american restaurant, but that's the thing- you're not in an american restaurant. As far as the food goes, I would like to say this- I've helped prepare it, and I know what goes in it. That ground- beef looking stuff on the Chicken Phat Thai is chicken- seasoned and ground. The meatballs in the Pho are beef- ground and shaped somehow. There's no messing around when it comes to the food.I'll end this with one last point- The Orient has been there for years. Years and Years. Say what you'd like about it and it's owner, but the simple fact that it's been successful for this long is irrefutable proof that she's doing things right. Where's Ole Tapas? Where's Lotus? Where's Paradise? Where's the countless failed flash in the pan businesses that couldn't make it? When I worked for Nancy I was treated fairly and well, and I nbever saw any skimping or cheating.Nancy Nguyen is good people, and the Orient has damn fine food at a fair price. That's that.
Luan Do 14 years, 10 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
This has to be the worse Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been in. I ordered the pork chops and rice one time and it tasted nothing like how Vietnamese pork chops should be. Another time I ordered the pho. It had meatballs that were square. Square?! I wouldn't mind the shape so much but that did not taste like meatballs. The only way that place is still in business is because most of the white people who come there don't know what good Vietnamese food tastes like. I'm already planning with 3 other investors into opening a Vietnamese restaurant soon, whether near Sprint Center or in Lawrence we don't know yet. We'll show you how real Viet food is supposed to taste like.
haulwilliams 14 years, 12 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I come back to lawrence all the time to eat there. Spring rolls to die for peanut sauce good enough to chug. Oh and if you go enough nancy will remember you and you'll realize she's not so tough. though one time she did yell "chicken soup" really loud but it was funny
davidnta 15 years, 9 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I was really disappointed with the food in this restaurant. Coming from a Vietnamese background, I've had my taste of good Vietnamese food and bad Vietnamese food. This is bad Vietnamese food.
What kind of decent soup shop would not serve any bean sprouts, lemon/lime, Asian basil with their Pho dish. That is extremely disappointing. Also, the Pho broth was not tasty. If it was made for vegan or vegetarian, then it would be fine, but I ordered a Pho dish with beef in it. It was nasty.
Another dish, Bun Bo Hue, was decent, but not really good. The spicy flavor was really lacking, and the noodle soggy.
I've given this restaurant five chances now, and every time, they have disappointed me.
I wish someone would open a Vietnamese restaurant that would be an exemplar for Vietnamese food, and at least give this restaurant competition to make their food better. Like those in Wichita, can we import Saigon here?
witchy_music 17 years, 2 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
Come on people, half the charm of going to the Orient is listening to Nancy yelling on the phone. It's called Free Entertainment. And I also don't think it has anything to do with her cultural background...I think she just yells a lot.
This is the best Veggie Phat Thai ever in the history of mankind. I think they put crack cocaine in it to make you crave it constantly. I'm like Pete Dougherty, but for the Orient's Veggie Phat Thai...
mamsir 17 years, 4 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I must say I'm impressed with the Orient's face lift. Very nice signage, they cleaned off their office from the front two tables and they've made a real effort to step things up a bit. Nancy still has her yelling fits but all in all I really dig their food and am glad they are trying to improve things. The wait service has always been great as well.
MKrics 17 years, 9 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
Very tasty... I had the chicken pad thai but for the life of me, I still don't know what else is on top. There's pieces of chicken, and then stuff that looks like ground beef. They swear it is chicken, but looks different. Tastes good, though.
perplxd 17 years, 11 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I thought only Jade Garden served pho in Lawrence, until I was introduced to the Orient. The Pho is amazing as far as flavor, and for those who complain about Nancy yelling at her staff, she's not yelling, it's just her culture that makes her talk so loudly. I've also had thier spring rolls which were very fresh. Everything there is homemade, and I believe it is the best Pho place in Lawrence. If I had a suggestion for her, I would recommend getting bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime for the pho, she told me her distributor charged too much for those necessary items.
mamsir 18 years, 2 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
It is a shame that the owner is so unprofessional. The other evening I went to the Orient to order take out. Nancy, the owner, was very audibly yelling at some poor bastard on the other end of the line. I was floored by this action, trying to understand how she could rationalize this as a proper behavior in front of her customers. She wasn't just talking loudly, she was yelling. Loudly. Very loudly. This went on for at least fifteen minutes. I was about two steps away from walking out but liked what I had ordered too much to abandon it. So, Nancy, quit it! I would love to support your establishment but you make it difficult.
mamsir 18 years, 2 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
It is a shame that the owner is so unprofessional. The other evening I went to the Orient to order take out. Nancy, the owner, was very audibly yelling at some poor bastard on the other end of the line. I was floored by this action, trying to understand how she could rationalize this as a proper behavior in front of her customers. She wasn't just talking loudly, she was yelling. Loudly. Very loudly. This went on for at least fifteen minutes. I was about to steps away from walking out but liked what I had ordered too much to abandon it. So, Nancy, quit it! I would love to support your establishment but you make it difficult.
jcampbell 18 years, 9 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I love the food at this restaurant! The vegetarian pad thai is especially good... I get it almost every time. Yes, Nancy is not so pleasant, but the food makes up for her attitude and the odd decor.
mochacat 18 years, 10 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I have to agree with the last review. I believe it is Nancy (the owner) who takes the order and I have found her to be very unfriendly. She seldom greets us when we come in. The wait staff is great though. I do enjoy the food but also have commented about how unfriendly Nancy is.
gyroduck 19 years ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
This place has wonderful food. I used to eat there about once or twice a week for about 5 years. I stopped going there because the lady that takes your order is very rude and very unprofessional. I would rather eat somewhere where people are at least trying, even though I do miss the orient's food.
loco 19 years, 2 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
This is my favorite restaurant in Lawrence. I have introduced dozens of people to this place and none have gone away unhappy. My favorite entrees mainly come from the vegetarian side of the menu and the spring and egg rolls are to die for.
elmersleznick 19 years, 3 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
More people should know about this great hole-in-the-wall. Fantastic Vietnamese curry. Nice people. Real booths to sit in. No dumb blonde KU girls chatting on their daddy's cell phones. A nice place :-)
Kelly Powell 19 years, 8 months ago on The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
The Orient Vietnamese Cuisine
I've been eating here most of my adult life...Back in the days when it was drakes to now..While I do miss chef Terry and the oops omelet, The owner makes kick ass asian dishes in a place that you can chill out in.
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