Madame Vo

"At this East Village neighborhood spot, 2010s club bangers play and almost everyone slurps bowls of the Madame Pho with a $10 short rib add-on. It's the kind of casual place where you can bring friends to drink whiskey-based Vietnamese espresso martinis, but don't take that to mean you should split the namesake beefy soup with short rib, which has nice warming spices and emulates a Fred Flintstone wet dream. Get your own. Then throw in some Vietnamese classics to share with your group, like the crispy chả giò stuffed with tail-on shrimp, pork, and crab, and you'll be in for a fun night out." - sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, arden shore, carlo mantuano

"Hit East Village Vietnamese restaurant Madame Vo is known for its pho, but the wings are an ideal starter. Crunchy and spicy from a caramelized garlic fish sauce, they’re a big flavor hit." - Eater Staff

"The “madame pho” at Madame Vo (The Very Unofficial Infatuation Best Dish Title in NYC) is rich and aromatic, with lots of warming spices that will make you question why cinnamon isn’t in more savory dishes. And while the baseline $20 bowl is full of sliced rare beef and meatballs, with all the usual suspect fixings, you really are missing out if you don’t get the $10 short rib add-on. It’s a giant, succulent dinosaur-style rib bone that’ll save you a trip to the pet store, because you’ll likely be taking at least part of your bowl home in a container." - will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore, carlo mantuano

"There are restaurants where you share everything and there are entree restaurants. Then there’s Madame Vo, a casual East Village Vietnamese spot that doesn’t fit neatly into either category. The best way to approach a meal here is to bring a few friends and split a bunch of dishes, like crispy shrimp chả giò and the mixed grill madame platter, before everyone gets their own bowl of phở. While its sibling spot, Monsieur Vo, has more creative takes on Vietnamese dishes, the menu here sticks to the classics—all served in a dining room that goes from bright white up front by the bar to a dark black toward the rear. There will likely be 2010’s club bangers playing and groups drinking whiskey-based Vietnamese espresso martinis, which taste like an Irish coffee got a caffeine promotion. As far as food goes, you'll remember the $20 bowl of “madame phở" most out of everything you swallow. The broth balances rich beefiness with warming spices. For the very hungry, add the $10 short rib, served on the bone. It’s Flinstonian. But hey, that’s why you have tupperware shoved somewhere in your kitchen cabinet. photo credit: Ben Hon" - Will Hartman

"The handsome setting, with a bicycle rickshaw in the front window is reason enough to visit this East Village spot. The pho from chef Jimmy Ly is good, in a Saigon sort of way. The Madame Vo version features flank steak, bone marrow, and — best of all, to my way of thinking — bouncy beef balls. A plate of fresh basil, sprouts, and jalapeno comes on the side, along with bottles of hoisin and sriracha. The rice noodles are thicker than most." - Robert Sietsema