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Shared tables, loud, noisy, indifferent service -- the food makes up for all of it. I never have a problem with the waiters; I just point to the menu and say Number Whatever (whatever number the seafood rice is) and within five minutes I've got a steaming hot plate right in front of me. Absolutely delicious, and the prices are dirt cheap. It's worth a trip to Chinatown.

Grew up in NYC, but never went to Bo Ky until this past week. No atmosphere and weak service, but the food and prices make up for it. Definitely try the beef noodle soup, the broth is as close to comfort food as you can get.

As a born and bred New Yorker, I have tried virtually every cuisine represented in ours, the greatest city on the planet. With 18,000 restaurants from which to choose, it's unusual for any of them to stand out above the rest. If you want GREAT food with NO atmosphere (you don't pay for it either), waiters almost as surly as Sammy's Romanian, and more than the guys at Hong Fat around the corner (good food, no atmosphere, indifferent service, SHARED tables enforced) on Mott Street, then Bo Ky is the only place in town for you. If there ever was a restaurant to equal the quality of the food at the prices they charge, I have not found it, and believe me, I have looked far and wide. The menu listed here does not have everything they serve, but it's close. The one thing I found tastiest of all is the sauce, orange in color, and a little spicy (I like that) that they put on several of the dishes they serve. It's so good, you could pour it onto your hand and lick it off, no distractions like meat or veggies necessary. Their duck, only 7.75 for a half, is as good as any you'll ever have, and far less than you'll find anywhere else. I have had better duck in the past, but that was at the Czech restaurant, Praha (Prague), which has long since bit the dust, and of course it was far more expensive as well, in keeping with its upper east side location. Bo Ky, while staunchly Vietnamese, is located right in the heart of Chinatown, where you might imagine it would be overshadowed by all of the great Chinese places to eat. Anytime of the day or night, any day of the week, be prepared for a short wait, because, after all, this is New York, and believe me, we KNOW where the good food is! The one-time food critic, Gael Greene and I agree, for foodies on a budget, Bo Ky is Nirvana!

I've been going to Bo Ky for about 7 years now and it's great. I've had my ups and downs with this place, but I started going here when I was pretty young. I love the food, the prices, and (oddly enough) the atmosphere. I feel so utterly foreign in this place. On the other hand, the service is -poor-. In my current state I get glares if I ask for more tea.

I've been coming to this restaurant for over ten years now and they have the best seafood noodle soup ever! [Don't forget to add some viet. hot sauce] The price is great and the portion is just enough to fill you up without making you feel like you have to loosen a notch or two on that belt. If you're going to chinatown, you have to visit this restaurant! Oh yea, the dumpling noodle soup is great as well.

Get the dry noodles and you can really taste how oily and nice it is, just like how it is supposed to be in s.e.asia. Add chilli for extra shiokness. It's not like a fancy restaurant but in asia all the best food are in simple settings like this so all the more authenic the food feels. My friend loved it so much he ordered a second bowl right after! It's cheaper and better tasting than what you find in fancy restaurants definitely.

The food is pretty good on the cheap but the service is poor. Too noisy. I said number 32 and add vegetables (in Chinese). Then I thought he asked white or black rice. I was like what? I want white rice with it. Then he repeated again and I heard the same thing so I said "white rice add vegetables." Then he said it louder and I heard chicken or duck? Obviously, if the menu says number 32 is country duck rice then that's what it is. So I responded duck. And then he said in the most impolite tone ever, "So why'd you say white rice? What were you talking about?! Duck with rice is duck with rice!" And then I said again add vegetables because he probably couldn't get that. I didn't tip but I was eating with friends and they tipped their portions. I was going to complain but my friend likes eating there and expects to eat there in the future. It was only that one waiter but I definitely do not want to dine in there. My best bet is takeout because I will not tip waiters that do not do much. It's called gratuity for a reason. You're not going for the styrofoam cups, fluorescent lights, or poor service. You're going for good cheap food.