text: I am convinced that anyone who gives Ha Long Bay more than three stars has not eaten really exceptional Vietnamese Thai which are both easier to find exceptionally done in bigger more diverse cities I like Ha Long Bay and eat there frequently largely due to proximity and lack of other options but it is not fourstar or five worthy nnUpsides nnWhen dishes are good here they are very good The best dish I have had so far is the LS Nem Khao Tod Crispy rice with minced sour sausage chicken onion cilantro mint lime juice topped with peanuts served with lettuce for wrapping which I eat rarely because I have to take an ethical meat timeoutnnThe only other place to get decent Pho is on the west side by the mall When I am chilled to the bone and want Pho this is the place to go for it I am sort of a chicken addict but I still think that the chicken is the best Pho at Ha Long Bay even though it is not traditional nnThe staff is generally friendly and they have to be because it is a zoo in this restaurant most of the timennDownsidesnnWhen dishes are bad they are very very bad Bland tasteless as many of the reviewers have pointed out The drunken noodles are not good for example and neither is the Pad Thai and these are two dishes that should be easy to make flavorfulnnSometimes Ha Long Bay gets overwhelmed by the volume and food takes a long time I have seen several people melt down when waiting for take out nnHa Long Bay falls into the same sphere as many restaurants in Madison that think that to make food hot it is acceptable to toss a full bottle of crushed red pepper into a dish minutes before serving it This is also the only way to get food spicy at Ha Long Bay but again getting hot food in Madison is impossible unless you go to Vientiane Palace nnThe music is sometimes so bad that it is hard to concentrate on eating Think oriental elevator folk music with strings