Ngon Ngon

I often have cravings for Vietnamese food and I stumbled upon this place, thanks to Unilocal.I like the atmosphere as it is casual and comfortable. I have been several times, both by myself and in a small group and the service is consistently fine. There are no frills per se, but one is welcomed and served expeditiously.
The food here is very much to my taste. I typically lean toward Phở, but in this place I have tried many other dishes and find myself preferring the vermicelli dishes more. Their Vietnamese coffee is also delicious!

I had such high expectations of this place having read the fantastic reviews coming in but I have to say I was disappointed. I found the service slow and confused — we had to order with 3 different people. I found the food flavourless and overly greasy and we were placed downstairs in a windowless room (obviously I understand that they were busy but I would have waited for a table upstairs if we would have been asked).
I opted for the chicken satay and chicken stir fry– the chicken satay actually wasn’t too bad and I did like the sauce but found the chicken a bit too chewy. Then the stir fry with flat noodles — it came and shined, instantly knowing it was definitely more greasy than it should have been for Vietnamese. The veg within was cooked well but over all I just wasn’t satisfied
Maybe it was because it was a busy day and I feel I would come back and give it another try but yeah, a disappointment for me on this occasion.

My tip to judge the quality of an asian place is to go for the classics first. When testing a Thai, I generally go for the red chicken curry; and for the vietnamese, spring rolls are generally a good benchmark :) Sadly, the spring rolls here were pretty small and tasteless, and the rest wasn’t much much better. The noodles in my spicy phở seemed very random, and the overall broth just lacked taste as well :(Chicken Satay can be so delicate, but here it was more «sauce over big chunks of chicken». Dishes came out super quickly (which is never a good sign) and the sweet waitress had to come twice to finally get our order right, made of 2 starters and 2 mains.
I might give Ngon Ngon another chance. Not sure when though, there are so many great vietnamese options around…

Ngon Ngon is quite a new Vietnamese restaurant situated in Clerkenwell, taking the former Café VN. Due to it’s more commercial area it is more quiet during the weekend than the weekdays, especially during lunch hours. However it went through a lovely refurbishment with it’s more welcomed yellow walls making the place seem more airy and bright, giving the place a nice wooden lodge cabin feel to it. The tables were nicely laid out, spacious with good natural light coming in too.
Our waiter could have been a little more jollier. Most of the time he just stood there bored looking at their empty restaurant. The other staff seem to be more happier, one preparing the sprouts whilst the other remain on his phone nearly most of the time
Vietnamese spring rolls
As much as I enjoyed the crispiness and how greaseless these were, I found the skin too thick masking a lot of flavour and texture of the filing. From the photo I uploaded you can see how they were double wrapped. However I did enjoy the variation of meats in the filling, from shrimp, squid to pork which helped recover some flavour. Nuoc nam was perfectly sour to sweet, mild on the chilli which made a refreshing dipping sauce to balance out the heaviness
Grilled quail
These were definitely worth ordering. Being quail they don’t have a lot of meat on it but whatever was there was worth getting your fingers dirty for. The meat was incredibly flavoursome, rich, juicy and tender in the honey and Vietnamese spices it was marinated in. The dipping sauce it came with which tasted like salty sour plum was amazing, a bit strong so just a little dip will do the trick, sending a whole complex range of flavour across the quail.
Vietnamese crêpe with prawns
Some have achieved a thinner crêpe but this was still very satisfyingly thin, crispy and eggy. It was the filling that let it down a bit, lacking wok energy and a bit too wet with a monotone soy cornstarch slurry over the prawns and beansprouts. Needed more depth. But the variation of textures won it over for me. Lovely crunches and bounciness from the prawns. The nuoc nam aided it with flavour and a generous amount of Vietnamese herbs for complexity and to soak up the moisture.
Salted and peppered while seabass
Very presentable but poorly executed. The fried fish pieces delivered no flavour, bland and uninspiring. None of the onions, salt or pepper rubbed onto the fish which meant it lacked wok energy. The batter was chewy rather than crispy. The whole dish was desperately reliant on the nuoc nam for flavour.
Grilled pork bún
A very refreshing dish. The noodles were perfectly al dente topped over with aromatic pieces of grilled pork, packed full of flavour with a nice smokey edge to it from where it was charred. Peanuts and deep fried onions added a nice contrast in texture and added flavour. Herbs gave it complexity and made it peppery. Could have been a bit more generous with the nuoc nam seeing the size of the dish but a very minute problem seeing how delicious the dish was overall.
Spicy beef noodles
An excellent take on bun bo hue. The broth had depth and complexity with nice sour and spicy notes. The noodles were the authentic round kind, wonderfully slippery against the generous amount of tender rare beef slices which had a good amount of fatty bits giving it that richness in flavour and sweetness.
Morning glory with garlic
This was nice to have as a side and cooked well where the garlic flavours really infused into the greens itself. Lacked wok energy although seasoning was perfect and a nice cornstarch slurry so the morning glory was kept moist and the flavours attached.
Ngon Ngon is a quite a good choice if you’re looking for decent Vietnamese food. It’s definitely not perfect and lacks passion to deliver the best out of all the dishes especially with any dish requiring a wok as it seems they know how to let the oil heat up before putting the ingredients in to allow the flavours to be released. Their grilled dishes, noodle soups and buns are definitely more successful and if I was to return, I will stick to that.

How does this restaurant have more reviews? I am reluctant to share on the secret but I am compelled to express how great the food is! We went in on Saturday early evening, it was quiet so it was easy to find a table. We ordered Vietnamese spring rolls which were so delicious we had to order another batch. The chicken satay was also yummy. For the main I tried the special salt and peppered beef which was also really good. We also tried the flat noodle chicken, again this was good. No room for dessert!
The service is also good, everyone is kind and polite. All this and at a reasonable price. I can’t wait to go back and have been wholeheartedly been recommending. Just go!

Just a top notch rating from me on all counts. We stopped by for some crispy salt and pepper squid which was really well prepared, perfectly balanced flavours and textures and a generous portion. Top rating.
I enjoyed a bowl of monkfish phở. Again great flavoured soup, generously loaded with fish slices (lightly battered) and aromatics.
Food came quickly, was delicious, and good value.
The staff were welcoming and friendly and great service so looking forward to coming back.

First time I have tried vietnamese food and it was amazing! Great flavours, well presented food, good value for money. Would definitely go again and bring back friends. Really friendly service.

Dropped in here for a lunch after out plan to hit Leather Lane market was scuppered due to the rain.
Lunch was served fast and it was good! I had the pork and rice which was really tasty and my friend had the rare phở.
Good prices, great service, and perfect for a quick lunch. I was back in my office within an hour.

We all loved our food so much! We started with an order of the spring rolls and summer rolls — both delicious. The prawn summer rolls had a strong coriander/​basil flavor and were served with a delicate sauce, much different than the traditional peanut sauce. Very surprising and refreshing.
I got the spicy pork phở soup, one of the best I’ve had. Super fresh ingredients, loved the texture of the noodles, broth was spicy and very layered. Absolutely divine.
Service was spot on — our waiter was classy, extremely polite, and attentive. This is the kind of place you could eat at every day and not feel bad because it’s affordable, tasty, fresh, and healthy. Yum!

Was here for a team lunch and we were the first to arrive, having booked a table for 12pm. Not long after the place was rammed packed and food started coming out. Watching plates of sizzling dishes on super hot cast iron pans was nearly unbearable.
We ordered a bunch of starters, the crispy squid was okay, but definitely not the best in London as the manager claimed. I ordered the Chef special of the day which was Hanoi fish with noodles. It was lovely, fresh and sizzling. Count me very happy.
Sadly they didn’t have their famous watermelon juice. Apparently they’ve stopped doing it because it was attracting a lot of flies to the restaurant, something I completely accept. It’s a shame though.
Price was pretty good and portions very decent. Would come back again for sure.

Wife and I were staying in the Clerk and Well rooms and wanted some take away after a long day. I ordered the Spicy Chicken Phở and she ordered the Chicken Curry rice dish. I have to say the Phở lived up to its spicy name and I might have teared up a little. Both dishes were very well portioned for the price and quite delicious. If you are in the area we both highly recommend this spot.

Without a doubt the best Vietnamese food I’ve had in London. I am actually obsessed with the spicy seafood phở and find myself having lunch here 2 – 3 times a week. Amazing food and great service — definitely a must try for Vietnamese food lovers!

There has been a lot of new Vietnamese restaurants opening around London recently: Viet Food in Soho and FOLD on Brick Lane which I have planned to visit pretty soon.
Seeing all the vietnamese dishes on my Twitter timeline I decided to pay a visit to my old local restaurants around Holborn — Banh Mi Bay.
On that occasion we were not very lucky with my boyfriend as Banh Mi Bay was already full. We went instead on Clerkenwell Road (3 minutes away) to Ngon Ngon.
We arrived around 1.30pm. Ngon Ngon was absolutely packed too but we managed to get the last empty table. While we were ordering, we were informed that unfortunately they had totally sold out of banh mi. My boyfriend was a bit disappointed.
We started our meal by sharing some prawn, pork and squid spring rolls. They were very light, crispy and full of flavour. I liked the fact they had squid in as it gave an extra texture to the usual classic prawn and pork spring rolls you get anywhere else.
As a main dish, my boyfriend had the Phở tai, which was rice noodles in a clear beef broth with slim rare cuts of beef. It came with some chili, lime and herbs on the side.
I tried his dish, the broth was packed in flavour (even without herbs and spice). The beef was also really tasty and not chewy at all.
I had stir fried flat noodles with chicken (Phở Xao Ga). It came with some crispy vegetables: carrot, pak choi, courgette and crispy onions on top. I thought the dish was pretty good, and also had the perfect balance of meat, carbs and vegetables. I remember at Banh Mi Bay the portions are usually slightly bigger but you end up with more noodles than meat or vegetables.
Service at Ngon Ngon was pretty good and quick, we waited only 5 minutes between ordering and getting dishes on the table. Our waiter was the restaurant Manager, who was pretty efficient, nice and friendly.
Overall I think Ngon Ngon was close to be the perfect restaurant for a short lunch break for £10 or less per head. All the dishes were delicious and smelled amazing. It would have probably been the perfect place if they hadn’t sold out of banh mi by 1.30pm.

Staying at an apartment nearby, kept walking past this place and decided to try in spite of so few reviews. Really glad I did as it’s delicious, good vibes and good service. Had a really hard time choosing from many delicious menu choices but went with Ha Noi Fish and tiger prawn starters. Both were fantastic. I’ll probably come again for lunch tomorrow!

This is the best Vietnamese I’ve had in London. Hands down! The food is fresh, imaginative, beautifully presented and full of flavour. The green papaya salad is to die for. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been back, and the service is always warm and friendly. If you’ve got a group together, ask for the seafood platter — a masterpiece!

Amazing Vietnamese food. Tastes like I’m in Hanoi all over again (after questioning the manager, I learned that the chef is from Hanoi as well). I had the lemongrass beef with a spanish wine and it was fantastic! Happy hour (20% off meals) from 5−7pm I learned. Also, 2 people came in while I was eating and just ordered the watermelon juice, apparently they are known for it and make it fresh to order.
I would definitely recommend!

My boyfriend and I stopped by for dinner tonight. We almost didn’t go in as the shop was empty but good thing we did. We started with the crispy spring rolls which were thin, crispy and full of flavour. Then on to the mains: I had the phở while my boyfriend had the special, Hanoi chicken. Both were insanely good.
p. s. My mum is Vietnamese so I grew up with great tasting food — Ngon Ngon is right up there!

What a brilliant little find in Clerkenwell. Went here with my girlfriend for dinner and had a lovely meal. Staff were welcoming, passionate and the food was amazing. Who says you have to be in Old St. for quality Vietnamese food?
Can’t wait to return again! 5 stars.