ngon ngon restaurant — Restaurant in Saskatoon

I recently visited Ngon Ngon Restaurant on 8th Street, Saskatoon, and tried a few dishes. Here's my take on the overall experience:

Food:

Grilled Chicken Fresh Rolls (8 pieces): This dish was the highlight of my meal. The rolls, served with a delicious peanut butter sauce, were truly a must-try. I also experimented with the chili sauce that was placed on the table and found it complemented the rolls quite well. Soy sauce and chili sauce also added some interesting flavors, but the peanut sauce remained my favorite. I'd highly recommend this dish—it's a solid 4.5 out of 5.

Shaking Stir-Fried Beef with Rice: Unfortunately, this dish was just average. It was visually appealing but lacked a standout flavor. I'd rate it 3 out of 5.

Stir-Fried Vegetable Satay with Chicken and Rice: Again, just an okay dish. The flavors didn't really pop, so I would give this a 2 out of 5 as well.

Ambiance & Atmosphere: The place was quite crowded when I visited, which tells me it's a popular spot, likely among the people who love Vietnamese food. However, the seating arrangement felt a bit cramped for the number of people they were serving. If you're planning to visit, be prepared to either reserve a seat or wait for a while, as it can get busy.

Customer Service: Customer service was basic—nothing exceptional. The staff seemed a bit rushed, probably due to how busy the restaurant was. It felt more like you come in, eat, and leave, without any standout hospitality. But I did appreciate that it was possible to sit and have a conversation despite the crowd, which is a plus. Additionally, the senior guy standing at the payment area was smiling and welcoming; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for him.

Overall Experience: The food was a mix for me, with the Grilled Chicken Fresh Rolls being the standout dish. The other two dishes were okay but didn’t quite meet my expectations. The restaurant does feel a bit congested and can be quite crowded, which might affect your dining experience. While it may be a hit for some, especially for those who love Vietnamese cuisine, it didn't entirely suit my palate.

Rating:...

This place is a delightful little gem. We were really exicted to it out. We enjoyed dinner there so much on friday night we went back for lunch the very next day on saturday. The dinning room is very small and has approximately 11 tables. Despite the small dinning room, it does not feel very cramped at all.

On Friday night we enjoyed F5 Vegetables and curry and I2 Pork chop on rice. The curry was not too spicy but also very flavourful with lingering ginger notes, the veges were cooke very well and not soggy. The porkshop was a decent size compared to the portions you can get else where in town. It was juicy, tender and very flavourful, and the egg on top was cooked perfectly. Our food arrived hot and very quickly. All said and done we were in an out in less than 45 minutes and spent less than $38 including tip. An impressive feat given the state of how much things cost currently in 2023.

On Saturday we returned for lunch. This time we tried the A1 Spring rolls, D4 Pho with brisket and meat ball and K2 Satay pork sub. The spring rolls were originally very hot because they were fresh from the fryer but once they cooled they were the perfect blend of crispy and savory. The sub bun lightly toasted and the pork was tender and juicy. While the spring rolls and banh mi were both very good, the true star of the show was the pho. The soup base was absolutely amazing and possibly the most flavourful and delightful in town. I cant fully express the range of flavour it and advise that you go try it yourself. Once again we were in and out in less than 45 minutes and spent about $38 including tip.

During both visits we were greated and seated immediately upon entry. Menu's and water were provided promptly. The Asian themed art on the walls is simple but does add tiny amount of atmosphere. The bathrooms are clean and the staff are very friendly.

I highly recommend giving this place a try if you like...

Came here with a friend because we were craving Vietnamese and they had such high ratings.

It’s a smaller sized restaurant for its popularity. Easy to find with google maps and it’s pretty clearly signed in the parking lot and on building. There was more than enough parking as it’s in a strip mall with a few businesses speckled throughout.

When we arrived there was mostly all tables full. We got seated at this one person table off to the side to wait for another table to open up for two. A few people trickled in after us and were seated first before we were moved somewhere more which had us wondering if we were forgotten about. We both sat along the booth at a tiny table. Eventually we were offered a different seat, but this was the least pleasant part of the experience.

Otherwise the service was fairly quick and the food came out almost immediately after we ordered it which was impressive.

I had the beef satay vermicelli dish and my friend had the lemongrass chicken. I also ordered fresh rolls (chicken, not pictured).

The bowls were huge. Much too large of a portion for one sitting (not a negative! We got take out containers). The food was full of flavour and absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and easy to chew, marinated well. Noodles were perfect and the fried rolls were crispy and had the perfect expected mouthfeel.

I would definitely return here again & recommend...