Viet Food — Restaurant in London

This was my experience at this restaurant from start to end: the lady at the front was extremely nice to us and was helpful. She helped us find a table while staying friendly and composed. When it was our turn to enter the restaurant after a short queue, we were told to go to the second floor to join a table of different people that we didn't know. We didn't mind that at all. The moment we went up to the second floor, a gentleman from the staff, which is around 55 years old with black hair, started to stare at us with a angry face. From this moment on - we felt uncomfortable. He was staring at us and looked unhappy that we came to his restaurant. But, we shrugged it off and decided to ignore his bad vibes and just order our food. After noticing that everyone at the restaurant was offered water when they sat down, I decided to break the ice with the senior staff member and asked him with full respect and in a calm voice: "Sir, can we also please have water?" He heard me, and shockingly literally turned around without answering. After a few minutes of just waiting, we received the water. I asked the junior waiter that served us if we can move to a table for 2 that was near us. The waiter answered that he has to ask his Manager. Then the waiter asked the senior staff member in Vietnamese if we can move, and the answer was no. So after 20 minutes we got our food, it tasted ok. The soup and rice were bland. I can cook better to be honest, but whatever, we were hungry. Before we left I was sure to tell the senior staff member that I did not appreciate his staring, his rudeness towards us and his lack of hospitality - he answered by saying: ahhh ok and just laughed while mumbling something under his breath in Vietnamese.

I hope he is reading this review and will remember to treat all customers equally regardless of how they look. We literally only showed respect to the staff and surroundings, and this individual was having an unhealthy attitude towards us. Till this moment I have no clue what his problems with us were.... I'd be happy if he would reply here on Google reviews to explain why he didn't like me and...

This place is an authentic Vietnamese food restaurant, with fast service, generous portion sizes, and a great atmosphere. If you’re in Chinatown looking for somewhere to eat that is authentic and not touristy, this is the place.

I got the PhoChinHue, and my mother in law got the Sirloin Fried Rice. We both weren’t too hungry going into the restaurant, and assumed we’d be taking some leftovers home… but the food was so delicious that we both ate it all! Really happy with our meals.

The PhoChinHue had tons of flavor in the meat and broth, and was just a little spicy - nothing too overwhelming (I have a low spice tolerance - it was the perfect amount for me!). It came with fresh veggies to put on top, which included lime, bean sprouts, coriander, peppers, and more. Couldn’t be happier with this Pho dish, one of the best I’ve had.

The Sirloin Fried Rice paired perfectly with the red (chili?) sauce on our table. By itself the rice was already flavorful, but the sauce added an extra dimension that raised it up another level. Really pleased with this! The only comment / suggestion I have with this, is that - if you’re only getting the rice as your main, maybe get a salad to go with it to fill you up more? Might be a little small for someone bigger. Up to you.

The restaurant gets full quickly so I’d make reservations in advance just to ensure you have a spot. They don’t have an online reservation service, so you’ll have to call their number. They do get people in and out quickly though, so you probably won’t have to wait too long if you didn’t reserve a table.

Only complaint was that the tables were pushed very close together. We essentially shared a table with two other people, and could barely squeeze out without hitting the table on the other side of us. I’m a claustrophobic little bean, so it bothered me a bit. But other than that, nothing comes to mind!

Really happy overall. Would love to go again soon, to try more of their...

Today I went to London Chinatown with Grace for Vietnamese food, the restaurant called Viet Food, always with a long queue.

🍊🦐 Pomelo fresh water prawn salad

The sweet and sour flavour is so appetising! The refreshing grapefruit and tender shrimp, combined with mint and perilla, instantly take away the summer heat.

🍖 Tender pork belly

Anyone who knows me knows that if I eat at a Vietnamese restaurant, I definitely order this dish because Vietnamese braised pork never disappoints. It’s rich but not greasy, delicious and fragrant, without any of the unpleasant odour of British pork.

🍝 Grilled Pork with Vermicelli

There are many different toppings for vermicelli, but I particularly like this one. It has crispy yet tender meatballs, charcoal-grilled pork neck, fragrant crushed peanuts, sweet and refreshing sauce, and crispy and pleasant mint and perilla. It's delicious and light.

🍍🐙 Sautéed scallops & squid with pineapple

I hadn’t tried this combination before, but it turned out to be quite tasty. The pineapple is sweet and sour and appetising, the scallops are tender and delicious, and the squid is fresh and chewy. The sea salt is added to taste, and since I prefer lighter flavours, I didn’t add any, and it was still very good.

🍛 Sausage and Prawn Fried Rice

This fried rice is really superb. The sweet sausage has a hint of wine fragrance, the fried rice has a lot of wok hei (the flavour imparted by a hot wok), and the rice grains are distinct. A bite of vegetables with a bite of rice is truly satisfying.

🥗 Morning glory stir-fry with preserved shrimp paste

This is a dish I always order if it's available at a restaurant. The shrimp paste flavour is very strong, but if you like it, it’s very delicious. The water spinach is crispy and tender, and after eating it, you get a sense of a perfect balance between meat...