Ngu Binh Restaurant — Restaurant in Fountain Valley

"My Mi Quang is so delicious, Dad," exclaimed my teenage daughter after finishing her meal at Ngu Binh. As Orange County residents for over 35 years, we have dined at many restaurants in the area, but none compare to Ngu Binh Restaurant.

Friends from various states, Canada, Japan, France, and beyond always request to visit Ngu Binh Restaurant for lunch or dinner to savor their Bun Bo Hue, Mi Quang, and Banh Beo.

The portions are generous, with a large plate of vegetables and thick cuts of meat, unlike other places we've tried. The staff is professional and friendly, and the restaurant is easily accessible for wheelchair users with designated parking spots right outside.

Ngu Binh has become a weekly tradition for our family, and my kids adore it so much that they refuse to dine anywhere else. They've tasted Vietnamese cuisine elsewhere, but nothing compares to Ngu Binh.

If you're in Southern California and miss the chance to try Ngu Binh Restaurant, you're missing out on the best authentic Vietnamese food...

The atmosphere made me really want to love this place. While some may not enjoy such relaxed seating and such an open space, I quite did. There seems like there may be a line but ultimately they get you in right away and we were actually transferred tables to something larger when they felt like we ordered too much food (i.e. an appetizer).

I'm not a HUGE fan of bun bo hue but it was the only noodle dish I the menu I was interested in. Ultimately, it was a fine BBH, nothing terribly special but I did enjoy the broth (after I added quite a bit of their spicy accompaniments to it). The canh bun oc I thought was fine. I'm not typically super huge fan of this dish and if anything this was less grainy in terms of the crab than I'm used to, which was a plus.

The 3 item app combo (banh bot loc, banh beo, banh nam) were three things I'd never have before and truly will not order again.

Service was super friendly until after you get the food, at which point they sort of forgot about us (since you walk up to the...

Good Vietnamese restaurant with a nice seating arrangement. Ordered the Bún Bò Huế, Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng, and the Bánh Ướt chả for the first time visiting.

Bún Bò Huế: was robust but I definitely wish it could be a bit spicier in broth. I needed to add the chili to have a more spiciness as I imbibe the flavor of the broth. Other than the broth, the blood cubes, pork and beef slices were abundant and were the first to be devoured while eating.

Bánh Ướt chả: was ok, the fish sauce overpowered the dish completely and made eating it too sweet in taste.

Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng: this was definitely the best of the three and this dish would definitely be a good addition to what you order. The cracker that comes with it was crispy, and the jack fruit + shrimp was delicious with the fish sauce. Both the savoriness of the dish with the sweetness of the fish sauce balanced each other well.

Fun fact: it made LA Times...