Nguyen's Kitchen — Restaurant in Long Beach

Food Order: Garlic Noodles with House Chicken (sautéed in butter & garlic sauce) $14.95 Grilled Pork Sandwich (grilled pork, cucumbers, pickled carrots & daikon, cilantro, toasted & buttered baguette) $10.95

Nguyen's Kitchen is on a grown spurt... I think there's a half dozen in just a few years. I was introduced to Nguyen's Kitchen a couple of years ago at the Carson location for a YEE at Pur Bowls first (02/2023), then the restaurant itself (04/2023). Like the Carson location, this too is a dual space with Pur Bowls, which we went to afterwards, except the Long Beach location clearly labels both businesses. Nguyen's Kitchen serves Asian fusion dishes, though its name hints at Vietnamese cuisine.

I ordered the Garlic Noodles with House Chicken (other protein options: grilled pork, bulgogi steak, or jumbo shrimp), & a Grilled Pork Sandwich aka bánh mì. There were a handful of customers so my order was ready fairly quick.

Let me preface that I wasn't impressed with the garlic noodles because of the execution & quantity as well as cost. My noods here were cooked to a perfect al dente with just the right amount of garlic butter sauce (though I may still need to rinse or chew a stick of minty gum). The grilled chicken was tender & had a light smokiness, but it was a bit greasy. It cam with a green dipping sauce that I think is called Muối Ớt Xanh that's made with roasted serranos; it's quite addicting but I couldn't add it to the bowl since I'm sharing with the kids.

The Grilled Pork Sandwich was shared between my husband & 15 YO daughter. She loved it & said it was "fire," which is teen-speak for amazing or awesome. My husband liked it but said the pork was a little greasy so the bread was somewhat soggy & didn't have the char that we prefer from mom & pop bánh mì shops in Chinatown or SGV, otherwise it's a decent sandwich; I agree. Also, the bun:filling ratio was just right as well as the protein:veggies. And we had dessert readily available at Pur Bowls.

The restaurant is smaller than its Carson sister. I think there's 5 or 6 tables in the dining room with a couple of small tables in the patio/walkway. There's 1 unisex restroom at the back, left of the order counter. Service is friendly & helpful. Menu consists of: Signature Sandwiches, Specialty, Rice Bowls, The Classics (can be considered as appetizers), & Drinks with moderate price points. There's no parking in front, & the NW parking lot is mostly filled with Trader Joe's shoppers. We managed to find a spot on this strip of space facing Stearns St.

Recommended: Garlic Noodles with House Chicken & Grilled...

First time here, and most definitely, I'll be back. I got extra garlic noodles with bulgogi, plus a couple of green sauces that were delicious. Overall I liked the food, very good seasoning and well cooked. I just wish that they would add more bulgogi; the bulgogi portion was not that generous. The water cup is very, very small, so it makes it an inconvenience to get up often for water refills. It would be nice if they could at least offer a medium-sized water cup. A large size would be even better. That way, customers don't have to get up so often to get a refill, and people can enjoy their meal. The place is nice and clean, well lit. Very good customer service. I definitely...

If you’re looking for Vietnamese flavors, this ain’t it. Their food has whiff of Vietnamese-ness. There’s no fish sauce to be found anywhere. Grilled pork marinade, no fish sauce. Salad, no fish sauce. But instead have the option an of Italian dressing, or spicy ranch.

The NK slider burgers were actually enjoyable, as were the golden baos.

But for a place that names itself after the most popular Vietnamese last name ever, it’s very disappointing. There’s much better actual Vietnamese options in Long Beach. Try out Sesame Dinette for great modern fast-casual take on...