Vang Go Bistro — Restaurant in Norfolk

Their second night open, and it was lovely. We came in and it was pretty busy and jumpin lol. They gave us some time to order and we jumped right in. I ordered a cocktail called “Sumin Sweet” which consists of Captain Morgan spiced rum, Malibu rum, pineapple juice, and orange juice. It was very yummy and very strong lol. We ordered a few different things to try.

We ordered: (descriptions are from the menu) Chili & Chicken Dumplings which were $12 and consisted of Chicken dumplings sauteed with garlic and house made chili oil and topped with scallions and cotija cheese.

Chili Truffle Fries which were $8 and consisted of french fries in chili oil and scallions then seasoned with truffle, parmesan, black garlic, cotija cheese and jerk aioli.

Vang Go Chicken Sando which were $12 and it was Pickle juice marinated chicken thigh, fried crispy then tossed in chipotle chili butter and topped with Asian slaw and served on a butter toasted bun.

And last but not least Kimchi Fried Rice $16 Jasmine rice sauteed with egg, kimchi, black & white sesame seeds, green onion, and chili oil with your choice of mojo pork or roast chicken.

The fries were delicious, and I think the cheese added a really flavor punch to them. I appreciated them being super crispy. I would have liked a bit more salt to the garlic noodles, but that’s just personal preference lol. They were still delicious and so fresh! The chilli and chicken dumplings were a very generous portion, and worth trying out. I didn’t try the sandwich or rice since they were my friends, but they ADORED their meals. It was a great atmosphere to drink as well. We stayed for a while and just enjoyed the place and food. It’s a great place to go for a nice bite and drink to catch up with friends. I think this place is a brilliant idea, and I love the fusion concept. It brought new flavors to old recipes I know and love. This is well on its way to be a popular place around here in Norfolk. Bravo! Also, I loved that people consistently came around to check on us and our food. Perfect! For a place that just opened, they are putting in the work needed to become a staple! I really...

Would have given 5 stars but can’t ignore the service that was a tad left to be desired. As soon as I entered and indicated I was by myself (not waiting for anyone), a group of 4 were served their drinks, chef even came out to chat with the group but waitress (who doubles as bartender) just then went to the table next to me with 2 people when they came in after me!!!Maybe it’s the non-potential for higher tab because I didn’t order drinks….??? Towards the end of my meal which I didn’t finish, the waitress asked if I needed a box and the check; whatever happened to “would you like to order dessert”? I felt i was being rushed out of there.

Ambiance is great. Akin to a converted garage that with the front door and glass panes leg a lot of light through. Large bar with what seems to be wonderful source of booze concoctions.

I ordered the kimchi fried rice with my choice of roast chicken. A couple of suggestions: the rice could be less greasy and the roast chicken was shredded which makes it nearly imperceptible to taste among everything else in the fried rice. The proportion was off, maybe just minuscule diced instead of shredded chicken would at least visually convince us that there is chicken in there!

I actually even asked for the dessert menu (even when I wasn’t offered). Only the churros was available so I did order it. The churros wasn’t filled with cream, it was just sprinkled with light cream alternating with chocolate syrup.The churros, while a large serving, was tough , not light crispy as I enjoy at other places.

Maybe it...

Today we dined in and tried the following: Crispy Kimchi Dumplings, Chicken Red Curry Noodles, Chili & Garlic Noodles, Chili Truffle Fries, and Shrimp Tempura Po’ Boy.

The Service provided was phenomenal from the moment we walked in. The music was great and the temperature was perfect.

Crispy Kimchi Dumplings - 8/10 the Kimchi was sweet which caught me by surprise, it was still very good, excellently fermented. The dumplings were also amazing, perfectly crunchy and the sweet Chili sauce was great too.

Chicken Red Curry Noodles - 2/10 The noodles were very dry and had little to no salt in the meal, the chicken was well cooked though.

Chili & Garlic Noodles - 2/10 The noodles were dry for this dish, very underseasoned, needed a heavy hand with the salt

Chili Truffle Fries - 5/10 The fries were crunchy and the sauce on top was so delicious, however the Aioli sauce they had on it was really sparse, so after the top layer we had to get it as a side. The fries were over seasoned, slightly salty.

Shrimp Tempura Po’ Boy - 3/10 The shrimp was flavorless in my opinion (although had a great texture), I could only taste the breading, they also… charbroiled it I think? Because the shrimp were slightly burned and it was extremely overpowering. The sauce on it was super salty and we had to use the aioli from the fries to tone it down.

Overall this place is good option to try if you’re not super picky, the staff were amazing. If you’re more focused on a great food experience, I...