Pig family cafe & restaurant — Restaurant in Ninh Bình Province

We came here three times all in all. Experience was mixed. The beer is nice and very cheap, they have the same offer next door but I wouldn't recommend the restaurant next door for beer, Pig Family Restaurants beer is much nicer. Service is mixed, depending on who serves. The younger staff can come across a bit rude at times, the elder lady who sits at the front is a delight. Food was what let it down for me. We ordered pork skewers, braised mushroom curry, sweet and sour pork and fried rice. The mushroom curry was sooooooo nice, full of flavour. The rest lacked real flavour or came out cold. Pork skewers were dry, but OK, sweet and sour pork pretty tasteless, but again OK. The rice wasn't hot when it came out, I always have concerns about refried rice so didn't finish it.

While we didn't order pizza, they did look very nice.

Great place for a delicious chilled beer, food would appear to...

The Bun Cha (called Vietnamese meatballs and noodles) was, put simply, not good at all. The meatballs had no flavor and were overcooked. I had to add ketchup to my meatballs to give it extra flavor because the nuoc cham sauce tasted watered down. The lettuce was starting to brown. And I ordered a rose lychee juice that tasted like artificial strawberries instead. Overall, this has been the worst food I've had in Vietnam. Also, the chairs face the street which is a bit odd as it makes it hard to tell when the server is coming with your food and makes it difficult to get their attention.

Edit: I originally gave this place two stars because the service was decent, but after reading the restaurant's ignorant response to my review, I updated my rating to one star. P.S. A chef should be able to determine the appropriate spice levels of food to make it delicious for most people. That's...

Rating: ★★★★☆

This place has great potential, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The restaurant was quite empty when I visited, which made for a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. However, it also felt a bit too quiet — almost like it hasn't received the attention it deserves. The signage outside isn’t very eye-catching, so it's easy to miss unless you're specifically looking for it.

That said, the food is genuinely good — full of flavor, freshly made, and clearly prepared with care. Every dish we tried was delicious. The staff were also very friendly, helpful, and welcoming, which added to the overall positive experience.

If they could improve the visibility of the restaurant and maybe do a bit more promotion, I think this place could become a hidden gem that more people should know about. Definitely worth a visit if you're nearby and looking for...