NamNam Noodle Bar is a casual Vietnamese eatery that has recently gained some good reviews. The long queue that can be seen at their outlets all the time seems to be a prove of their growing popularity. I decided to give it a try while I was at the Raffles Shopping Centre one night for dinner.
Their simple menu focuses on baguettes and some soup and dry noodles. Pho is available with different type of beef of choice, including steak slices, Wagyu beef slices and beef balls. Other noodles bowls are served with chicken, pork or seafood such as prawn and fish cake. They obviously try to cater for the health-conscious and the baguette, noodle bowl and salad are all available as vegetarian.
The seating was a bit cramped and we only managed to get the bar seats. The design of the restaurant was quite quirky with walls covered by old newspaper in Vietnamese. On each table was an assortment of sauces, including the Vietnamese staple fish sauce and chilli.
The signature Pho with beef steak slices was rather disappointing. The broth lacked the rich flavour and aroma from the various spices and herbs and there were not enough bean sprouts and Thai basil. The beef slices were too thick and tough to bite.
Banh Mi with caramalised 5-spice pork belly and pork pate were served warm and the bread was lightly toasted for a crispy crust. The pork belly was attached with quite a bit of fat but the chopped carrots and cucumber and the tangy mayo dressing took the greasiness away. It was far from the authentic baguette which I had in Ho Chi Minh City, which had way more pickles, chilli and vegetables, but was still enjoyable.
For a restaurant that claims itself a noodle bar, NamNam did not live up to my expectations with its Pho. There are other restaurants in Singapore offering much more authentic and tastier Vietnamese cuisine (such as Long Phung on Joo Chiat Road) with a more extensive menu. Their Banh Mi is worth a try for a quick lunch but I would not count on it for an authentic Vietnamese treat.
NamNam Noodle Bar
#B1-46/47, 252 North Bridge Road
Raffles City Shopping Centre
No comments:
Post a Comment