The beauty of travelling on a tour package, is you also get to discover restaurants you might not have found on your own. However, I guess the same could be said if you're not on a tour you have the chance to explore more but what about the ultimate compromise – doing half board so that way you get discover recommendations of your tour operator AND get to explore restaurants on your own. We went with
Vietnam Unique Tours (click more
here to read my review about the overall trip).
One such restaurant our tour operator recommended to us was "Ngon" also know as "Nha Hang Ngon". This charming restaurant makes one feel like they're in an oasis. An unexpected little gem, the restaurant features al fresco dining (aka 'beer hall/garden style') as well as an intimate balcony seating – we tried both as we came back twice to this restaurant. The food is wonderful and not only that, it's super affordable – Total bill for all 8 of us was about AU$28 and that included drinks (some alcoholic) and a selection of foods as we wanted to try lots of dishes. Many choices are based on street food classic with a European twist.
On our first evening, we sat in a large tented patio area at a large, what I imagine to be a communal table, but since our family is big it was the perfect size for all 8 of us. The food is light, fresh and in abundance – you won't go home hungry but also not bloated either. On the sides on the first floor, you'll see open kitchens and see how it's prepared and dished out. Above, on the balconies of the colonial-style building, more seating is available, and that's where we chose to sit the second time we went.
Would definitely recommend this to those new to Vietnam cuisine and/or love the atmosphere of outdoor eating.
