Review of 'ngon Vietnamese Deli'

As long as I can remember I have been a fan of Vietnamese food – Light, fresh and quite tasty. It may not be as elaborate as Chinese or Japanese food but it is a simple, honest food. A while ago I noticed this small deli on the Chiswick High Road, tucked away and I was immediately intrigued. When working in the area over the last week I decided to give it a go for lunch.

Ngon is found on the slip (parking) road running alongside the Chiswick High Road alongside a number of other shops and pubs near to the police station. You could be forgiven for missing the small, understated shop. Here the focus is not on a flashy restaurant, it is on simple, good cooking. Inside the narrow restaurant has about 10 tables with an ordering station in the middle. When eating in, you need to order and pay for your food at the counter though the prepared dishes are delivered to your table, and take out is paid for/picked up at the counter. The decor is extremely basic and simple, but clean and tidy.

Interior

The simple menu is one side of an A4 sheet of paper and features iconic Vietnamese food. Prawn crackers, “Bahn Mi” (baguette sandwiches filled with fresh herbs and meats), “Gui Cuon” (summer rolls), “Goi” (Salads), “Pho and Bun” (rice noodle soup, “bun” is round, vermicelli noodles), Com (rice dishes), and “Bun Kho” (vermicelli bowls). Their drinks menu features the normal coffee, tea and soft drinks but also the still trendy “Bubble Tea” in a good variety of flavours. Nothing on the menu is more than £10 with larger plates around the £9 mark.

On my first lunch-time visit I had the “Ngon Special Baguette” (£6) “served with butter, mayonnaise, pickled carrots, coriander, cucumber, spring onions and fresh chillies” with this particular version containing “pork belly slices and Vietnamese pork sausage” which was freshly prepared with care while I waited. Those familiar with Subway sandwiches will think this sandwich is slightly small but the size is deceptive as it is simply packed with ingredients and tastes absolutely amazing with the fresh herbs and tangy carrot flavour coming through yet not completely overwhelming the flavour of the pork belly and sausage.

When I returned with a companion for an early evening meal (they are only open to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday, and 5 pm on Sunday) I went for the “Ngon special rice” (£9) featuring “grilled pork cutlet, steamed crab & pork terrine, shredded pork, picked daikon, scallion oil and nuoc mam” which was a simple plate with the components separately placed that you can mix/eat as you wish. The pork cutlet was the highlight here with an amazing barbecue sauce adding so much flavour.

Special Rice

We shared an order of prawn and pork summer rolls (£5.90) which were much larger than you might expect and, again, full of flavour with fresh herbs and good sized portions of both meats. This came with a dipping sauce of hoisin sauce topped with crushed peanuts.

Summer Rolls

My companion had the “Ngon Special Pho” (£9) “…fresh herbs, beansprouts, chillies & lime” served “with sliced beef, meatballs, flank & brisket” which she found wonderful. The broth may not be rich but it is warming and delicious with the noodles served perfectly with a good sized portion of the meat. The portion size was massive and included the typical side of mint, chillies and beansprouts that you can add as you wish.

Pho

At about £28 (excluding tip, be sure to drop some money in the jar by the till) for the two of us including drinks you can't really beat the price and the staff were friendly and patient. During our short visit in the evening there was a regular arrival/departure of Deliveroo drivers a sure sign this small restaurant is doing well. On a Friday evening they had about 4 or 5 tables which is also quite good considering the size of the place and the style of the food…quick and tasty street-style Vietnamese food. An independent shop that appears to be doing well (give the nearby “Pho” chain a miss and try Ngon instead!). I sincerely hope they are around for a long time to come as I look forward to coming back again and again…

Simple, fresh, inexpensive, and delicious Vietnamese served with a smile in the heart of Chiswick.

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2020-02-14


Cuisine: Vietnamese

Address: 195 Chiswick High Rd, Chiswick, London W4 2DR ENGLAND

Public Transport: TUBE Turnham Green

Location: London (England) - Chiswick

Map:

 

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Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8994 9630

URL: https://www.ngondeli.com/