Vietnam House Restaurant

Relaxed, delicious Vietnamese with great attention to detail.

The 2019/20 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Be prepared to book or be prepared to be disappointed – small, friendly and delicious, Vietnam House pulls in locals and visitors with astonishing devotion. Just off Morrison Street, and truly off the well-trodden tourist path, this consistently rewarding restaurant has been going for nearly a decade and hasn’t missed a beat. Dishes are plentiful, attractively arranged, fresh and creative. Spring rolls encase chicken or prawn along with vermicelli, salad and mint in delicate, translucent rice paper. Mild Vietnamese fishcakes gently absorb their sweet chilli sauce. Braised pork in caramel sauce tenderly falls off the bone in a fragrant puddle of star anise and garlic. Lotus rice is steamed and nicely sticky with plentiful shredded chicken, shitake mushrooms and caramelised shrimp. Bo xao cuon banh trang requires a bit of agility to fill the softening rice paper with stir-fried beef in lemongrass, garlic and chilli, along with salad and noodles, but is worth the effort and dexterity. BYOB means you need to think ahead but see it as part of the adventure.