Location: 234 Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, SE8 5BZ 
Date & Time: Wednesday 10th November @ 7.30pm
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Total Cost: £92 (3 guests)
Eat Vietnam Restaurant

If you have been on this journey with us for a while, you know how we feel about Vietnamese food, so it should come as no surprise that we jumped at the chance to visit Eat Vietnam. This restaurant came highly recommended by a few friends, so we were excited to try it ourselves. It’s strange, although the restaurant is based on a main road it’s still easy to miss if you’re not looking out for it. We have passed this restaurant numerous times while galavanting South East London but never actually noticed it. 

First Impressions

Venue, Atmosphere & Service

The best way to describe Eat Vietnam is small, cosy and warm. Due to how compact the dining area is, it’s best if you book ahead so you’re not disappointed, particularly in the evenings as they get VERY busy. We were sat pretty close to the door but this was no issue as they kept the restaurant very toasty and the front door closed, so we never really felt the draft…..well that was until the door was left open later in the night, which may have been a sign to tell us all to go home 😆.

The waitress we had was very friendly, helpful and patient.It usually takes us a while to scour through the menus and search the internet for pics before ordering. To top it off, our friend was running a little late, so we had the staff waiting a short while before placing our order. However, at no point did we feel rushed.

By what we could see and from overhearing one or two convos, we noticed that there were quite a few Vietnamese people also dining at the restaurant. It can’t be only us that feels this way, but there’s always a comfort when you see natives eating their cuisine at a restaurant as it can insinuate authenticity. 

Parking 

Car parking is available on nearby roads, we arrived after 6.30pm so parking was free but limited. If you decide to visit Eat Vietnam during the afternoon it is possible that you will have to pay to park. The usual services in public transport are available – Bus 47 or a 10-15 minute walk from Deptford or New Cross Station.

❀ Food order ❀

Starters:
Chả Giò (Prawns + Lean mince pork) (2 Pcs) – £6
Crispy Traditional Vietnamese spring rolls served with our homemade fish sauce

Gỏi Cuốn Thit Tom (Prawns) (2 Pcs) – £6
Freshly wrapped summer rolls filled with aromatic herbs + lettuce served with homemade dipping sauce and crushed peanuts. 

Bánh Khọt – £10.50
Mini savoury coconut pancakes each encasing a tiger prawn. Sprinkled with fried shallots, Served with fresh herbs + lettuce + nướcmắm

Mains:
Gỏi Xoài Tôm  – £8.50
Shredded green mango salad, topped with sliced king prawns + peanuts + shallot 

Sườn Cừu Nướng – Juicy lamb steak marinated in selected mix herbs with rice – £14.50
Meat + Seafood Selected from our Local market, marinated + specially grilled. Served with Hai-Nam rice or sweet potato fries ​+ crispy salad + house pickles.

❀ Drinks ❀

Salted Caramel Matcha Latte BoBaR – £4.50

Chrysanthemum Tea – £1.50

Sauvig Blanc Glass – £5.50

Our Thoughts

Starters

Bánh Khọt – Mini savoury coconut pancakes each encasing a tiger prawn

We weren’t keen on the middle part of the Bánh Khọt but we liked the crispy casing. We also learned that there is a technique to eating them, you have to encase the crispy pancake in vegetables, herbs (click here to see how it’s done) add the sauce and munch away.

Gỏi Cuốn Thit Tom (Prawns) – Freshly wrapped summer rolls filled with aromatic herbs & Chả Giò (Prawns + Lean mince pork) Crispy Traditional Vietnamese spring rolls

The Chả Giò and Gỏi Cuốn were definitely scrumptious. Anytime we visit a Vietnamese restaurant we often try their summer and/or spring rolls and these did not disappoint. The summer rolls were filled to the brim and definitely worth the money. Similarly the spring rolls were mouth-watering, they were complimented by the fish sauce and honestly we could have ordered more of these as our only starters.

Mains

Sườn Cừu Nướng – Juicy lamb steak marinated in selected mix herbs with rice

The Lamb was succulent! soft and very well marinated. the flavour was excellent. Likewise the mango salad was a surprise, it was light but delicious and we could see how you could be happy and full with that as a meal by itself.

Bún tôm sả ớt – Quick Fried Tiger prawns, marinated with lemongrass + herbs. Vermicelli noodles garnished with fresh herbs crispy salad

First of all the portion sizes at Eat Vietnam ticked the value for money box. Not only was the quantity great but it also tastes delicious. This dish is more like a salad, so if you’re after something warm and hearty this may not hit the spot. However, that’s not to say that this wasn’t good. For me the homemade dipping sauce is what brings it altogether, the ingredients on their own just don’t have the same affect. My understanding is that the noodles can be served either hot or cold, in this case they were warm but it worked well.  Bún tôm sả ớt is packed with a number of fresh ingredients complimenting each other well and giving the dish great flavour. One thing I would change is the quantity of prawns, they should have thrown in a few more for good measure.😝 ~ Maria

Bún Huế Đặc Biệt – Tiger Prawns + slow cooked tender beef + Lean pork A hot + spicy vermicelli soup scented with lemongrass and shrimp paste. Served with beansprout, lemon, chilli + fresh herbs. 

My eyes were bigger than my belly and so I ordered 2 mains – Bún Huế Đặc Biệt & Phở xào sả ớt, I started with the Bun and to be honest, it was a lot more than I expected. I personally would have preferred the soup bowl without the noodles, primarily because it was plenty to eat. Just the vegetables and prawns, pork and beef in the broth soup was filling without even considering the noodles at the bottom underneath the vegetables. Actually I think I left the majority of the the noodles. The broth was also a tad and I mean a very small tad bit too salty for my palette. However, I may be sensitive to salt these days as I have reduced my intake. ~ Nifesi

Phở xào sả ớt – Wok Fried Pho noodles with Beansprouts, chilli, garlic + lemongrass + nuts and Prawns.

The Pho was tasty, however by the time I had eaten a substantial amount of the Bun (Bún Huế Đặc Biệt), I only had a couple of forkfuls of the Pho and decided to pack a takeaway for next day lunch as I couldn’t force myself to eat anymore. I’ll admit it tasted even better the next day, now this might be because my belly was no longer overfull or the fact that the  flavours really had time to saturate into the noodles, regardless I was not disappointed. ~ Nifesi

Drinks 

Salted Caramel Matcha Latte Bobar – well this was interesting, weirdly we didn’t expect it to taste as it did. The caramel sat all the way at the bottom and the matcha was definitely present and strong. A good tip is to make sure you give it a good stir so that caramel is evenly distributed, otherwise there would be a lot of sweet caramel at the end of your drink. 

Chrysanthemum tea was what it was. Nothing to blow you away, however it was refreshing based on how cold it was outside and so for me (Nifesi), it met the need. However I probably wouldn’t order it again as it didn’t excite me.

Sauvig Blanc – this was our friend’s choice but as we aren’t regular wine drinkers we’ll take her word that it was okay. 

Final Thoughts

What can we say about Eat-Vietnam? We would definitely visit again and maybe try some other options on the menu as it’s definitely a good space to catch up with friends, be relaxed and eat tasty food. The spring and summer rolls were definitely our favourites 😍.

Overall restaurant rating:  

We have told, now it’s time  for YOU to tell… Please let us know your thoughts on our Eat Vietnam restaurant review and share your experiences in the comment section below.

Until our next post continue to Taste, Experience, Laugh and Live life to the absolute fullest.

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