Nam Giao

I did not see the episode of Ugly Delicious that everyone has been referencing. We were headed to another restaurant for dinner but on the way my husband suggested we try Nam Giao since it recently received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award. I was worried that it would be too crowded since the list just came out but we decided to try it anyway. We arrived slightly after 8pm on a Friday night. They close at 9pm. The restaurant wasn’t even half full so the waitress motioned us to a table right away. She was helping another table so it was some time later before she came over with the menus. I think she was the only waitress so service was very slow. We ordered the appetizer (of appetiser, as it is spelled on their menu) platter #5 which included items #1-3 (bánh bèo chén, bánh nậm, bánh bột lọc ) and chả huế. I ordered mì quảng and my husband ordered the bún bò huế. For drinks, I ordered water and my husband asked for chrysanthemum tea. She asked if we would like one or two teacups and we told her to bring 2. The tea came out first. Usually we let it seep a little before it is ready but we poured a little out and it was very dark already. It was very “dirty” with lots of chrysanthemum leaves and it was very muddy. The photo shows how cloudy it was and the other photo shows a layer of “stuff” that sank to the bottom after sitting for a bit. Chrysanthemum tea should be light and clear. She did not bring my water so I had to ask for it again. Even after we got our food and were eating, I still didn’t have water and I sent my husband up to the counter to get water for me. The appetizers were ok. The bánh nậm was a little bland. It was ok after you put a lot of the fish sauce on it. I did not like my mì quảng at all and I left most of my bowl untouched. First of all, it didn’t look very appetizing. The chunks of pork were too big and fatty. Crushed peanuts were on top but it looked like a heaping of dust. Shrimp were dry, broth was too thick. Noodles were too thick as well. There was a chả huế in the bowl also. We had the same with the appetizers but they cut it up into thirds for this dish. I took a bit into one of the pieces and it tasted sour like it was spoiled. I spit it out immediately so I just hope I don’t get sick tonight. My husband’s bún bò Huế tasted like bbh but it was very bland as if it was watered down. I do want to note that I make both these dishes and I know what they are supposed to taste like. There are so many other restaurants in Houston that make these dishes a hundred times better. We were so disappointed in this restaurant. I left still hungry and completely dissatisfied - and thirsty.

My friends and I were craving Banh Beo and this is one of the best places to get some for its price point. We ordered 48 in total and I honestly could ve gotten more but everyone else was starting to get full. They are truly addicting to eat. The textures you get in your mouth from the soft rice pancakes and crunchy toppings make eating them so satisfying. We tried some other things on the menu as well. The banh bot loc was great and had the nice chewy texture I was looking for. The cha oc personally wasn't for me but my other friend loved it and ordered seconds. The nem nuong ninh hoa was a good starter but I wish it came with vermicelli noodles. I tried the banh ram it for the first time and it was another interesting mix of textures. And of course, the fish sauce complimented every dish wonderfully. I will be back for sure to try and order as much banh beo possible. Bun Bo Hue is solid and a good portion. Nem nuong spring rolls are good as well!

I love food from Hue / Hoi An area. But this restaurant is no longer meeting the standard. I had Combo Platter #2 - rice cakes in round saucers were OK with peppers and sauce added, but seemed to have commercial pork rind topping. Pork & shrimp crystal cakes in banana leaf were pretty good, as was Hue Sausage in banana leaf. I think Huynh downtown is twice as good. I didn't try Bun Bo Hue, but saw several other tables order it.

Don't waste money on Banh It Tran. The fried banh it tran is hard as a rock and not worth the money at all. If it taste good then I wouldn't mind the overprice but very disappointed:(