Nam Nam Noodle Bar

Nam Nam Noodle Bar
252 North Bridge Road
#B1-46 Raffles City

501 Orchard Road
#B2-02 Wheelock Place

3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-131 Suntec City

68 Orchard Road
#01-55 Plaza Singapura

26 Sentosa Gateway
#B1-225 Resorts World Sentosa

1 Farrer Park Station Road
#01-08 Owen Link @ Connexion

http://namnamnoodlebar.com.sg/


Quick, Casual, Modern Hanoi Food

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 6
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $15 per person.

Founded in 2011 under the Les Amis Group, Nam Nam Noodle Bar is riding high on the trend of Vietnam cuisine in Singapore. Owner Chef Nam Quoc Nguyen has hit his stride with quick, casual, Vietnamese street food, serving up popular classic dishes at Nam Nam Noodle Bar that retain the spirit of the traditional, while infusing his own unique modern spin.

Ambience at Nam Nam Noodle Bar is designed to resemble the streets of Vietname, with woodern looking furniture, hard flooring, traditional lanterns, and even a street cinema. Despite the dark colour theme of brown against green, the place doesn't look cluttered, and the spacious interior is able to seat many diners, though ambient noise levels can get a bit high.

Service at Nam Nam Noodle Bar is partially self-service, partially table side service. Seating, ordering and payment is self-service, you'll have to pick a seat, decide on your order, indicate it on an order chit, then queue to make payment. Orders will be served to you, and I notice that Nam Nam Noodle Bar is rather efficient at fulfilling orders, typically taking about 5 minutes or so, even during peak periods. Besides this, you'll have very little chance to interact with staff.

Food at Nam Nam Noodle Bar draws its inspiration from the Hanoi region, and I'm glad they use fresh herbs and vegetables like classic Vietnamese cuisine. The menu isn't too extensive, basically consisting of either Vietnamese noodle soup (Pho), or Vietnamese sandwiches (Banh Mi), with a small selection of classic Vietnamese side dishes and desserts. Portions are sufficient for 1 person, and prices are affordable, budget about SGD $15 per person for a meal here.





The quick casual dining vibe permeates each outlet. Floor space is fully maximised with ample seating, but the open concept of the place lends a sense of space, while the open kitchen seems bustling. Vietnamese oriental touches of decor bring a sense of tradition to the modern setting.

Nam Nam Noodle Bar Signage

Nam Nam Noodle Bar Exterior

Nam Nam Noodle Bar Interior

A variety of Sauces are laid out on each table, and staff are generally able to advise on which sauce pairs well with dishes ordered.

Sauces

I felt the Lime Soda (SGD $3.20) was rather diluted, and not worth the money, although I liked the addition of mint leaves, which made it refreshing. The Mekong Fresh Young Coconut (SGD $5.90) is suitably thirst quenching and fresh, but I find the coconut flesh too tough to properly scrape off, making eating it very difficult.

Lime Soda

Mekong Fresh Young Coconut

The Fresh Southern Rolls With Prawn, Fresh Herbs, Peanut Sauce (SGD $4.90), or Goi Cuon / Summer Salad Roll, is a decent rendition. The prawns and vegetables used are fresh, but I thought the skin was too thick. What stood out for me was the excellent peanut sauce, slightly sweet, savoury, and crunchy, great!

Goi Cuon / Summer Salad Roll / Fresh Southern Rolls With Prawn, Fresh Herbs, Peanut Sauce 01

Goi Cuon / Summer Salad Roll / Fresh Southern Rolls With Prawn, Fresh Herbs, Peanut Sauce 02

I thought the Coconut-Shrimp Paste Sugarcane Skewer (SGD $4.90) was above average, with fresh diced shrimp within the shrimp paste. The batter is thin and crisp, but I felt the chili sauce was more sweet than spicy.

Coconut-Shrimp Paste Sugarcane Skewer (SGD $4.90)

The Pho Beef Combination (SGD $9.90), or Pho Bo / Vietnamese Beef Noodle, is the star dish on the menu here. They serve Hanoi style Pho here, which features a lighter, clearer broth that is more savoury than sweet, along with a wide, flat rice noodle. However, it isn't pure Hanoi / North style Pho, as the garnishings of vegetables and sauces / condiments seem to be derived from Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon / South style Pho. Still, I must say it's pretty good, with the robust soup carrying a lot of flavour.

Pho Bo / Vietnamese Beef Noodle / Pho Beef Combination 01

Pho Bo / Vietnamese Beef Noodle / Pho Beef Combination 02

Beef Ball Cross Section

The Banh Mi Sandwich here isn't traditional at all, rather, it's more like a modern Vietnamese Banh Mi. The Banh Mi Sauteed Lemongrass Pork, Cream Cheese (SGD $6.90) is a fusion of sorts, with classic savoury grilled pork infused with lemongrass essence, along with a medley of fresh vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, onions, chili, and parsley. The modern addition is the use of cream cheese, which lends a creamy, slightly sweet, cooling balance to the warm grilled pork meat. Interesting combination of flavours.

Banh Mi Sauteed Lemongrass Pork, Cream Cheese 01

Banh Mi Sauteed Lemongrass Pork, Cream Cheese 02