Reviews Ben Ngu Restaurant

Came here because this place keeps popping as ‘best or top rated Vietnamese restaurants.’ Food here isn’t bad, but this restaurant doesn’t belong on the list. I give them 3.8/5. No fuss easygoing typical Vietnamese service. Their prices are good and not overpriced like most places. I’m now skeptical of all these reviews if they are from relatives or friends.

Off little saigon. A gem. Their specialties are from the Hue region. Bun bo hue: rice noodle soup, spicy, rich flavor, and authentic. If too authentic for your taste ask for a lighter version. Crab noodle soup: Banh canh cua is a must if you like udon style soup. Also the banh beo: little rice made sopas are tasty.

We decided to try this place because it offered items I had never seen at Vietnamese restaurants before and was well-reviewed. There were three of us and we got to sample quite a bit of the menu. Everything was delicious and some items were outstanding. I will definitely be back. The service was polite and there was plenty of seating. The restaurant remained comfortable even in the heat wave we are having.

This viet restaurant just at edge of Korea Town. BBH is good here. Update 08/01/21: this place is has one of the BBH around this area. I wish they could open until 10pm. They close at 8pm.

My greatest discovery in 2016 - "bun mit mam nem" at Ben Ngu. It's a vermicelli salad assembled with shredded pieces of jackfruit, ground peanuts, and dried Vietnamese sesame crackers. Some typical Central Vietnamese herbs such as banana leaves, basil, and mint leaves were also thrown in the bowl. These toppings might sound simplistic, but once the accompanying mam nem (anchovy sauce) is poured in, the combination was quite addictive. This bowl was a combination of several subtle elements - crispness and salt from the crackers, crunch from the crushed nuts, refreshment from the cold salad, warmth from the springy cooked vermicelli, thin ham-like texture of jackfruit that easily soaks up the mam nem dipping sauce. The mam nem has very strong fermented flavors, it was sweet, slightly sour, very fragrant. The flavors don't get any better than this for a dish that's vegetarian for the most part! Like most people have already mentioned, Ben Ngu is the sister restaurant of Ngu Binh but there are some differences between the two. First, the servers here are much more polite. They take your order and then sit at their table to read the newspaper. Second, Ben Ngu is not crowded so it is easy to get in and out during lunch. Third, the cooking philosophy between the two restaurants appears to be very different. For example, the Bun Bo Hue broth at Ngu Binh contains a heavy hand of chili oil by default, which unfortunately overwhelms the lemongrass flavor that the BBH is known for. Here at Ben Ngu, I peeked at the bowls of BBH from tables around me, and did not find the same chili oil situation. The bowls looked clean and the herb plate was just as big here as at Ngu Binh. Next time I will order the BBH to see for myself.

Excellent services. Spicy beef noodle soup is very good. Prices are reasonable. We will come back again. :-)

Best Mid VietNam food in OC. Great price. Great taste. This location deserve more attention.

Top of Vietnamese Hue food in the area I think All are so good, specially mi quang