Reviews Than Nuong Restaurant & Bar

Zomato
Atreyu
+4
TL;DR: Something of a far cry from most Vietnamese places in town, most of them have that really casual atmosphere where you can saunter in at any moment. The food is often high quality, and in the realm of street food. Than Nuong goes the other direction, and sets something up where you rock up to be seen. It is on the backstreets of Woolloongabba, underneath the apartments and lights up the place at night. What is possibly the glue that binds it together is the food, which is an adventure in itself. Vietnamese cuisine often comes up as a winner, and this one is begging to go diamond in sales.

Once again, the WWE were flying over to Saudi Arabia for one of their big shows over there. Playing right on the WWE Network, it was like any old PPV event. That meant, for me at least, to get onto UberEats and arrange some delivery for lunch while watching it. For my hectic schedule, this meant putting it off for a couple of days and doing the darnedest to avoid spoilers. Nevertheless, I can always wait for a good and entertaining event - which this one it was - and couple it with some great food, and you have one happy camper before you.

Usually this process is more or less off the cuff, and what looks good at the time. As much I try to do a sort of theme with these events - Middle Eastern - often it winds up being the off the cuff process. It worked out well for a second time in a row, and possibly couldn't have been at a more opportune moment. This place had been blipping on and off the radar over the past few months, and it was one of the few untouched places that was open for business on a Sunday and did a good range of fare to be considered. They had just introduced a new menu, which included desserts, and several hot meals. It did sound good and tempting beforehand, now I was pushed over the edge.

From that, it was plugging them in a couple of days in advance and just letting it all take care of itself. When it comes to UberEats delivery, there are only so many ways to critique it went it all goes according to plan. The actual delivery process was much like that, where it went efficiently and the food was all pipping hot when it arrived. I even gave a generous cash-in-hand tip to the driver. What happened here, I have had occur several times beforehand. It is often a sizable order, with many items. On the odd occasion, the restaurant calls up if they are out of one of the items or it just went off the menu. Uber was the one that did the calling this time, where they offered to switch one starter I ordered with another due to this situation. That always shows they are prepared, they read the details at least twice, and know customer service - a simple ask and offer can do wonders.

It is into the enticing land that is Vietnamese cuisine, but it was as I have never seen it before. After so many banh mis, phos, noodle salads and the ilk, they uncovered so many other meals that usually get overlooked. This all starts with a vegan selection, which has a rich history from the deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs and celebrations. It is rare to find a Vietnamese place that does so well to vegetarians, much less vegans, hence that is a strong mark in their favour already.

The rest of the menu is just as enticing, and right out of the gate the entree menu shows that they are deviating from the stock standard menu while including an assortment of different tastes and aromas. Seafood features fairly heavily. They do have their phos here, fear not for the big fans of it reading. As well as that, they have a handful of stir fries, noodle dishes, salads, and more slowly cooked meat-based dishes.

Speaking of the meat, that leads us to the star vehicle of the whole place - that charcoal pit. This is where they cook the meats over a long period of time, on hot coals, and through it they slowly marinate each piece until it is as roughly soft as butter. If anything would be a carnivores delight this would be as close to it as you could imagine.

The menu is wound down with a small dessert selection. While not available via UberEats, what will be noted is the drinks selection. Available is a whole lot of wines, and beers/ciders, along with the usual array of cold drinks for those abstaining from alcohol. Coffee is available both with all the espressos, and in the traditional Vietnamese style.

As it usually goes, some starters kick it all off. Two choices this time, going for spicy chicken wings, and some spring rolls. Both of them were served on a fresh salad bed; even as someone who is not a fan of salad, I will give credit because of presentation, and there are people who do like salad - preferences always vary. With the chicken wings, the cooks were generous. There was at least half a dozen of them, even if they are small, when cooked as perfectly as they were here, you can find succulent meat between all the crevices of the bones. With the spring rolls, more or less they were spring rolls - at least they were hot from the fryer.

Choosing a mere couple of meals from the list is a real feat, since just reading each of the items has you feel the food right in your mouth as the words pass into your eyes. From there, the mouth merely waters and the decision needs to be quick - you want to protect your precious keyboard now, would I be right? In a way, it was easy with the first one - the betel leaf beef went in quickly, since that is just too good to pass up. Second one eventually went to the classical chicken curry, as there is always time for a chicken curry.

These two were absolutely delicious, and better than they sounded from a mere reading from the menu. The betel leaves are a mixture of beef and pork mince, plus heaps of spice, and wrapped in the said betel leaves. This was one of the several items in the charcoal section, and if that is an indication for what they are like - be prepared for hog heaven. The meat simply went like butter in my mouth, and the spices simply contributed further to the taste.

With the Vietnamese version of a curry, it is far simpler than some of its more well-known counterparts. That is part of the charm, like it can be made at home on a whim. The sauce was mild in flavour, and creamy in texture, and the chicken was exceptionally tender. A few vegetables got thrown into the mix for good measure, and it made a refreshing meal.

What made the choice for this to be the chosen one on this outing was possibly the dessert section. They had a few of them, many that sounded different to what I am accustomed to. Particularly one dessert that I was intrigued how they would make it. That was a coconut banana cake, based on gluttonous rice. You don't have to convince me much further upon the utterance of "banana" for me to be encouraged.

This was something very interesting, it was essentially an entire banana was wrapped in a whole lot of gluttonous rice, which was in turn wrapped in a banana leaf then char-grilled. That was then served with a small lot of coconut cream. My house mate had no idea what it was at the start, and it took me a while to figure out that it was the banana dessert The rice was plump, and appropriately so absorbs the sweet coconut cream when poured all over. Inside, the banana was possibly a variety I don't often see in stores, one that is a tad more tart than most. This entire concoction goes well-appreciated, as it is a nice dessert that doesn't overly on too much sweetness, is robust enough on its own as a snack, and finishes things off to a nice finish.

Being a gourmand, I love it when any cuisine is shown respect where a place goes off the beaten track and brings forth lesser known areas of the said cuisine. This happened right here, and I might have heard a whisper or two over time about the char-grilled barbecues in Vietnamese cuisine beforehand. If I hadn't tried it before now, then I certainly can tick it off the list. Each meal was absolutely great in its own way, and all-round unique. A great day was had by all.

I am almost tempted to be giving them perfect scores. It is at that cusp where they hovering so close that their toes could scrape the feel of what perfection is. Sometimes I feel that might put a place too much over, and ruin expectations. This is one of those times. Whether it be getting it delivered on a cold day, or taking a trip into this part of town, there was something absolutely special about Than Nuong. I've said it before, I'll say it again, one of the reasons I regard the Vietnamese so highly is their cuisine which can marry so many flavours into fresh ingredients, and have you feeling full and satisfied by the end of it all. I certainly was, and give it as many thumbs up as I can muster.

Or that having a Vietnamese style coffee would have rounded it off to a perfect finish, choose whichever sounds better.
10 months ago
Zomato
Hooi
+4
There was a deal from TheFork app just before Mother's Day and I grabbed this deal of 50% discount for Banquet menus at Than Nuong. Together with the in-law, we celebrated Mother's Day on that Saturday night. As the discount was only applicable to the banquet, I enquired upon arrival whether we could have 2 of Banquet 1 ($40pp) and 2 of Banquet 2 ($60pp) so that we could have a variety and thankfully, they did.
Sep 09, 2019
Zomato
Joe K
+4
Best Quail in Brisbane! I just dined on a delicious Charcoal Grilled Quail ($9). Perfectly seasoned and grilled, the Quail was tender and juicy. Highly recommended! Rating: 5

Deluxe Beef Pho ($18) looks wonderful. The Beef broth is intense and I love the aromatic spices. Served with sliced Beef Balls and a huge serving of sliced raw Beef, the meat lover in me was overjoyed. This Beef Pho would have rated a perfect 5 but for the warm (not steaming hot) broth and stale Bean Sprouts. Rating: 4

Thanks to Eat Club’s 30% discount, this was a great value meal! Will return to try more of their Charcoal Grilled Menu.
Jul 06, 2019
Zomato
Ronnielui2003
+4
Have not been back for nearly one year so took the advantage of the Forks’ promo of 50% off deal to have dinner last Saturday. It was a busy night with many groups of diner waiting for table at the front entrance. 
We chose the pre-set $60.00 per head banquet. Time of production was reasonable and so as the varieties of food. Soft shell crabs, shelled scallops, grilled quail, chicken and wagyu were prepared just spot-on. We had the DIY Rice Paper wrap before, which was the same as last time. However, we did miss the Pho… haha! 
Overall service, food & beverage keeps consistent. Highly recommended. 
 
June 2018   Rating 4/5 
Thanks for the invitation by Trung Tram to have a Saturday dinner at this cosy restaurant. Arrived punctually at 6:30pm and was arranged to a table near the counter. We ordered three of the entrees and two mains to be shared between two of us with additional Hanoi beer and a bottle of soft drink. The first entrée of spicy chicken wings came to the table within five minutes. Taste of the wings was tasteful and full of subtle spiciness; however, they were not boneless as described on the menu (3.5/5). Next came was the Soft Shell Crab, which gained marks back with its jumbo size and crispy tempura batter (4.5/5). The last entrée of charcoal quail was the most impressive dish of the night. A jumble size quail was carefully grilled to perfection, which delivered the warming spiciness from the house-recipe, well done (5/5). After then, the two mains came in another five minutes. The Hoi An Pho was comparable to the same kind of dish that I had at Hoi An early this year. Generous portion of beef and the good depth of flavour of the soup base won our appreciation (4.5/5). The last main of DIY Rice paper wrap dish with charcoal venison was the first time that I tried with this kind of meat. The meat was prepared well down above the charcoal pit, which marinated with strong flavour of lemongrass. We appreciate the chef put extra star fruits on the side plate that balanced the wrap that we did by ourselves (4/.5). 
Overall, the dining experience is good but the chef should think about to accompany different sauces with the corresponding entrees instead of just dips of sweet chilli sauce for the whole night. Although the overall marks should be around 4.5/5, the final score is 4/5.
May 16, 2019
Zomato
Juliana Dwyer
+5
We had dinner here tonight and it was delicious! Truly some of the best rice paper rolls, I was in heaven. The servings are big and good value. Was really happy with the service.
May 07, 2019
Zomato
DianaW
+4
We enjoyed the food here, simple food done well with good flavors. The vegetarian spring rolls were large, plump & not greasy, with plenty of filling served in a small fryer basket. My main dish was a Vietnamese crispy pancake, tasty with fresh vegetables inside & a fresh side salad. Service was also good
Sep 13, 2018
Zomato
Peruvian Palate
+5
One of the best pho’s I’ve had in a long time. Pho real!! Fantastic service. Great ambiance and the food was great. The venison stir fry had a beautiful charcoal flavour and that pho was so full of flavour and the meat really tender. Can’t wait to come back.
Jul 10, 2018
Zomato
Renee Nicholson
+5
Awesome food so authentic feels like I'm back in Vietnam! Please try this place is amazing, beautiful food, large portions, friendly staff, close to the city and stones corner
Jul 07, 2018
Zomato
Meatballs And Beef Cheeks
+4
Came for the Charcoal BBQ...stayed for he Delicious Pho !

Handmade Spring Rolls were light and crispy (3/5).

The Spicy Chicken Wings, marinated for 24 hours in a 14-spice seasoning mix, were plump and succulent (4/5).

But the hands down showstopper was the Rare Beef Pho. This was loaded with tender noodles and meat, served with fresh and plentiful accompaniments. This was the best Pho I’ve had in months and rated 4.5/5.

Be sure to try the 8-minute lunch specials - served in 8 minutes or less or it is free!

They also have a new vegan menu coming soon.

Many thanks to David for hosting us as his guests - great service and a lovely new restaurant!

Jun 30, 2018
Zomato
Australian Foodie
+5
Healthy eating in the Winter months can be a bit of a challenge. A salad certainly isn’t the first thing you think of when you’re wearing thermal leggings and a puffy jacket. . This is where a big bowl of warming, healthy pho fits the bill nicely. While on the hunt for a big bowl of this nutritious deliciousness, I stumbled upon Brisbane’s newest Vietnamese restaurant located in Woolloongabba.Than Nuong translates to ‘charcoal’, and char-grilled meat has cold-weather-eating all over it.
Jun 22, 2018
Zomato
ElsewhereBriefly
+4
Than Nuong Charcoal Vietnamese is a newly opened restaurant in Woolloongabba, near where blocks of new developments are just coming up. It is not a particularly lively stretch of Logan Road, especially in the evening, but that will likely change as the new apartments are completed. We were invited to visit Than Nuong Charcoal Vietnamese by the owner, and, partial to tasty charcoal-grilled food, we were pleased to take up the offer.
Jun 19, 2018
Zomato
Lifelovetravelfood
+4
We were invited to dine at Than Nuong and arrived bright and early as we were dining with a toddler. Staff very kindly brought our two year old son an activity pack which he absolutely loved - a great little touch that was very much appreciated by toddler and parents!

We started with the mixed entrée which on the menu, said it came with an entrée salad and dipping sauce. The only salad I saw was some lettuce underneath one of the tasters and no dipping sauce. I don't think either of them was needed, however would advise not putting it on the menu if it's not served. Interestingly, some of items that came on our mixed entrée plate were not listed on the regular entrée menu. Having said that, everything on the plate was delicious and the size was generous, especially for the price. Each item was really delicious and I loved the variety on offer.

There was some confusion over our drinks. The beer my husband ordered wasn't available - not a problem, he happily chose something else. I ordered a large sparkling water, as listed on the drinks menu. While my husband's second beer choice appeared after a while, my drink was no where to be found. We queried it with staff who informed us that they had run out and were just ducking off to buy some more. I am not precious, however would advise just letting us know this rather than leave us wondering if they had forgotten our order. A little while longer we were told they weren't able to buy any sparkling water and would I like to order something else. I don't drink soft drink and can't drink alcohol due to being pregnant so decided against it. I then noticed there was soda water in the drinks fridge. I asked staff if I could have one of them (as it's basically the same as sparkling water) and found it a little odd that they didn't offer this as an obvious alternative. I realise this does make me seem a little petty which I promise I'm not, I just wanted to be completely honest with my review.

For mains, my husband ordered the wagu beef steak rice plate. He really loved his meal. The steak was beautifully cooked, tasty salad, well balanced dipping sauce and nice fluffy rice. I chose the make your own rice paper rolls with chilli and coriander pork. I love the concept of making your own, they're one of my favourite foods so I was thrilled to find this on the menu. The pork was well cooked and had a great charcoal flavour to it which I loved, however I couldn't detect any chilli or much coriander. That's not to say it wasn't delicious, because it was, I just didn't think it tasted of what was listed on the menu. The additions with the rice paper rolls were great - plenty to choose from, lovely fresh herbs, tasty noodles and nice salad additions. I really enjoyed my meal and it was extremely generous - more than I could eat but my husband was more than happy to help me finish the last few!

We had a wonderful meal at Than Nuong, however a few minor tweaks to service could be made to make it a little sleeker. Also, a little more attention to detail on the menu is needed to make the delicious food even better. If half stars were available, I would rate our meal 3.5 out of 5. Three out of five just wouldn't be fair as our meals were very delicious and we both really enjoyed the food. There are just a few little things needed to improve to make this place really stand out.

It's not your average Vietnamese restaurant, they're on to a good thing here! Thank you very much to the team for having us!
Jun 09, 2018
Zomato
Espresso&Matcha
+4
Readers would know that as an avid fan of Asian food in general, I do have a particular liking for Vietnamese food, and like regular doses of pho where possible. Usually I opt for the tried and tested places in Inala, Runcorn or Sunnybank to satisfy my cravings, never did I consider that to venture outside of my comfort zone to forage for Pho outside of those areas, that is, until I received a gracious invite from David, the manager of newly opened Than Nuong, situated along Logan road at Woolloongabba. Bringing two companions with me, we went at Saturday at 12pm, just after opening.
Jun 09, 2018
Zomato
Wander Wonder Wonton
+4
I LOVE Vietnamese. I’m a pho addict, so no surprises that when I found out Than Nuong Vietnamese restaurant opened up in Woolloongabba right by my work, I quickly locked in a lunch date with my colleagues to check it out. You can smell the restaurant before you get there, the beautiful charcoal smell wafts around. Than Nuong translates to ‘Charcoal’. There’s a great outdoor area which will be perfect with a beer in Summer for lunch too.
Jun 15, 2018
Zomato
Sherrym1au
+4
Hubby and I plus friend headed out for Vietnamese dinner one night recently. Mr P. was very enamoured of the veg. spring rolls. He said they were the best he'd ever had. Very fresh and zingy with the herbs and the chilli sauce. Crispy, golden casing and a tasty filling. I had a bite and liked them too; perhaps not as much as he did, but they were good.

I chose a delicious plate of crispy, deep fried, tempura-battered crab. Silly me, I hadn't realised how large this entrée plate would be. Neither Princess Pia nor Mr P. eat crab so I had to eat it all by myself! I think the Princess was a wee bit horrified about eating it shells and all, especially the legs:=). She bravely tried a bit - "without legs." This dish had great flavours and textures, and was a generous size - great value for money.

Both the P's chose pho for their mains. Hubby had the house special in a medium size (still gigantic), while the Princess had a medium-sized rare beef pho ($17.60). She loved it! Well, they both did. The Princess said it tasted as good, if not better than the ones she had had in Vietnam. Mr P. being a pho virgin, thought it was fabulous. His dish had beef brisket and the shredded beef. It may not have been very photogenic (he said), but it tasted "gorgeous, tender and spicy." They loved the spicy scent of star anise.

Mr P. said the broth had such depth of flavour, that when you added the herbs and sprouts and the sauce, "it just exploded in your mouth. And you couldn't stop eating."

You can choose vermicelli noodles or rice or rice paper with your mains. I chose the fine noodles, which come out like an incredibly thin pancake. The peanuts and fresh herbs added a lovely bit of texture and zingy flavour to the lemongrass chicken dish I had. I enjoyed adding a fair whack of the chilli sauce to my chicken. This dish was a leetle bit bland for my tastes, but very tender. I found it just a bit limp, sadly. I was expecting a crisp coating on the chicken, but that's my misconception really.

We shared a plate of desserts. Not sure exactly what they were. Clearly there is red dragonfruit, which was pretty and refreshing. The tart on the left had a condensed milk and passionfruit filling I think, which I really liked. The pastry crust was very hard, and not easy to cut with our spoons. The soil/crumb had a wonderful taste, though I'm not sure what it was - pistachio maybe? The latticed pie on the right had a raspberry and perhaps coconut filling. We all enjoyed the sweet treat after our mains.

We had an enjoyable (and tasty) night.

The Pickings' Verdict: 8.5/10

Great flavours, friendly service, good atmosphere, generous servings.
Jun 07, 2018
Zomato
Misscharlot
+5
Came here on a Saturday night, it was getting cold at night time, saw the outdoor seatings got heaters on, (very thoughtful) I would say this place is quite perfect for the first date, with the environment and they got happy hour! personal favorite from what we ordered: soft shell crab entree, it was a last minute add on when we saw the waitress coming and the whole table said yes, get it, glad we did. we all loved the dish. 
and the second favourite is the a main salad dish - australian prawn papaya salad, is different from a thai style (obviously~) is not spicy at all and loving the freshness from the papaya and the sauce, and also loving the nest that carries it, my toddler love it. 
and loving it in the new joint, hopefully, more to come in this area.
Jun 04, 2018
Zomato
Spice Dad
+5
Tried this new place for the first time with Misscharlot. The food is all fresh and tasty and the meat is grilled on a real charcoal grill, which gives a more intense and smoky flavour that you won't find at most other vietnamese places in Brisbane. We ordered lemongrass beef and chili pork, which can be served with your choice of rice, noodles, or rice paper. I think the highlight is the rice paper, allowing you to make rice paper rolls with your meal. The manager David was very friendly, enthusiastic and interesting to talk to - a great experience overall!
Jun 04, 2018
Zomato
Filipe Santos
+5
I had lunch at this shop today and I must say I'm impressed.

Although the menu didn't have obvious vegan choices there were enough vegetarian options that could be made vegan.

I ordered the spring rolls, tofu salad and crispy tofu with rice paper rolls.

The spring rolls which are housemade were served golden and crunchy, and were probably one of the best spring rolls I have tried. Would rate it a 4 out of 5.

The tofu salad came in this huge portion that was way bigger than I was expecting for the price, the dressing was a tad overpowering but it worked to bring everything together. Would rate it a 4 out of 5.

The crispy tofu with rice paper rolls provided me with the best tofu rice paper rolls I've had, most of the times I find them to be bland and not interesting but at this time I was surprised by how playful, fresh and tasty they were. Would rate it a 5 out of 5.

Overall I had a really good time and was positively surprised by this place, service was also excellent with the waiter kindly being sure that my food was indeed vegan and the manager was also friendly and definitely an interesting person to chat to.
Jun 01, 2018
Zomato
Trung Tram
+5
Best Pho in Brisbane. As I eat a lot of pho, what is served is - in my opinion - a very very good pho.  The ambience is good too, lots of plants that will need to grow larger and lighting can be very romantic at night. Service is keen and very willling to help.
Jun 01, 2018
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