TL;DR: What seems apparent nowadays is to get the best kinds of breakfasts, or just the more memorable meals out, think less about "less is more" and more about modesty or being the quiet kid in the corner working hard and intently on the current project. Nine times out of ten, that becomes the more memorable and quality meal when compared to the hip place everyone seems to be snapping photos onto Instagram. Vietnamese breakfasts have been as such, making some of the more unusual and quality ventures out into the field, where Ngon might not have started the trend but it has solidified how to do it properly.
Come around to Sunday morning once again, and the same old question for each week pops up into discussion. That was about where to go for breakfast - my house mate was well prepared this time. He had a shortlist of places that had stood out for whatever reason, and quite a lot of the time it involved going all the way to Paddington.This was one of those times, and it was one that had my house mate's mouth watering - we are talking about Vietnamese, which is one of his favourite cuisines. While the novelty of getting Vietnamese in this vein has worn off a while ago, it still proves to be a good break from the norm, and those folks will always provide something quite nice to prove it.
When it comes to the service, they had a foot in two different boats. By no means were they unpleasant, that part they can rest well with. It was right on the cusp of opening that my house mate and I had arrived, and the folk beckoned us in. They were still mopping the floor near the back of the restaurant, and were eagerly finding a place to seat some clients. Mileage will vary here according to whom you ask. To me, I see it as business folk using opportunities - even slight ones - to garner a bit more cash. Going from there, they were definitely doing things right with getting the waters, placing the orders and everything. A big difference came about upon placing the orders, with them making small comments about each one upon it being ordered - it shows they know the menu a bit, and actually care about their fare. Where it might need some improvement, gaining confidence. It will be done overtime, particularly with the small things like asking how the food is.
Often when describing the menu, it is merely just being descriptive. Not much idea about critiquing it usually goes forward, but this time ought to be an exception since a lot of effort has gone into making something that is distinctive enough to stand out among competition anywhere in the city limits, but also one that has enough of the familiar charm that it will attract a built-in fanbase towards Ngon. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, a snack, or even dinner, the selection is homely and wholesome. I am not sure how well Vietnamese performs on the world stage compared to other cuisines, but this example solidifies it to me that it is among the finest in the world.
The shining star among it all has to be the breakfast menu. The selection is not very big, yet with the small range of options they got full advantage is taken of it to ensure that each one is as rich and enticing as the last one. Sometimes the best menus are like that, where a strong case can be made for wanting to order each item on its own merits. They throw a mixture of east and west into it, and every one is at a fairly affordable price.
Heading into the later part of the day as well as the evening, the menu changes course into a mixture of finger foods, and home-style cooking. With the starters, they are a mixture of general entree favourites and some more innovative morsels. The bigger meals act like a greatest hit of Vietnamese cuisine's best offerings - some noodle soups, a few salads, curries and hot plates. They put a couple of dessert options at the end, that showcase the French influence in Vietnam's blood.
When it comes to beverages, they keep the selection as modest as necessary. Tea and coffee are the main culprits of choice, respectively having tea leaves and espresso as the base. That is the hot drinks. Coming around to the cold drinks, the usual sodas and juices are there along with house-made sodas which are distinct to Vietnam. From a look at each of these sections, they didn't put too much more in than was needed and rested on what was an effective, solid selection.
This was one of these cases, where standing on the edge of the abyss it was a case of what to order. It was not just usual street food stuff from Vietnam that was on offer, but the cooks going a bit experimental in the kitchen. What ultimately ended up happening was gravity pulled me back, and I settled upon getting the default option that I have when it comes to going to most Vietnamese places - the combination that has been my life-blood many times in the past - the good old banh mi and coffee. No matter how many exciting and new things I try, it will be hard to convince me that there are many better options for getting a bite to eat than the banh mi and some coffee on the side.
Having banh mis for breakfast is not anything new by any means for me; in reading the description on the menu, that was when I had to surrender to what worked. With how many of them I have had in the past, up until now I can't fathom why none of them put what is essentially the quintessential breakfast food onto the titular sandwich - bacon! We all can agree one of the best bites on the go (particularly come a morning rush) is the old bacon and egg roll. The breakfast banh mi took a fresh baguette, then piled on an egg sunny side up, and some maple bacon, followed by both cucumber and carrot, a combination of pate and butter as a dressing, then some more sauce to pile on top of that.
I'd be willing to simply put it as delicious and end it at that; it would not be doing the chef's effort justice if that were the case. Each item contributed its own efforts to make a tasty morsel. The place to start with is the bun. Most banh mis will give you a very crusty and robust bun which requires a strong effort to bite down and collect every filling inside. Instead, the texture of this one managed to be light as a feather while having the same crusty outside. The egg was light as a feather, melding well into the bread. Topping that off, the bacon was cooked well and it was a whole rasher that they put into the sandwich - folded over and everything. It would go well just stopping off there, yet all the other components added just as much - the pate, the sauce, and the butter all mixed in different tastes and textures to accompany the bacon and egg, plus the carrot and cucumber work well to add freshness and crunch to it. All up, it was a fantastic breakfast.
I've said it before, and it bears repeating right here. I have always been one to admire the Vietnamese Australians, and consider their contributions to the culinary make-up of Australia to be a real asset. It is not only that they bring a unique cuisine into the mix, but their background also helps them become quite adaptable, expanding their horizons and bringing new tastes into the mix. This is another such case, concocting something up that would go well at any Vietnamese takeaway - which further adds surprise that I haven't experienced bacon in a banh mi until now. The combinations work all too well, and will satiate any kind of appetite.
From my house mate's plate, I managed to nick a taste of each major component: one of the meatballs, some pork ham, and pate. Those items, plus a bit of the tomato sauce they were mixed in. As always, the meats were tender and delicious. When it comes to the way Vietnamese cook their meats, a few things in the recipes are distinct - the taste, and the texture mostly, but overall the whole aroma and presentation. I absolutely love it, where it will fill you right up while being light as a feather. That described the meatballs well, the pate was rich and creamy, plus the ham was not like anything else I have brought from the delicatessen. Right here is the art of beauty in simplicity, and it allows the food to be filling and delicious.
Plus, to make the experience even better, it was how the coffee was presented. Without any hesitation - banh mi or no banh mi - I will jump straight into ordering the specialty Vietnamese coffee if it is on the menu, which is was at Ngon. Without any hesitations - and immediately upon being seated - I put in an order for the classical Vietnamese iced coffee. What made it even better was that clients got to watch the show; they got the glass of condensed milk, and put the little coffee device on top, which had the coffee slowly drip over the course of the meal. The end result may always be just as sweet, and just as strong, but that alteration creates a whole new and relaxed vibe. When it was ready, the drink pretty much wormed its way into being the dessert. A nice and sweet finish to a great breakfast out, that ended the experience on a really good note.
Looking at Ngon from one angle, they got a good idea going. Breakfast and brunch to bank in Brisbane, particularly among the suburbs with a much richer array of options to choose from. That is heavily in Ngon's favour. Given that they are only relatively recent to the scene, there is a small bit to go which is already in sight - and that is the other angle to see it from. Once they really start to shine and grow out their wings, the confidence in the customer service will be much more apparent, and Ngon will be just as good as any of the institution favourites over Inala and Darra way.
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