What better way to spend my first post-iso dining out meal than with friends over some banging food from Ngon Brisbane.

Our order:
* beef cheek (weekly special), $25 - with red curry, kaffir lime leaf, coconut cream, fried shallot, root vegetable.
* pho (beef noodle soup), $15 - Vietnamese beef soup, chef's selection beef cuts, thick rice noodles, hot herbs.
* vermicelli combination bowl, $15 - choice of pork, chicken or tofu, with vermicelli, spring roll, pickled daikon and carrot, hot herbs, nuoc cham.
* Vietnamese ice coffee, $6.

The beef cheeks were so, so good. Generous serve of beef itself, tender enough to eat by fork, and covered in a tantalisingly moreish curry that I happily mopped up with the steamed rice. I can see why this is one of their most popular specials and I'm glad my visit coincided with its encore performance.

Wifey's pho was quite the delicious dish too, with a soup that's been infused with a great depth of flavour and solid cuts of beef. It's not the super traditional type you'll find in a straight up Vietnamese restaurant, but stands its ground as a tasty interpretation that gives the diner a warm hug on a cool day. This was a popular choice with four out of six orders from our table being for this dish.

One remaining order was for the vermicelli bowl, which I did not sample but was reportedly another satisfying feed.

Glad we booked ahead as the 10 seat limit was fully used, and a number of walk-ins had to be turned away. In a way I think we benefitted from the limited numbers as there was good opportunity to chat to the owners here and there during our stay. Chef even left us a little surprise in the bill which I didn't discover until after paying. Such warmth and generosity - I'll have to find a way to get back here on a more regular basis.

A small store with white walls and a little bit of plant decoration, as well as an unique grafitti, Ngon gives off the modern vibe. Came here on Saturday morning, it was rather empty due to the rain. The service was mostly done by the owner.

Ordered the Pho Beef Noodle Soup. It was tasty; clear broth with rich taste, served with generous portions of beef and noodles, which came along with some sauces and vegetables on the side. Also ordered the Mum's Savoury Mince, which came out in a big portion size and served with the baguette on the side. A unique taste; sauce was slightly and pleasantly sweet, not overwhelming with spices. Both menus were worth the price.

Would definitely come back here in the future!