Vien LeTran (The Smiling Pharmacist)
Took a punt on Valentine’s Day of all days and visited Thuy at her newly branded restaurant.
Amaze! As second gen Vietnamese we weren’t food conosserurs (cant even spell that damn word) but we sure enjoyed the quality across a variety of dishes.
Albeit a small shop it’s fine for dates and even one or two groups (there was 8 ppl at the other table opp). Vibe was nice. Privacy was there. Beautiful mural sets the scene.
Anyway back to the food: the bun thit nuong (vermicelli with bbq pork patties) amaze. The pho cuong (rice noodle rolls) amaze. Hanoi friend rice was generous even for two ppl and with added fish sauce was perfectly balanced.
Only shame was we were so full we couldn’t fit in the Banh xeo (ironically what they’re famous for! -will be back).
Thuy was the head-chef for the previous owners and is still there today under the new name. David her staff is an excellent conversationalist while the food is being prepped.
M M
Cozy little place. We really liked the quail! Decent servings. Both of the mains was nice. Staff was polite and recommended dishes for us. The dessert wasn't so great, but overall, it was pretty good. Would recommend and eat here again. Do be aware that the toilet is upstairs through a narrow staircase.
Jo Taylor
Stumbled upon this Vietnamese restaurant by accident, and I am really glad we did! The food was amazing, really fresh and flavorsome. The owner was so lovely and friendly and clearly takes a lot of pride in what he does. The savory pancake was a highlight! Definitely head here when you want beautiful Vietnamese.
Ian MacDonald
Beautiful food and excellent value. This place does really great Vietnamese food, and not the stock standard stuff but interesting and varied dishes - every dish is distinctive. Service is friendly and efficient, with good advice about particular dishes and quantities too. Looking forward to our next visit.
Max
We had a big group function upstairs and couldn't have been happier. We had the banquet menu and the food was plentiful and delicious. They made substitutions for the vegetarians and kept our BYO wine chilled all night. Staff were friendly and food was staggered over the evening to ensure we had plenty of time, and we were not rushed at all. Would highly recommend to anyone planning a dinner for a big group on a budget.
Sandra Garcia
What a great place. Fresh authentic Vietnamese food in cosy and friendly surroundings. I was delighted to find bun cha on the menu as it is one of my favourite dishes. I’ve eaten Vietnamese crispy pancakes all over Vietnam but the one I ate at Andaqua topped most of them. The perfect ratio between filling and pancake... and so crispy. Thank you for a great experience. I will be back.
Del K
How this place has such a high rating is beyond me. My better half and i came to eat dinner, there were only three sets of customers. The waiter was lovely, took our wine orders and food and never came but kept telling us sorry for the wait for the mext 30 minutes. He didnt even bring us the wine. After 20 minutes he came over to confirm our order which was wrong. I cant review the food because we left to eat elsewhere.
Ed SL
Not great. Two of the dishes were not available so our choices were narrowed down. Service was a bit slow and although I tried to book I was told it was fine but when we got there we ended up alone upstairs and kind of forgotten. Food was ok but nothing amazing so no I wouldn't go back. The guy was polite and apologetic though but I don't get why it's rated so highly.
Ben
We had a great dinner here last night. The beef hotpot was delicious - haven't had anything like that before. Lemongrass chicken and the pancake were also very good. The folks working here were quick and efficient. We will be back!
Chey_ct
I like the setting here. It's small and cosy downstairs with a romantic ambience but because we were a big group, we got the room upstairs. We were the only ones to begin with but then two other tables joined us. They just got an electric fireplace (or was it gas?!) which was welcome in this winter season. The menu is fairly short but diverse and I think the presentation is not bad at all. Unfortunately, except for the rice pancakes that I enjoyed, I thought the rest of the dishes were average and fairly bland in taste. It's a shame because the pancakes were the first dish we had and I guess set a high expectation for what was to come. The staff are lovely and the service was pretty good. A bit on on the steep side considering the dishes did not blow me away and the portions were on the small side.
Liat
We went there last night. The pho was excellent! The caramelized fish was delicious and the fried rice full of interesting bits and pieces. We liked the fresh flavors and would definitely go again. It's so nice to find some authentic Vietnamese!
Jessica_z
I ordered from this restaurant online. While the delivery time was quick, the food was simply inedible. I ordered the spring rolls, rice paper rolls and the chargrilled pork vermicelli bowl. The spring rolls were so oily that the brown paper bag they came in was transparent. It was obvious the spring rolls were cooked in advance and left to sit in their grease for the day (perhaps even longer), and the rice paper rolls were as mediocre tasting as the spring rolls. The pork vermicelli bowl had an unacceptable amount of pork fat and I found far too many stems from the mint garnishing the dish. Are the owners even of Vietnamese descent? Because if they are, they should know this food simply isn’t up to par (this coming from someone with a Vietnamese mother). Will not order from here again.
Janey Elmgreen
All the great reviews lead me to come here but it seems everyone else has read them too. 1hour waiting before we have received any food. Understaffed. Unprepared. I feel bad for the staff running around. Poor management unfortunately- but the one meal we did receive was great - the Main “hot pot” was ironically stone cold- so we didn’t eat that... they did also forget the rice to go with it which admittedly didn’t matter after all and told us they were sold out of Pinot griot and then 20mins later served the table next to us a bottle. I hate to leave bad reviews and it’s not the staffs fault just inexperienced I think
Emer McCann
I thought the food was great, so authentic. I really liked the vermicelli bowls and rice paper rolls. It is a little on the pricey side of things but that is because of the quality.
Hanwei Lee
It's a very lovely place. Food is awesome and staff are nice too. I came here in early Saturday dinner with my family. I definitely will come back again and will try other tasty food.
Tyler Benjamin
This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in Surry Hills. The food is not only delicious but is also healthy & with generous portions. The wine list really compliments the food choices on offer in the menu. And the outdoor courtyard is a really cool space, complete with lights, music & a bar. Highly recommended!!
Leon
Andaqua is a new eatery in Surry Hills (replacing Non La) which offers an assortment of contemporary Vietnamese fare with a twist. I got several dishes for takeaways but they simply fall flat.<br/><br/>First, I ordered Salt and Pepper Prawn, a dish served with lemongrass, onions and chilli slices. There was neither a savoury nor a peppery flavour punch but just whimsy, bland and boring taste of fried prawns. <br/><br/>Second, lemongrass and hot chilli chicken was another subdued interpretation of the popular street food. The chicken breast meat was distinctively overcooked and dry. <br/><br/>Third, the fried rice with crab meat and Vietnamese sausages (just typical Chinese sausages) was plain, bland and uneventful. The ingredients were also far and few between and the lack of wok hei or stir-fry flavour was obvious too.<br/><br/>
David Nguyen
A stand out Vietnamese Restaurant in Surry Hills area. The foods are super fresh, tasty and the services is very friendly. 95% of the menu are glutton free. It has three sections: street level, upstairs dining room and outdoor courtyard with a cute bar. Private functions can be organised either indoor or outdoor.
PleasantPeristalsis
I thought all dishes had delicious and complex flavour. My favourite was the eggplant hotpot. Absolutely delicious, goes well with fluffy rice. Unlike many other vietnamese restaurants you will be paying for this complexity not the portion size. The seating wasn't particularly cozy or comfortable. Tables ate close to each other so can be noisy.
Kate Clark
I love this place. The food is excellent. I had my 36th birthday party here on Saturday night and we had a large group of people. David The new owner was extremely helpful and catered for all of my needs. We had a banquet which had a lovely range of food. It's BYO which is really great because you can bring all of your own wine. We had a whole upstairs area which was excellent for a large party. All the staff are very helpful and friendly, I would highly recommend this restaurant. Thanks again David for making my night so special
Keyvid
Change of ownership but has kept the favourite menu items.Additional Northern Vietnamese specials including a very good Soft Shell Crab well worth it Could become Andaqua
The RnB Diary
We had dinner here a while ago. It had a very classy decor for a Vietnamese restaurant with predominantly white interior. Food itself was ok, we had one chicken and one beef stir fry, you can't really go wrong with that. We only found out it was BYO after we ordered, so I rushed to the Crickets Arms and got a bottle of wine from there. The total cost for two is around $50 plus BYO wine. I say that counts as a cheap and cheerful night out.
Rebecca
Ordered take out from here on Saturday night and requested Gluten free for certain meals. Unfortunately, after consuming the meal I've been sick for 2 days with my usual symptoms after eating gluten. Also the food overall wasn't that impressive, phamish Vietnamese close by is much fresher and tastier. Would not recommend this restaurant.
Ginocut
Foods gone downhill. Been going here for years but after my last meal was the last after being served salt and pepper squid way past its used by date. after not being able to eat it being so fishy and off we asked for the bill. no apology and our bill included the dish that was inedible . quiet disgusting.<br/>we have been going here since it opened 15 yea sago but since changing hands its just not the same quality
Curry Badger
What we ended up with was beef rolls which we were required to roll on our own, lemongrass chicken and a fried squid dish. The serving size was gigantic, we probably could have gotten away with splitting a single dish and appetizer. Other then the pain of ordering here, this place was worth trying.
Paul Gadd
In a nutshell... Poor service, great food. <br/><br/>The front part of the restaurant is like a nightclub, you have to shout across the table at the person you're with to be heard over the groups of pissed women beside you. The courtyard out the back is a more pleasant option. <br/>The food was lovely, plenty of flavour. Average price.
Elise
Great authentic vietnamese. Great food, friendly service and well priced. The pancake and bun are delicious!
Badger90
Fantastic. Tasty food at reasonable prices, good service. Definitely worth a visit!
Carmelflaskas
Great function room, good food, helpful staff. Last night I had a dinner for 22 work friends, and was able to book the whole of the upstairs room with this number as it was during the week. It is a charming and private space for a function. The staff were unfailingly helpful, setting up the table in the room as we wanted it, with flexibility in the banquet menu for choosing different dishes, mixing vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus, and altering the menu for some special requests. I've been to Non La a number of times, not expensive, has BYO - and always good food, and last night no exception. The only thing to note is that like lots of Sydney terraces, the stairs up to the room are narrow and steep, no problem for us, but might be depending on the crowd.
Brian And Stewie
Amazing & authentic Vietnamese food. I have been to Non La a few times and was never disappointed. The food is exactly like how my family normally cooks them in Vietnam. Very delicious.
Carla
What a great little restaurant. A menu with so many options yet everything we had was delicious, authentic and full of flavour. Great for vegetarians as well. We will be back.
Kevin Scott
Great spicy calamari, good size and good price.
Michael
Very tasty and decent size dishes, high quality produce used. Sizzling beef, caramelised pork and fish with tamarind are my fav's. The ambience is not the best and at times feels a bit clinical. Highly recommended!
Maria
Nice ambiance, lovely staff. The pancakes are delicious (although sometimes inconsistent) , good quail, pork and eggplant is yumm, reasonable portions, good value. Will go again and again!
Weeshuggie
"Non Gratifying" Vietnamese Restaurant!. I read all the glorious reviews, (they must have a lot of friends) and decided to give this restaurant a try, as it was our wedding anniversary, we arrived there, and were both absolutely famished, but what a sad disappointment!.....the food was very bland and so boring, in all the dishes, the lettuce cleverly overwhelmed and hid the tiny portions. On top of that, the measly meals were well overpriced,......"au revoir mes amis"......unless you change your act, you will not be in business very long. I certainly will not be coming back, even at half your price!
Loves Food
How has Surry Hills been hiding this little gem? The best Vietnamese this side of Marrickville and probably a better experience. Lovely waitress was super helpful and patient with my usual order indecision. Food was fast and fresh, restaurant was cute and clean, and is cheap enough to visit on a regular basis... Which I certainly will be.
BeeGee
Authentic vietnamese. This is good stuff! Good pries, authentic cuisine.
Annon
Love their pho soup! Amazing !!
Sean Chong
Best Vietnamese food i had ever had !!. Went to Non La on 3 separate occasion and i can say that the food that was served to us was consistently awesome !!!!! The pancakes and the chicken with lemon grass and chilli is my favourite. <br/><br/>Highly recommended for people who like to experience true and authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
Alexis Gray
Delicious!. My friends and I went here for the first time on Saturday night (visiting from Qld and finding the restaurant on urbanspoon) and we were definitely not disappointed. Each dish was amazing and the service great. Will definitely go back the next time we're in town!
Zurichboy
Best freshly cooked pancake ive had in Sydney! Quick easy and friendly...
Cath
Cath. Have been here about 6 ot 7 times and have never been disappointed. Consistently good food. Would certainly recommend it. We take our Vietnamese friend there when she comes over and she also gives it the thumbs up!!!
Surry Native
Just arrived back from Vietnam, first thing we did we go for a Pho here. Brilliant food. Good portions. Yum
Mandy
Terrible and bland beef pho. Will not go back
Olivia Mackay
Excellent Vietnamese. Superb food, reasonably priced. The bo luc lac is the best I've ever had!
CBass
Perfect!!. Went here with a group of friends from work - shared a few dishes and byo is a major bonus. Food was great - couldnt fault 1 dish, although we were a bit disappointed there was no pork belly on the menu :)<br/>atmosphere was awesome and we'll definitely be back!!!
GregFresser
I'll be back. Reasonable prices for excellent meal. Basic decor. Friendly service. Well priced. Parking a tad hard but worth the effort. All food tasty and authentically Vietnamese. Will return. And have time and again. GregFresser
Starsky
Great food, try the tamarind fish. Beef pho is exceptional, great vego options too, eggplant and tofu dish is amazing.
Peter Hodsdon
Awesome REAL Viet food, GREAT service. Parking is scarce, but this place is worth the walk from surrounding streets!
Jeremy Koch
Nice service, tasty food, good price, very happy!
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