https://www.startribune.com/ngon-bistro-closing-last-day-saint-paul/600289458/
799 University Ave W
Established 2007
Visited July 10, 2010
Opportunity finally availed to see if Ngon lives up to its reputation. First impression: Wood. Tons of wood. Something unexpected: It’s clean. It’s an atypical Vietnamese restaurant. It didn’t have Vietnamese servers and it didn’t have Vietnamese clientele. The menu has limited items compared to the typical Vietnamese restaurant menu and entrees included fancier American dining fare.
Crispy Rabbit Dumpling. This was the first I’ve experienced with rabbit offered in a Vietnamese restaurant. The rabbit was ground into slightly smaller than pea sized chunks and I would not have guessed it to be rabbir. It was a mix between chicken breast and pork. The curry sauce was mild and provided moisture needed for the dry lean rabbit. I was not a fan of this dish.
Special Pho with Cxtail Beef Broth. At at typical Vietnamese eatery, the item named special would be loaded a variety of meat such as flank or round, tripe, beef balls, tendon, etc. This one seemed to have only two meats albeit of a higher quality than typical. The bowl was large enough to bathe a newborn. The side of Thai basil, jalapeno, and bean sprouts was fresh but disappointingly small. I would rank the Pho competent but nowhere near the top of the heap in the TC.
Special Hu Tieu with a pork broth and rice noodle. This turned out to be my favorite. A wonderful dried shrimp flavor permeated the broth. It had a spicy kick accentuated by the shrimp balls and what is assumed to be rehydrated dried onion. This was Special. It was loaded with tons of meat including the aforementioned shrimp ball, BBQ pork, roasted pork (?), and other things and every dip into the broth was like discovering a new treasure.
Ngon was established to be a higher level Vietnamese eatery. Ngon oozes atmosphere but I prefer the utilitarian eat and get out atmosphere of the typical Vietnamese eatery. The total cost of the meal was short of $30. I understand why Ngon’s prices are higher but for me, the extras do not offset the added cost. I will stick with the traditional Vietnamese restaurants.
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