Another winner by Kei Concepts! Not sure what took me so long to go, perhaps I thought it would be too similar? But the dishes turned out to be different enough. Favorite (surprisingly) was the branzino (I hate fish). Honorable mention goes to the pork tomahawk. Though the Tom Kha pasta was also up there. Service was very attentive and friendly! read more

NEP Cafe - Shaking Beef - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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I came here with my family on a Saturday, and the wait wasn't too long, which was a pleasant surprise. The first thing you'll notice when you walk in is the atmosphere it's very spacious with plenty of seating, making it feel comfortable even when it's busy. The service was fast and efficient, and our food arrived in a timely manner. I would say the food quality here is excellent, which is one of the reasons I keep coming back. My go-to order at Nep Cafe is always the bò né. It's consistently delicious every time I visit, and that's something I really appreciate. Overall, this is a great spot for a casual meal with family or friends, and I'll definitely be back again! read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Pork belly rice was a good portion that includes, an egg, crispy shallots, pickled veggies, etc. I expected it to be cubes but it was belly slices. The coconut ube coffee was strong and thick, with more of a bitter taste. I didn't taste the coconut but it was still pretty good! read more

NEP Cafe - Pork Beef Belly Rice Bowl , Coconut Ube Coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Came back for brunch and the food was delicious. Our server was great but there was an instance of another server serving the hot plate directly over the head of my toddler. Slightly concerning since kids are rather unpredictable but luckily nothing happened. Was seated underneath the skylight right next to the kitchen, they provided a coloring booklet and crayons for my kid. Something to keep him busy. Would definitely recommend for brunch/lunch. read more

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Service was great, everything looked so inviting and well-crafted, though the flavor profile was a little simpler than anticipated. The patio setting got quite warm at lunch. Adding a few outdoor fans would really improve the comfort of the outdoor seating. read more

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Everything was delicious and flavorful! The 5 spice roasted chicken was so tender and the red rice was such a good pair with it. But the beef carpaccio was our winner! So flavorful and so juicy! Our server Jamie was proactive with service, like refilling our water and soda without us asking, and even helped take our family pictures. The place was spacious and had great lighting for pictures. It made our birthday celebration so easy and fun. We will become regulars here. read more

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I've been to Nep several times before, and I just came back a day or two ago with my family. The service is always good. Their coffee drinks were still delicious and on-point. My go-to is the Egg Coffee, but I wanted to try something different and got the Tiramisu Coffee. Whenever I come here, I know the drinks are going to be good. My kids loved their garlic butter noodles, French fries, and chicken wings. My husband and I didn't want an entree this time around, so we ordered a bunch of appetizers and shared them together: Seafood Ceviche, Spicy Wontons, Crab Toast and Chicken Wings. Sadly, the crab toast was just okay. I remember it having more crab, so maybe they modified the recipe? Everything else was satisfying. read more

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Having gone to the fountain valley location previously and loving it I thought I'd try this location too. I like the ambiance at the other location better but it's still nice. I got their pork rice bowl, and the crème brûlée coffee. Everything tasted great. The pork was delicious and soft. Nep is just a solid place all around. read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

One of my faves in Irvine! The service is exceptional, vibes check always passes, and the food and drinks are amazing. There are interesting coffee options, cocktails, and even great mocktails! I've tried: - avocado coffee - 10/10 - calamansi white peach soda - 12/10 - crab toast - 20/10 must try! - chicken wings - 15/10! - they're crispy, juicy and have the most perfect balance of spicy, salty, and sweet - garlic noodles - great with salmon or shrimp! this recipe seems to have changed from a while back, but still delicious! - lemongrass tofu - tried this once and can't order anything else now ... so good! tip: when it's busy, you can sit at the bar - full menu is available there! You truly can't go wrong here. read more

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I've been to Nep Cafe a few times whenever I'm in Orange County, and it's always one of my go-to spots. The food is always good, but this time my sister and I stopped by just for some matcha drinks and dessert. We ordered the Coconut Matcha and the new Mango Sticky Rice Matcha, and both were so good. The Mango Sticky Rice Matcha was especially unique and definitely worth trying if you're a matcha fan. For dessert, we got the bread pudding and honestly, it was the star of the visit. I loved the crunchy bits mixed in with the soft bread pudding. The sweet and salty flavors were perfectly balanced, making it dangerously addictive. We couldn't stop eating it. We didn't have a reservation, so we sat at the bar and got lucky finding seats. If you're planning to come, definitely make a reservation ahead of time because there's usually a pretty long wait. The service was great as always. Even when they're busy, the food and drinks come out pretty quickly. I also love the atmosphere here. The space is huge, the vibe is fun and trendy, and it's just a great spot to hang out with friends or family. Can't wait to come back and try more of their drinks and desserts. read more

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The Irvine location is much larger than the original Fountain Valley location. The brunch menus are the same, I've never tried their dinner menu as the FV location turned into Gem Dining at the time. I always bring friends from out of town to dine here because the restaurant is beautiful and to try Vietnamese breakfast. Their egg Vietnamese coffees are very popular! Reservations are definitely recommended if you have a large party or if you're planning to eat during prime brunch hours on the weekend. The dao - 10/5, I love the truffle oil, potato purée, and poached egg combo. Very elite appetizer here! Banh Mi Chao - 5/5, A staple Vietnamese breakfast, I always add on the Laughing Cow cheese. Beef belly and Filet Mignon are both good protein choices. This can easily be shared with 2 as the portion is large. read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Update just to say that the food and service is still top tier delicious! The only con is the menu has shrunk significantly so some of our past favorite brunch options are no longer available. read more

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The food was great, it was fulfilling and flavorful. There were a variety of dishes to choose from! The service was great, friendly , easy and fast! The staff constantly checked on us if we're doing okay. I must say the ambiance of this place was amazing , it's clean , simple and spacious! It's great for friends and families gatherings! read more

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We booked on open table for brunch and were sat down immediately. The server was very nice and attentive to detail when explaining the menu. Marble coffee is really sweet so I would ask for a sugar adjustment! read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Went to NEP Cafe to celebrate Mother's Day. I made dinner reservations and expected business to be slow, but the restaurant was packed! We ordered a couple of fried rice dishes and the tom kha seafood pasta. I LOVE the green aji sauce that comes with the fried rice. The pasta was another winner. Service was very attentive and friendly. It's a little noisy inside, so if you want somewhere quiet, this is not the place. Plenty of parking in the lot. I do wish their website was better as they do not post a brunch /lunch menu and a dinner menu separately. If you click on "menu," it takes you to the Toast online ordering, which will reflect whatever menu is currently available - so if it's before 5pm, you'll see the lunch menu, instead of the dinner menu. If you love Kei Concept restaurants like Vox Kitchen, you'll love NEP Cafe! read more

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Absolutely the best modern Vietnamese restaurant. My husband and I make it a point to come here every time we visit family, and we're so happy there's now a closer location. The new Irvine spot is spacious, modern, and beautifully designed, with plenty of seating and a bar area for self-seating. We ended up coming twice during one weekend, once for brunch and once for dinner. They offer separate brunch, happy hour, and dinner menus. For brunch, I ordered the filet mignon bánh mì chảo, and my husband had the chicken congee. For dinner, we shared the beef carpaccio and ceviche. I ordered the shaken beef, and my husband chose the five-spice chicken. Everything was absolutely delicious. They also have a rewards program where you can earn discounts on future visits, which is a great bonus. read more

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I've been here a couple different times and the food is always amazing! We typically just get the garlic noodles, chicken wings, and calamari but I recently came with a larger party so we got the pork tomahawk that was amazing. The highlight of the night was definitely the pork and I love their matcha latte. The servers are also super friendly and pretty fast. They also have outdoor seating that I believe is dog-friendly. Overall a great spot to check out for brunch or dinner! read more

I loved the food here! They have a really unique and flavorful take on Vietnamese fusion brunch, and I enjoyed getting to try something a little different. The dishes are served family style, but the portions aren't particularly large for family-style dining, so it can get a little pricey if you want to order enough dishes to share. One thing I did want to mention was the restroom. They had completely run out of soap, and when we let the staff know, they didn't have any backup soap on the premises, so it took a while for them to get some. I was a little surprised by that, especially at a restaurant. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and would come back. The flavors and unique menu were definitely the highlight for me! read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came for brunch and had the crab toast, bun bo hue dry noodles, banh mi chao and tom kha pasta. I LOVE tom kha, so this pasta was right up my alley, but all the food is solid. No complaints here. Definitely recommend the coconut matcha as well, so refreshing! Service was exceptional. Shoutout to our server, Paul who was amazing and so attentive!! He made sure we had everything we needed. A++ for service. Will definitely be returning read more

NEP Cafe Irvine, CA 4/19/26 Irvine after Tax Day feels like summer has quietly filed for incorporation. Culver Drive is all manicured hedge-jungle, sandstone barriers, curated palms, and the faint aura of wealth trying not to sweat. Everything in this part of Orange County looks half remembered, half franchised, half copied from the plaza next door. Yes, that is three halves. That is what Irvine does to the brain. My niece, a woman of exacting princess standards, was too high-maintenance to physically attend yet somehow still phoned in a request for the strawberry matcha yogurt drink. That alone told me this place has pull. A restaurant does not inspire absentee longing unless it has some hold over the local imagination, or at least over elegantly hydrated Gen Z royalty. The surrounding plaza is a whole anthropological exhibit: ramen, wings, noodles, Super Mex, Wendy's, Daiso, Wells Fargo, parking lot purgatory, and clusters of Sunday food pilgrims pretending their group hang is a summit of emotional importance. Jacaranda petals droop softly over the asphalt like nature trying to add lyricism to retail exhaustion. And there sits NEP. NEP has that dim, sexy, modern look that immediately makes you suspicious. Either the food is excellent or the lighting designer deserves criminal levels of praise. It feels like the kind of place where young urban professionals gather to flirt, network, and accidentally fall in love over small plates and good bone structure. Gorgeous bar. Expensive-looking interior. A room calibrated for pheromones, soft vanity, and excellent phone cameras. We waited about 24 minutes outside in the smug parking lot, which only deepened the mystery: what exactly does NEP stand for? Not Eating Pork? Never Ever Pho? North Eastern Pakistan? Apparently it may be a play on nếp, as in sticky rice, which is a much more graceful answer than anything my baby carafe of junmai was producing. Inside: loud, lively, but not unbearable. Friendly staff. Personable service. The menu is basically point-and-shoot, which I respect. No need to read it like an 18th-century Russian novel. We ordered beef carpaccio, fried calamari, house junmai cold sake, shaken beef, seafood tom kha pasta, and dry bun bo hue. The beef carpaccio was excellent. Bright, fresh, and carrying a Vietnamese twist with basil, mint, and that sweet-fish-sauce undercurrent that makes your brain sit up straight and pay rent. This dish had grace and flavor. 5/5. The fried calamari with jalapeños and lime mayo was better than I expected. I feared this place might be all cheekbones and no soul. Thankfully, I was wrong. I am not even a huge calamari person and still found this lively and enjoyable. 4/5. The shaken beef with broken rice and salad was good, but for me a little too mild. I am a flavor degenerate. I like dishes that kick in the door and overturn a chair. This was more restrained, more civilized, more "I went to business school." Still solid. 3.5/5. The seafood tom kha pasta had good ideas and real herbal notes, but it leaned too sweet. Reduce the sweetness by maybe 25% and increase the Vietnamese herbal personality by 25%, and this thing starts writing poetry in the margins. As served, good but not fully realized. The dry bun bo hue was also decent, though I wished they had gone further and added pork blood cubes. Some of us enjoy a little culinary menace. Still good. 4/5. I also appreciated that the portions were not absurdly tiny. I had feared fashionable starvation. Instead, each dish felt like a proper entrée: not foo-foo, not grotesquely oversized, just enough to justify being alive in Irvine on a Sunday. And bless the cheaper house junmai cold sake. Smooth, easy, and a good match for the food. So yes, NEP is stylish, a little performative, somewhat seductive, very Orange County, and thankfully not empty. The food mostly backs up the aesthetics, the service is amiable, and the room hums with youthful fancy without collapsing into pure nonsense. I would come back. read more

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Unbelievably good ! Great/kind service too. They were helpful on helping me decide what food and drinks to order. Everything came out so yummy read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

We ordered their Bahn Mi Chao with beef belly and their Xoi Man Rice Bowl with Quail eggs and Lop Cheung (Chinese sausage). They were both very good. I had their rice bowl before so it was good enough to order again. The Bahn Mi with the beef belly was delish. Just enough fat to meat ratio. We had for dessert their parfait and mango sticky rice. I prefer the parfait if I could only order one. They were prepared to take care of our child with a high chair, plastic cup of water, plate with utensils. We didn't even have to ask for it. This time we sat outside and the noise level was better. Sorry, my photos are from their website because I deleted mine somehow :( read more

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Love coming here for special dinners. I love their cocktails and bone marrow dishes. Come during happy hour for a great discounted menu. read more

Stumbled upon Nep Cafe and loved this Vietnamese fusion gem. Fresh, trendy vibe with light wood panel decor and live plants. The staffs were super friendly and knowledgeable. The seafood ceviche was a standout--perfectly balanced with coconut, mango, and Thai chili. Paired it with the squid mango salad--bright, herby, and had a delightful crunch of peanuts. We also shared the shaken beef and chicken wings (both great, but I favored the wings). Drinks impressed too--the Calamansi Fizz was refreshing, and the Pandan Old Fashioned was strong but well done (bonus points for the large ice cubes). Best detail? Complimentary mouthwash in the restroom--such a thoughtful touch after all those bold flavors. FYI- Our order came to about $116. Appetizers runs about $15-20. We shared the rice dish which run just under $30. The drinks were $16 each. Ironically we got married 01/16. It's our lucky number! I'd absolutely love to return and try their Crème Brulee Coffee! It's only an hour and a half drive from San Diego. I guess our next date is a road trip to indulge in some coffee! read more

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Since I came here the last time with my father, the place has gotten really good at making things better! I think it's because they provide excellent ingredients and large amounts of mixed fresh meat and vegetables. I was blown away by the deep series of savory flavors filled ingredients after ingredients starting with shredded beef belly meat with cold Bón Bò Sao and amazing Broken Rice Bowl with five separate complimentary vegetables and meats with separate sweet and sour Saigon sauce make it nearly perfect. The best part was their desert. The frozen yogurt Parfait with passion fruit orange with feuilletine mochi with condensed milk was by far my favorite. read more

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Spacious and open interior, great for larger parties. The service was great, you're limited by party size if you try to reserve a table online, but I was able to get a reservation for 14 by calling in during business hours. They were very helpful and accommodating, especially since we had children and babies in our party. I think the food was hit or miss. I appreciated the vision they had for each dish and the plating was nice. The Vietnamese shaking beef was solid, safe choice but not standout. The tom kha pasta was the unanimous winner of the night of our table though! I wasn't able to get a drink this time but I think I'd definitely come back to try the cocktails. They all looked very interesting and definitely piqued my interest as a cocktail hobbyist. read more

NEP Cafe - Vietnamese Shaking Beef - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

Nếp Cafe has been on my list, and we finally came for their happy hour. For the quality of the food, the HH prices were actually really reasonable, and everything we ordered was so good. We got the garlic noodles with grilled prawns, the chili oil wontons, and Xoi Man (Chinese sausage, quail eggs, Vietnamese pork sausage). That last dish had so many different textures and flavors going on, and I loved being able to try a little bit of everything in one bowl. The garlic noodles were probably one of my favorites, savory, garlicky, and the prawns had a really nice char. The wontons were also delicious and had just enough spice without overpowering everything. We also got a lychee martini, which paired really well with the food. Definitely recommend checking out their cocktails during happy hour too. Nếp is part of Kei Concepts, and once again they did not disappoint. I really like how their restaurants take familiar Asian flavors and dishes and make them feel a little more elevated without losing what makes them good in the first place. Definitely coming back. 9/10. read more

NEP Cafe - Xoi Man - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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The food here is top tier! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and exceeded my expectations. The service was amazing, and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I also loved how spacious and comfortable the restaurant is--it made for a great dining experience. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

NEP Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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Yum yum was so intimidated and brought a Vietnamese friend:). By far amazing a little issue with one dish and boom JAYDEN to the rescue with an apology from the manager. Great food, service and yes my Vietnamese friend said thumbs up! read more

Right after landing into California, I knew where I wanted to take my parents to dinner that night immediately! If you follow any of my other reviews, Asian fusion food IS MY THING. Kei Concept restaurants does such a great job at it, and Nep in Irvine is no exception. My parents, who are quite picky eaters when it comes to restaurants, enjoyed every bite, as did I. Though the food was spectacular, I want to give a full on shout out to our waitress - Janelle. She went above and beyond to make this experience for us truly memorable. What a phenomenal night. Okay, back to the food! I was trying to get my veggies in so I ordered the broccolini & squid/mango salad. I love a good goi! The sauce the broccolini was in was sooo yummy; I kept dipping everything in that sauce. I'm not much of a sauce girl myself, but the sauce that comes with the calamari is sooo freaking delicious. PERFECT definition of Asian fusion. It has a heavy taste of lemongrass, which I love. My parents really enjoyed the seafood tom kha pasta; they didn't skimp on the seafood portion! This location is bigger than their FV counterpart. Lots of space and very open location. Clean and sleek. I'll definitely be returning, and will request Janelle as my server because she rocks! read more

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I came back and visited NEP cafe hoping for a better experience and it was much better. I came here when they just opened a few years ago and from then to now the service was way better and so are the dishes. I got their crab toast which seemed simple but the flavors do go well together. Their glazed chicken wings were good but I felt it was too much coated in fish sauce. Overpowered the taste of chicken. Their Banh Mi Chao pork belly contained some pate and the flavors were interesting. I'd say this place is still very Vietnamese cushioned in style. Indoor ambiance was very modern and sleek. The bar area was nice. read more

I had a good experience at NEP Cafe and I would return. The restaurant itself looks great and the food was good. The brunch and dinner menus have different items so make sure you are familiar with the menus if you are going there to try something specific. FOOD Seafood Tom Kha Pasta Vietnamese salad Vietnamese beef I thought all 3 of these were good and worth ordering. SERVICE Friendly, good service. PARKING Large, shared parking lot (free) read more

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first, i want to say that i really wanted to like nep. everything about it feels so upscale, from the restaurant itself to the layout, the servers, the food presentation, and the menu options. it's clear that a lot of consideration goes into the overall experience. unfortunately, i think i just came to realize that vietnamese food might not be for me. it's located in heritage plaza, and there's plenty of parking even on a busy weekend. the servers were very kind and seated my friend and me almost immediately. it can get a bit loud inside with how busy it is, so you may have to speak up during conversation. presentation-wise, everything we ordered looked absolutely beautiful. from the coffee and matcha to the appetizers and entrees, it all came out looking incredibly appetizing. i ordered the seafood pasta along with the spicy shrimp wontons, while my friend got the garlic noodles. while everything looked great, i found the flavors to be a bit too heavy on herbs for my personal taste. there was a noticeable amount of cilantro, green onion, and chives across the dishes that weren't clearly specified on the menu, which made it a little harder for me to fully enjoy the meal. i did enjoy the creme brulee coffee, but the vietnamese milk coffee is definitely strong, so just something to keep in mind. i also really appreciated how kind and accommodating the staff was in being mindful of my pescatarian dietary restriction. overall, i can see why this place is so highly rated. the ambiance, service, and presentation were all great. my rating mainly comes down to personal preference, as the flavor profiles just didn't fully land for me. if you enjoy vietnamese flavors and herbs, this is probably a spot you'll really love, but for me, it wasn't quite the right fit. read more

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The food was amazing! It was our first time dining here at this restaurant. Tristan at the bar served us and was most helpful. We had the garlic noodles with salmon and the crispy pork bowl. We will definitely be back! read more

NEP Cafe - Crispy Pork Bowl - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Irvine, California

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NEP Cafe (Irvine), 14346 Culver Drive, Irvine, CA92604. Vietnamese fusion cafe opened for breakfast, lunch, dinner. I stumbled upon this place by chance and was glad we went. A 4.5* rating out of 2,010 reviews at the time of writing. We tried the Garlic Shrimp Noodle, Bun Bo Hue Dry Noodle, and Spicy Wonton. They were all really good and did not disappoint at all. The restaurant is clean, big, had a modern decor and nice vibe. It was already packed when we were there at 10am. By the time we were done with our brunch, the line was snaking outside. There's a bar within the restaurant that offers happy hour. There's also an outlet at Fountain Valley. Will definitely come again to try other items on the menu. read more

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I think the food was great. There was a good variety of different items to choose from. Although I wouldn't say this is authentic. But the service was good. They did a great job at helping us decide what we should get and suggesting. The environment was nicely decorated and calm. The bathrooms were very clean. We got a lot of different foods but my favoritthings we got were the garlic noodles with salmon and the carpaccio. Overall a good experience and atmosphere to enjoy. read more

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It's been awhile since we came here. I had friends visiting in town. Nep was able to seat our party of 8 without reservations on a Thursday evening. The menu changed a bit it seems. I like how they constantly reinvent their menu. Everything is always really good, the flavors are unique but familiar. The garlic noodles re always great. We got the crab and shrimp. Both outstanding. The shrimp was a little spicier than the crab. They have these new pork belly wraps which were interesting. The pork belly was very crispy! The crab omelet is always really good. Super for not dried eggs topped with loads of crab meat. Also got the beef tongue fried rice. I thought the rice was a little too mushy this time. Shaken beef was a crowd favorite but I personally thought the rice they used didn't pair very well. The beef was very soft and tender. The kids at the table couldn't get enough of it! Our waitress was lovely and provided excellent service. I always have a good time at almost every Kei concept restaurant. read more

Waited about 20-30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. Got seated outside which was nice considering the breeze. Met with a gf and their family for a party of 7. We had an enjoyable lunch! The calamari, wings, crab toast, fries were delicious appetizers while the garlic noodles were perfect! My son enjoyed the beef belly rice bowl-- I thought the presentation of each dish was aesthetically pleasing and the ambiance was comfortable and nice. The drinks were unique. Joined the Kei concepts rewards. Looking forward to coming back. read more

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I recently tried Nepo. The restaurant felt clean, modern, and relaxed without trying too hard. It's one of those places that works whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or sitting down for a casual dinner. My family absolutely loved the food. They described themselves as being in a food coma after they were done. The pho had a rich, flavorful broth that you can tell was simmered for hours, and the meats were tender without being overcooked. I just took nibbles off of certain things on people's plates like the vegetables and rice, because I'm a vegan and unfortunately they do not have many vegan choices at all. I did try the lemongrass tofu and it was absolutely delicious. Service was friendly and efficient. Overall, Nepo is a solid spot if you're in Irvine and craving Vietnamese food that feels a step above the usual casual places. However, due to the lack of Vegan choices I won't be back soon but if you're a carnivore, this is a solid place to try. read more

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Whelp, this is embarrassing. While being pretty tardy when it comes to posting my reviews isn't all that uncommon (if anything, it's the norm), I admit this is probably one of my more egregious cases. However, in my defense, I actually had this written out a long time ago! It's just that, for some reason, I somehow forgot to, you know...post this. The silver lining? Since almost everything I tried is no longer on the menu, it gave me the chance (forced me?) to come back to try even more! Between the great things I had heard and the number of friends who have recommended them, NEP Cafe has been sitting high my list of OC bookmarks for quite some time. Yet, despite how popular they are, it was surprisingly easy to snag a reservation on OpenTable both times we visited to avoid the typical line for walk-ins (did it about an hour in advance). As for the menu, they have a few fixtures, but the rest of it seems to change frequently (as I learned the hard way). However, whether it's a small tweak or a dish being replaced/reconceived, whatever mix of appetizers, entrees, noodle dishes, and drinks/cocktails they have is always be super enticing! -- VIETNAMESE PATE MOUSSE - Vietnamese Mayo, Pickles, Toast Pretty good, for the most part. The pate mousse was terrific - smooth and luscious - and the pickles helped cut the richness well. However, the baguette was more soft than toasted and there wasn't enough of it (we had to order more). -- SHRIMP TOAST - Milk Bread, Sesame, Hot Honey Mayo This was probably my favorite dish the first time we came here. Not only did the milk bread taste good, but it wasn't overtoasted and the shrimp meat (smear?) on this was so full of flavor! Easily could've polished off two orders of this! -- SEAFOOD TOM KHA HOT POT - Spicy Coconut Broth, Scallop, Calamari, Shrimp, Cabbage, Vermicelli Too bad this isn't offered anymore because we both thought it was great! The broth was oh so rich and had layers of flavor to it while the seafood was fresh and plentiful. I just wish the portion had been larger, as we thought the pot was fairly modest in size. -- GARLIC NOODLES (SIDE) - Garlic Butter Soy, Lemongrass Sate, Fried Garlic Not bad, but hardly special. While I liked how the noodles had a nice bite and were topped with chives, this wasn't as garlicky as I thought it would've been, especially with the chunks of garlic confit on top. -- CALAMANSI PALOMA - Tequila, Mezcal, Calamansi, Kaffir Lime, Lime, Grapefruit, Soda On the one hand, I wish this had a bit more tequila and mezcal in it, but this was still pretty solid! Given the three different types of lime, this felt equal parts tart and refreshing. -- EM-OI - Vietnamese Gin, Salted Apricot, Tamarind, Calamansi, Honey, Li-Hing, Lime, and Egg White I'm usually a fan of egg white cocktails, but this was just okay. That's not to say this was "bad", though - I'm just not big on gin and the salted apricot, tamarind, li-hing, and lime felt jumbled. -- TIRAMISU COFFEE - Black Coffee, Brown Sugar, Tiramisu Foam, Lady Finger This was terrific! Although the foam and brown sugar made this fairly sweet, I liked that this really did taste like tiramisu in a cup while still tasting like coffee. Plus, we loved dipping the lady finger into it as well! -- UBE COCONUT BEER Too unique not to try and I'm so glad I did - this was AWESOME. Aside from the super dark coloring (almost like grape juice), loved how well the ube and coconut mixed together and how easy this was to drink. -- BROCCOLINI - Charred Broccolini, Lemongrass Soy, Fried Garlic, Chili To be honest, this was a miss. Mostly, the broccolini itself wasn't the greatest - not very leafy and the stalks were super fibrous. The cook on it was fine, though, as well as the seasoning. -- SEAFOOD TOM KHA PASTA - Shrimp, Calamari, Scallop, Linguine, Tom Kha Cream, Shiitake The presumed replacement of their Seafood Tom Kha Hot Pot and, admittedly, the better of the two. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente, there was a good amount of fresh seafood, and the Tom Kha sauce was just as rich and flavorful. Delicious! -- WHOLE BRANZINO - Herbs, Turmeric, Peanuts, Wrap Set, Vermicelli Essentially a take on Cha Ca and a tasty one at that. Although it's not really battered, the branzino was crispy yet still really moist. Also, I love how they use watermelon daikon and butter lettuce, but there was a ton of tarragon. Beyond the food, both the ambiance and the service here have been terrific. We've eaten both inside and on their patio and they're equally relaxed (the latter is nice on a warm night). Whichever area you end up sitting, though, the servers do a great job of coming by to check on you without being overbearing, are super friendly and efficient, and the kitchen gets orders out quick! All in all, I'll definitely be recommending NEP Cafe as well and will be back for more...like to try their brunch! FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now. read more

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