First thing you notice is the service level. Friendly, attentive, patient. Place is clean and…read morestylish and modern. Ordered drinks which arrived promptly. We came on a Sunday afternoon late right at the juncture of lunch and dinner, and the waiter offered us whatever we wanted off either menu. Food was excellent, and arrived to table exactly like the images. Overall 5 out of 5, and 2 enthusiastic thumbs up Highly Recommended Well done, NEP Cafe Team We will be back.

HAPPY HOUR MENU (4 stars)…read more - FOOD: good - PRICE: affordable (Happy Hour) - SERVICE: excellent - AMBIANCE: wide, spacious, modern cafe Did you know they have a happy hour menu? I was just as surprised! Still would have paid full when coming here. CALAMANSI WHITE PEACH ($7) - so refreshing! Not too sweet, tart, nor bland yet light and thirst quenchable. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE "DAO" ($10) - potato espuma, slow poached egg, truffle oil, toast. THIS was so good. Creamy, savory, airy foamy, and crunchy all in a bite. If you love potato and egg flavor that isn't strong on either flavor yet it's present, this is for you. Perfect liquidy-whipped texture for dipping toast in. Reminds me of a breakfast dish but great appetizer for any hour of the day. HIGHLY RECOMMEND BEEF BELLY BAHN MI CHAO ($14) - black peppercorn sauce, sunny eggs, pork roll, pate, potatoes. This dish is popular to order here but I thought it was just ok. I love thinly sliced beef belly but felt their cut of beef belly lacked any firmness and was mostly gelatinous ends. I felt the beef belly could have been cooked just a tad bit more not to burn it but to render the fat. The sauce was saucy in flavor, the eggs were too runny for my liking, and although it was recommended to smear the pate in for more flavor, I am not Into pate. The bahn mi roll was average but girth-y in size. Also, gets kind of stale after awhile. Portion was plenty, this meal is good to share for two people or one extremely hungry person. I literally was full 1/4 of the way. RECOMMEND Until the next review...

Four of us went to SUP Noodle Bar in Irvine on a Tuesday evening. We arrived at 6:00 p.m. and…read moremanaged to snag the last available table without a wait. Judging by how quickly the place filled up, coming much later would probably have been a different story. The Food Between the four of us, we ordered the Parmesan Fries, two variations of pho, the Filet Mignon Fried Rice, and the Cajun Garlic Noodles. The Parmesan Fries were a very generous portion, exceptionally crispy, beautifully seasoned, and--in terms of flavor--just about perfect. My only complaint was that they were noticeably oily. Other than that, I couldn't find much fault with them. The Filet Mignon Pho was a treat. The beef was exactly as promised: tender and flavorful. What surprised me was the distinct kiss of cinnamon in the broth. Personally, I would have preferred to suspect the cinnamon rather than clearly taste it, but that's entirely a matter of preference. My wife loved every bite. I also managed to steal a taste of the Filet Mignon Fried Rice. While I certainly didn't regret my own order, I immediately knew what I'll be having next time. The filet was wonderfully tender and juicy, and the rice had a beautifully rounded, savory flavor. A real winner. My Cajun Garlic Noodles were excellent. The sauce had just the right consistency--rich and creamy, yet still delicate enough that the garlic and seasoning weren't buried underneath it. It was certainly on the heavier side, but somehow managed not to leave me feeling weighed down afterward. Rich without becoming exhausting is not an easy balance to strike. The Atmosphere SUP has a modern, distinctly Asian noodle-bar feel. Hard surfaces, no carpeting, and very little acoustic dampening mean that, in polite restaurant language, the atmosphere is lively. In less polite restaurant language: it's loud. That didn't bother us, and it actually suited the casual, energetic atmosphere. But I probably wouldn't choose SUP for a quiet, intimate dinner--or for hearing a lengthy story in which every single word matters. The Service This was the standout. We were not the world's easiest table. Between four first-time customers, individual likes and dislikes, questions about the menu, and various dietary requirements, we gave our waiter plenty to work with. Chase was patient throughout. He explained things, repeated things when necessary, answered our questions, and helped guide each of us toward something that suited us. By the end of dinner, all four of us were convinced we'd ordered the right thing. I'm fairly difficult to impress when it comes to restaurant service, but Chase impressed me. This isn't fine dining, nor should it be judged as such. What stood out was something much simpler: at every opportunity, Chase did a little more than was required of him. He was attentive without hovering, knowledgeable without lecturing, and patient without ever making us feel that we were being difficult. That deserves recognition. The Bottom Line We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the service, and our evening at SUP Noodle Bar. The food was flavorful and well prepared, portions were generous, and the service--particularly from Chase--was exceptional. The only caveat I would mention is the noise level, and that certainly won't stop me from returning. In fact, I already know what I'm ordering next time: That Filet Mignon Fried Rice.

Kept hearing great things about SUP. We like their sister restaurant ROL and are big pho fans…read more Quality was very good, our if the most authentic tasting Pho I've had. Came hot and tasted amazing. Also ordered the fries with spicy mayo. Will be back

This place is located in the Irvine Spectrum. The entrance was located on the side closer to the…read morefountain rather than the parking lot on the side with the Target. The other members of my party didn't realize that and walked around to the other side to find the entrance. I had notified the other members of my party that there were discount gift cards available at Costco, but the Little Sister website did not dictate prices so we were not sure if we should have bought them. For a party of 3-4 people, I would say $100 of store credit would be used up in one visit. It was slow food. We sat down and ordered, and they brought out the food more or less at the same time for all of us. Some weirdo kept taking pictures next to us, so don't expect too much privacy. Either way, going here satisfied our curiosity, and the food was noteworthy. My friends had a better sense of taste than me and noticed the taste was different than what one could order the same thing at another restaurant was, but I didn't notice too much since my sense of taste is different than theirs.

Ambience was great it is such a cute date spot! The bar is particular is very nice…read more As for the food I got the sea bass plate that comes with lettuce and veggies to be used as a wrap for your sea bass. The star of this plate was the sauce that came with it. It changes the flavor profile of the sea bass entirely. Personally, I did not like the sea bass alone. It tasted rather bland but the sauce rescued the plate. We also got the garlic noodles which were yummy but nothing crazy, we give them a 3.5/5. Not pictured was the cooked bokchoy because as soon as we tried the first piece we could not stop because it was so good!!! We lastly had the blueberry pecan tart which was.... Omg.... Amazing I wanted to order a second. I get very overwhelmed by sweetness but this plate was perfect. Creamy, freshly baked, big enough for one person or to modestly share between two people. It's topped with vanilla ice cream which was a huge plus! Would def go again though solely for the pecan tart.

Saiga Vietnamese near the airport in Irvine is one of those places that looks like a takeout spot…read morein a multi-use plaza and then completely overdelivers. Rent is clearly not the story here. The food is. It is usually just incredible, and it is well priced for the quality. We have had them cater one of my kids' birthdays. That party is still the measuring stick. People kept going back for more because the food was so good, and we came close to running out. Pretty much everything got eaten. That does not happen at most kids' parties. The banh mi sandwiches are amazing. A lot of times we get the crispy pork, which is also amazing. I have not tried their pho yet, so I cannot speak to that. I have tried the kimchi fried rice. They use broken rice, which I was not as huge a fan of, but it was still pretty good. Even the thing I liked least here was still solid. Overall their food is just impeccable. Not a fancy dining room. Not a special-occasion vibe. Just really good Vietnamese food that people actually finish. Five stars, easily.

Great food! The pork is so fatty and delicious!…read more Definitely more of a take out spot as the interior is smaller and doesn't have too much space. Would absolutely recommend this place and will be returning :)

One of my local pho place to go when it's too late and everything is closed (since they open later…read morethan most) and want a quick meal fix. I love their bahn mi sandwiches. It's huge so it's enough for two portions realistically. Their phos are great and full of veggies, noodles, and meats. I can say they do not skimp out on the portions. Their vermicelli dishes also is very delicious. All in all, this is the place to go when you want pho late at night and everything else closes at 7. The service is great, and usually on top of it. The parking is hit or miss since it is inside the Diamon jamboree.

I was craving viet food when stumbling upon this restaurant among the busy place full of other…read morerestaurants and dessert. I ordered a pork sandwich, side egg rolls and rice with golden Cornish hen. It was all very delicious. I can't believe such a simple-looking restaurant had such amazing quality food. I definitely enjoyed the Cornish hen with buttered rice. Despite their special appetizer being egg rolls, I liked their Banh Mi a lot more. (Didn't snap pic of the sandwich and egg rolls fast enough this time lol ) The service was great and surprisingly quick. The waiter was chill and friendly, but oh man! The cook was amazing! I think we waited no more than 5mn to get all our 3 orders all come out hot and delicious! Definitely will be back when I crave Viet food in Irvine again!

This is one of my favorite local Vietnamese restaurants when I'm reallyyyy craving pho or bun bo…read morehue but I don't want to drive to garden grove or Westminster. They offer dine in, carry out, and delivery. This place is my guilty pleasure doordash splurge. I love their spicy beef noodle soup and my boyfriend loves pho dac biet. Everything on the menu looks delicious and I can't wait to try more but I'll probably keep ordering bun bo hue lol

Worst lo mein ever. For $19, it was six shrimp and a tiny amount of almost completely raw bell…read morepepper and onion on a small portion of bland oily noodles. I added salt just so I could eat them. Honestly, after the first bite, I considered dumping the entire thing and spending more money to order something else for dinner. The (admittedly massive) tofu spring rolls had a weird smell and very little flavor except too much mint. I ended up tearing them open and dipping the tofu in peanut sauce and leaving the rest. I do not understand why people like this place. I will never try it again.

$21 for a Bánh Xèo Đặc Biệt. It is rather pricey, given the facts that foods pricing are rising…read more However, quality is what all customers want when they go to the restaurant. The Bánh Xèo Đặc Biệt was not good. Most everything inside the Bánh Xèo were bean sprouts (giá) and they were raw. The cashier told me, if I want my Bánh Xèo's beansprouts to be cooked, next time, tell the waiter. When you order Bánh Xèo, you don't have to remind the cook to cook the beansprouts or not to cook the beansprouts, for authentic Bánh Xèo. Other than that, the waiters are very nice.

The signature Quan Mii banh xeo dac biet with pork, shrimp, and squid is a must - it comes with…read morerice paper as well as an array of veggies and herbs that you roll it up with and dip into some fish sauce for the most magical bite. Each banh xeo is large enough that I personally feel like you could share 1 between 2 people, however my significant other begs to differ so we always end up getting our own (which is actually probably for the best because then we avoid a full-on brawl over the last bite, but I also get to have it a 2nd time and it's still yummy even as leftovers hehe).

IM LEAVING ANOTHER REVIEW bc…read more DONT SLEEP ON THE WINGS The party tray is perfect for big gatherings, potlucks, etc The party tray items are actually PRETTYYY FYE Also whoever was in charge of phone/reception/front of house was very nice and helpful!! Appreciate the call to let me know that the food was ready :)

This review is based off our dinner experience on 9/10/26. I REALLY want to leave a higher rating,…read morebut I'll have to go back and see if certain things have improved. First, the good: As always with Kei restaurants, the food was delicious, plain and simple. Unique dishes with loads of flavor and high-quality cooking. You can tell a lot of thought goes into each dish. There's plenty more on the menu that we want to try. Ambiance was great, too. I love the decor and upscale vibe of the space. Service was super friendly. What needed improvement: While service was friendly, it was honestly lacking a bit. Order was taken and delivered very quickly, but we weren't really checked on and struggled to get our server's attention for water refills and the check. The space is beautiful, but they must've had some HVAC issues the night we visited. To be fair, we were in the middle of a heat wave, but it was WARM in there. I assume they had some back doors open to air the space out, because we also had some pretty annoying fly and gnat issues at our indoor table. It was hard to enjoy the meal when we were sweating and constantly shooing bugs away from our food. Last, and this is just a bit nit-picky: the ceviche was so good, but wayyy too spicy for us. It must've been the pepper seeds. We felt it really overpowered the dish. Overall, I assume this was just an off night for the service/hvac issues, as we usually don't have those kinds of issues at other Kei restaurants. I still look forward to coming back for the great food, and hopefully those issues don't persist next time.

Came here for OC Restaurant Week. The staff was very nice and I got seated right away. They have a…read morelunch deal for 25$ that gets you one appetizer and one entree. I picked the rocket shrimp for my starter and vermicelli with two proteins for my main. Rocket Shrimp- Served hot and crisp with a sweet and chili sauce and a side of fresh greens. The shrimp is fresh and tasty. Overall a great starter. Vermicelli with Two Proteins- I picked grilled pork and grilled chicken, both were perfectly marinated and juicy. It paired well with the vermicelli and crunchy vegetables. A filling meal. Great experience overall!

Good clean space, actually very spacious and comfortable. Running a pho special right now to come…read morewith two free spring rolls which is pretty good, although pho seems slightly expensive - probably standard for Irvine. The cell signal sucks here - so if you're coming to eat while on your phone you'll have to use the free Marketplace WiFi. Apparently the restaurant WiFi is not open to public. The pho portion is not the best compared to more authentic pho restaurants, but definitely enough to fill for a meal. The weirdest annoying thing is the spoons for the pho, which are not typical Asian soup spoons and annoying to use to eat a soup noodle dish. Service is just fine, it wasn't very busy. Just wish they told me about the free WiFi instead of just denying store WiFi.

THH Sandwiches was recommended to me by a friend who used to live in the area. I'm a big fan of…read morebánh mì, so I had to give it a try--and I'm glad I did. The first thing I noticed was the line. It looked pretty long, but the staff moved through customers incredibly fast. That's usually a good sign that a place is worth the wait, and it definitely was. Don't let the line discourage you--it goes by quickly. The sandwiches are generously loaded with fillings, and the bread is made fresh in-house. I even saw several people leaving with loaves of bread, which says a lot about the quality. I ordered the grilled pork bánh mì, and it was excellent. The vegetables were fresh, the pork was flavorful, and everything came together perfectly. You can also watch the staff prepare the sandwiches through a large glass window, which adds to the experience and lets you see the care that goes into each order. It's easy to see why this has become a local favorite. I also ordered a Vietnamese coffee, and it was fantastic. It was rich, bold, and exactly what I was hoping for. If you're looking for an authentic bánh mì and a great Vietnamese coffee, THH Sandwiches is absolutely worth the visit. I'll definitely be back.

We ordered the grilled pork banh mi, which had a good taste overall. I just wish the pork was…read moremarinated a little more because it did lack some flavor. The bread was delicious, it had a nice crispiness but was still soft when you bit into it. We also got the grilled pork vermicelli salad with egg rolls. The egg rolls were really good and crispy, especially with the fish sauce. I'm not a big mint person, but I actually felt like it made the salad really refreshing. The pork was again lacking a little flavor, so I wish it had been marinated a little more. Overall, the total for two grilled pork sandwiches and the vermicelli salad came out to $26, which is a steal!