I finally found a pho place where I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered!…read more I always like getting both spring rolls and egg rolls, so I loved that Pho Ba Co has a Duo Appetizer that comes with 2 spring rolls with shrimp & pork and 3 egg rolls. The spring rolls tasted so nostalgic to me, and the egg rolls were perfectly crispy. It was the best of both worlds! For our main entrees, we ordered the Brisket Pho and Stir-Fried Garlic Beef Tenderloin Vermicelli. The pho broth was clean yet deep and flavorful, and they gave a generous amount of brisket. The Stir-Fried Garlic Beef Tenderloin was a standout--the beef was flavorful, tender, and juicy. Because I wanted to try their garlic rice, I ordered a side, and it ended up being one of the best garlic rices I've ever had! It was packed with garlicky flavor, reasonably priced, and they give you such a generous portion. Definitely worth adding to your order! Service was also great. The staff seated us quickly and was very responsive whenever we needed anything. From the appetizers to the pho, vermicelli, and especially that garlic rice, everything hit the spot. I can't wait to come back the next time I'm in the Irvine area!

Long was our server and was so kind. Before sun sets earlier in the day, we wanted to enjoy our…read moremeal in the huge outdoor eating area and he brought out menus and everything to accommodate. We ordered pho tai and com tam but I accidentally ordered the shredded pork versus the grilled pork. He was able to replace for us and was so kind about it. Everything tasted so great, especially the egg quiche in the com tam!! Definitely will be back.

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.

I have to admit, I enjoy eating at these Asian fusion restaurants. NEP cafe is a Vietnamese fusion…read morerestaurant. Can't explain why I came to the location all the way in Irvine when there's one closer to home, except that I did. I got here just when the restaurant opened. It was already pretty crowded. I like the clean, modern feel of the restaurant's interior. That hot Vietnamese coffee was strong, but delicious. It tasted like liquid candy. So good. I ordered the Banh Mi Chao - Filet Mignon. The food was better looking than it tasted. The meat was a little chewy. Service was good. There's plenty of free parking.

Always a great experience at SUP Noodle Bar in Irvine! One of my favorites is the Anthony Bourdain…read moredish. The filet mignon is incredibly tender and practically melts in your mouth. The flavors are fantastic, and it's one of those dishes I keep coming back for. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant has a great vibe. Great food, great service, and a place I always enjoy coming back to. Highly recommended!

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. --- And Then, Two Days Later... Well, that didn't take long. Two days after writing this review, I was back. My daughter ordered the Filet Mignon Fried Rice I'd been planning to have, so, in the interest of not ordering the same thing, I changed course and ordered the Pho Anthony Bourdain. An instant classic. Absolutely delicious--and now I have a new problem: too many great things to choose from. You won't hear me complain. That's a pretty good problem to have.

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).

Came here on a Saturday around 1pm. We called at 12:30 trying to see if we can be placed on the…read morewaitlist but they said we have to come in. The wait then was 30min. When we got there, the wait was only 10-15 min. The server was great and gave us recommendations. The drinks were not just pretty but yummy. The tiramisu coffee was so good and tasted like tiramisu. Match cloud latte was not as sweet as tiramisu coffee. All the food was good and flavorful. The portion was great . We sat out at the patio and loved it. Highly recommend this place.

Went for happy hour and all the dishes were great and amazingly done except for the new steak…read morefrites. We ordered medium rare and while the steak came out as such, the meat was incredibly tough. I never send back food but for the price ($55) this was not acceptable. I've had decent ribeye from vox, gem, nep dinner, and this time it was just so hard to eat. Usually steak cuts come in choice, select, or prime grades but not sure what this was. They were understanding and sent us another one after taking back the first and this time this was cooked medium well and still super tough. We just gave up on it. The fries were cooked very well and the sauce was good. Bummer the steak was a let down. Forgot to get a pic of the banh mi chao with beef belly but that was a favorite along with the xoi man amongst my group

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.