Khoai Café

Dining in North Finchley is seldom an exciting prospect. Locals gave so little support even to M&S Simply Food that the company did a rare bail-out of its unit and the site has now been taken over by downmarket Aldi. So the decision of Crouch End's cheerful Vietnamese restaurant Khoai Café (pronounced 'kwai') to open a spacious, modishly utilitarian branch near the Tally Ho is to be applauded. At the rear is a gleaming kitchen in which you can glimpse chefs cheerfully at work; opposite is a glass-walled courtyard lined with pots of bamboo that should prove an asset as the evenings get lighter. Although it was by no means full on our visit, customers were enthusiastically slurping the likes of pho and bun hue, dunking summer rolls into sweetly fishy nuoc cham, and knocking back bottles of Hue and Saigon lager. The staff were sweetly encouraging and flattered anyone showing an interest in Vietnamese food. Our banh xeo, a fried savoury pancake studded with prawns, pork, mushrooms and beansprouts, was a crispy, nuggety delight. Grilled rolls of minced beef in la lot (betel) leaves were succulent and full of meaty savour. Sizzling dishes, such as the fine slices of marinated pork for our bun thit nuong, come on cast-iron platters that keep them hot while customers fiddle with accompaniments of rice noodles, nuoc cham and crunchy salads of herbs and leaves. The only disappointment was a side dish of aubergine and spring onions that came swamped in gloopy sauce. Still we'll be back for the punchy flavours and light, healthy dishes. Dining out rarely feels so virtuous, even in North Finchley.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/12521.html