Time Out rating:
<strong>Rating: </strong>4/5
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<strong>Rating: </strong>5/5
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Time Out says
Mon Jul 2 2012
Spread over two floors, this homely restaurant filled with glass and basket-weave furniture brings a hint of the tropics to a suburban Finchley high street. Takeaway trade seems to be roaring, thanks not least to the near-tube location. Dine-in custom on our recent visit ranged from elderly local couples to young Vietnamese students. There’s a sense that the repertoire has been restrained since launch (freshly squeezed juice combos, for example, were on the printed menu but not available), though in other respects Vy Nam keeps standards high.
Lotus root and prawn salad laden with sesame seeds and shredded mint was simple yet punchy. A tureen of superb crab and egg stew, generous with shellfish and rich with tomato, showcased the French colonial influence on Vietnamese cuisine and offered a flavourful yet unfiery alternative to our chilli-laden vermicelli noodle salad and spicy chicken curry. Vietnamese special fried rice was undistinguished, but comforting nonetheless; more adventurous diners can opt for sizzling goat, or frogs’ legs. Cheerful house wines, Vietnamese beers and kind service combine to produce this very welcome destination amid Finchley’s all-too pedestrian dining options.
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