Ngon Vietnamese Bistro - St Paul

This restaurant is one of the few upscale dining options in my neighborhood. My partner and I went there for a date tonight, and when we arrived, about half of the tables were already occupied. The host was about to seat us, but then the manager rushed up to the front and informed us that there would be a 30-minute wait. We were okay with waiting and suggested sitting down for a drink while we waited, but the manager insisted that we couldn't even sit for 30 minutes because all the other patrons had just arrived. Feeling confused and frustrated, we decided to leave. It's a shame that we had this experience, as we have been living in Minnesota for three years and have come to expect mediocre hospitality at some restaurants. Despite the good food, we won't be returning due to the lack of customer service and rudeness we encountered on this occasion.

I had an amazing date on the patio with a rating of 4.5! The service outside is operated through the Toast application, where you scan a code at your table to order and pay all within the app. I started with an old fashioned and crispy rabbit dumpling. The dumpling was hot and served in flavorful coconut curry. The old fashioned was aromatic but lacked a strong alcohol or sweet taste. I also ordered steamed duck bao, which was tasty but a bit dry, likely because we visited towards the end of the restaurant's operating hours. We dipped the bao in the coconut curry and enjoyed them. The highlight of the meal was the chef's special pastrami sandwich - bo kho spiced pastrami, slow-smoked for 24 hours and steamed in pho broth, served on caraway rye bread with whiskey whole grain mustard. It was easily one of the best sandwiches in St. Paul! The cocktails could use a bit of improvement and the bao buns could benefit from a dipping sauce, but overall everything was excellent, especially the pastrami sandwich!

This restaurant is empty and the food is overpriced. If you are Hmong, I would not recommend coming here as you may be disappointed. During our visit, there were only a total of three customers, including us. The eggrolls are large and geared towards a Western palate. The Bo Kho dish costs $20, which is quite expensive for a plate of beef stew. There was nothing particularly special about this dish; you could easily make it at home and it would taste just as good, if not better. We also ordered the Bun and requested eggrolls and ribeye, but received double the amount of eggrolls and no ribeye. It seems like we ended up at the wrong bistro.

Driving down University Ave one Saturday afternoon, looking for a place to eat dinner, I passed by Ngon Bistro, and thought I 'd give them a try, so glad I did! The food here is Vietnamese/Asian fusion, and includes favorites like pho, spring rolls andbahn mi. In the summer months there is a wonderful little outdoor patio for dining, but I decided to stay indoors. The diningroom is bright and cheery, thanks to light colors and huge picture windows at the front of the store. It 's fun to sit andwatch the streetcars go by on the Metro 's Green Line! You can use the Victoria St. station stop to get here. The menu is asimple one page affair, with a small but excellent selection of Vietnamese/Asian inspired food. I was also given a page ofdaily specials. Lots 's of great food to choose from! They also have a small selection of signature cocktails for you to try. I had the Lemon Basil Negroni, and it was excellent! For a small plate appetizer, I decided on pork egg rolls, and they werewonderful. They came with a nice, sweet dipping sauce. I had no problem eating them both! My main course was the pho withmeatballs. Oh my goodness! It was the best soup I 've ever had in my life! And so very filling. The staff here are reallygreat people, and wonderful to deal with. The decor is simple, bright and cheery. Parking can be an issue, but I had noproblems finding a spot close by. The food itself is OUTSTANDING. Bar service is top notch. If you stick to just a maincourse and water, you can dine for about $20 a person. Add adult drinks and appetizers, and your looking at $50 a person. Igive Ngon Bistro my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! I do plan on coming back again.

Amazing eating, service, craft cocktails, desserts, wein simply fabulous. do not hesitate, go, they will be happy they did!