Our story
Việt Garden is not a group, a chain or a concept. It is a Vietnamese family cooking the food they grew up on, on the same stretch of Liverpool Road, for over twenty years.
How we cook
Vietnamese food is built on contrast — hot broth against cold herbs, sour against sweet, something soft against something crisp. None of that survives sitting around, so almost everything here is finished when you order it.
Stocks go on in the morning and simmer through service. Sauces are mixed by hand, not poured from a bottle. Herbs are cut as the plate leaves the pass. Where a dish can be made vegetarian or gluten-free without losing what makes it good, we will — just tell us before you order and we will be honest about which ones cannot.
The menu has grown slowly. Dishes were added when someone in the family wanted to cook them properly, and a few have been taken off again. Nothing is on there to fill a gap.
Where the food comes from
The north
Hà Nội
Clear, patient broths and restraint. Phở as it is meant to be — stock skimmed for hours, beef sliced thin, nothing on the table to cover it up. Chả cá lá vọng comes from here too, sizzling with dill.
The centre
Huế
The old imperial city, and the spiciest cooking in the country. Bún bò huế is its signature: lemongrass, chilli and a broth with real backbone behind it.
The south
Sài Gòn
Sweeter, brighter, quicker. Grilled pork over cold vermicelli, crushed peanuts and fried shallots on everything, herbs by the handful.
The river
Mekong Delta
Rice paper, fresh fish and whatever grew that morning. Gỏi cuốn rolled to order and bánh xèo folded over prawns and beansprouts.
Come and eat with us
Booking is wise on a Friday or Saturday. Any other night, walking in is usually fine.