Monday, January 23, 2017

Annam Noodle Bar: Authentic Vietnamese Specialties and Manila's Best Pho


Back in 2012, Chef Nam Quoc Nguyen opened Nam Nam Noodle Bar in Singapore to bring iconic Vietnamese street favorites to the bustling city. In just a few years the restaurant is now known to serve some of the best Pho you can find in Singapore - simple, fresh, healthy, and delicious.They opened their first store in the Philippines, Annam Noodle Bar, in 2016 in an effort to bring modern Vietnamese street food to Filipinos at Eastwood City's new fast-rising food strip, Eastwood Avenue.

It's good to note that Annam Noodle Bar has been ranked as the #1 Vietnamese Pho in Metro Manila by Spot.ph. They are also proud to advertise that they don't use msg in any of their dishes!

Here's what you can expect from Annam Noodle Bar at Eastwood Avenue...



The interiors are very beautiful, enough to transport you to the streets of Vietnam with beautiful lights all around and colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It's the perfect place to have a nice, hot bowl of pho and some Vietnamese coffee. 



The Pho Australian beef Combination (Php 380) has a little bit of everything in one bowl with beef steak slices, beef balls, tendon, and honeycomb tripe. It's served with Annam's clear, signature broth that's garnished with a lot of fresh herbs and firm rice noodles. In every bite, you get a kick of fresh herbs (think basil and cilantro) and a bit of spice to keep things interesting. The beef was tender and was lightly seasoned as it was meant to be eaten with a nice big sip of the soup. 

This certainly was one of the best pho I've had in Metro Manila and true to its promise it really was fresh, healthy, and delicious. It's a big bowl so it's something you can share. 



The Spicy Minced Pork, Pork Balls Noodle (Php 350) is like a premium version of your favorite Lucky Me Chilimansi by adding bangs of Vietnamese spices and sauces. It's noodles served with sambal chii, pork balls, bean sprouts and a soft boiled egg on top, It's said that they toned down the spice here a bit (around 50-75%) from the original recipe to cater to the Filipino palate. It was nice and refreshing, with a nice salty and spicy balance that would keep your palate going.



The Sauteed Lemongrass Pork Bahn Mi (Php 250) is toasted baguette that's stuffed with pork, hot chili peppers, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, and fresh cilantro. I'm personally not a big fan of bahn mi because they are a bit messy to eat because of the oversized crispy baguette, but Annam's bahn mi tastes fresh and nicely seasoned. I'm now a big fan of the lemongrass and pork combination they have going here, which gives you a refreshing sweet-savory balance. 



When eating at a Vietnamese restaurant, it's always a good idea to grab a cup of authentic Vietnamese Coffee (Php 120). I always prefer a hot cup of coffee but you can also have it iced if you like. 

Food Quality: 3.5

Service Quality: -
Ambiance: 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.0


Annam Noodle Bar certainly met every expectation I had in terms of authentic, delicious Vietnamese street food. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pho or bahn mi but their take on these classic Vietnamese dishes is really good that I'd be happy to dine here again. Is this the best pho in Metro Manila? I can't say for sure but I can assure you that Annam's  pho is both refreshing and delicious. 

If you're looking for Vietnamese food that's easy on the pocket and tasty, look no further than Annam Noodle Bar at Eastwood Avenue!

For other restaurants you can enjoy in Eastwood City's hot new food strip, Eastwood Avenue, check out 'Look Out! Eastwood Avenue Is Now Eastwood City's Hottest New Dining Destination'. 

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Cheers,
Chef Jay

Annam Noodle Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review. The author did not pay for any of the dishes mentioned in this article. This, however, does not impair the unbiased opinion of the reviewer. 

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