Viet Eat review

Just a short walk from Holborn station, you will find Viet Eat. Having had been to the sister restaurant Pho & Bun, I was curious to compare the two. 

For £23.95 you can enjoy a four course set menu with a glass of wine, beer or soft drink. There is also a vegetarian menu with vegan options to choose from. With five starters to choose from, the choice is made a bit easier as you can choose two. My friend Emily and I opted for fresh summer roll with tofu, vegan mango salad, pork and crab spring roll and chilli salt and pepper squid. 

The summer tofu roll was filled with lots of thinly sliced vegetables but only a small slice of tofu. I did enjoy the crunchy peanut dip that came with it. Made with julienned, crunchy mango, crispy tofu pieces, lettuce and coriander, the vegan mango salad was refreshing and perfect for this hot weather. Served with a light dipping sauce, the spring roll had a golden, crispy exterior and as it was filled with minced pork and crab, it created a different texture to the vegetarian ones. Emily would have preferred a higher proportion of vegetables to meat to enhance the crunch. Also, the single spring roll did look a bit lonely and might have been better to be served in two so you could share it. We both thought the chilli salt and pepper squid was a reasonable portion for a starter and quite meaty but also on the chewy side. The batter very light, crispy and seasoned well with chilli, garlic, salt and pepper.





For my main, I chose the traditional pho with chicken which is dairy and gluten free. The broth was light but didn't quite have the same tastiness that I remembered when I had it at Pho & Bun. Although the garnishing served with it was on the smaller side, the pho itself was its big, usual portion. The chicken was soft and tender and I enjoyed the fresh spring onions and coriander sprinkled on top. The bun sa lemongrass vermicelli with tiger prawns was served in a big bowl with a generous portion of noodles but only three tiger prawns. Despite the quality, they were large and delicious. Emily enjoyed how the beansprouts were grilled for extra flavour and the fragrant lemongrass flavour. However, if it had been served with fresh herbs like mint or coriander it would have been more traditional and elevated the dish and given it the unique South East Asia fragrance!



For dessert, Emily ordered the pandan & coconut pannacotta which had the minty green appearance and distinctive pandan scent. Unfortunately due to my allergies I had to give this course a miss but the staff kindly let me swap it for a grass jelly drink.

After having been to both restaurants, I would have to say I had a much better experience at Pho and Bun as the service and food were better even when it gets busy. I do hope that Viet Eat and Pho & Bun will start to include vegan dessert options as I would love to be able to enjoy the full four courses!



Both Vietnamese restaurants have special offers, such as the four course set menu and 25% off your bill but visit their website for more offers.