Ngu Binh Restaurant

Really good bún bò huế. Lots of meat variety, chả was perfect, delicious broth. My family from Huế really liked it, so you know it’s legit good.

Their BBH, banh bot loc, banh beo, and mi quang are phenomenal! Don't sleep on the chả and nem platter

Visited Ngu Binh Restaurant for the first time a few days ago. It's located in a plaza with many other eateries. The parking is a bit tight but there are plenty of parking spaces. We ordered the Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu. The broth for both dishes is very flavorful and perfectly seasoned and they had a generous amount of meat. Love the variety of veggies they provide to add to the dishes. Will definitely be coming back.

Such a delightful lunch! The food was epic and we didn’t really know what to order, but our server helped us figure out a great spread! Will definitely be coming back

We came on Saturday for lunch at Ngu Binh Fountain Valley. I think they have 2 locations. The place was packed. We have to sign in and waited about 20 minutes. We only have 2 people so it was quicker. Me and my wife both ordered the bun bo hue. And we added on a side order of Bánh It Kẹp Bánh Ram. The food was really good. They know how to cater to people who don't eat too spicy like my wife. She ordered bun bo hue not spicy. I got the spicy one. Their food is really authentic. And very good. Great atmosphere and friendly service. We really enjoyed our time there and plan to come back soon to try other items on the menu. Parking is a little tight because there are quite a few busy restaurants on the same center. Just have to be patient.

Delicious restaurant! You will leave very happy. My kids loved it too.

This place is an upgrade from Ngự Bình 1 restaurant. Spacious, great seatings and beautiful decoration. We got seated right away after coming in. The food we got here was perfect. I definitely get more toppings on my plate for Combo bánh bèo, nậm, lọc. The plate of veggies and herb that came with Bún bò Huế or mì Quảng was definitely fuller. And, my oh my I can never get over the mì Quảng that we had here. Rich and deep flavors with perfect toppings. Absolutely satisfied with the experience that we had here! The managers and workers were friendly. Also, they also sells chả lá separately for anyone who is interested. One more thing, they have very clean bathroom (definitely a plus compared to many other places). We will be back for sure if we ever come back to California!

If you’ve only ever had pho, let me introduce you to Bún Bò Huế...bold, flavorful, and yes, it’s gluten-free too! 📍 Ngu Binh Restaurant 16033 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Good Vietnamese restaurant with a nice seating arrangement. Ordered the Bún Bò Huế, Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng, and the Bánh Ướt chả for the first time visiting. Bún Bò Huế: was robust but I definitely wish it could be a bit spicier in broth. I needed to add the chili to have a more spiciness as I imbibe the flavor of the broth. Other than the broth, the blood cubes, pork and beef slices were abundant and were the first to be devoured while eating. Bánh Ướt chả: was ok, the fish sauce overpowered the dish completely and made eating it too sweet in taste. Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng: this was definitely the best of the three and this dish would definitely be a good addition to what you order. The cracker that comes with it was crispy, and the jack fruit + shrimp was delicious with the fish sauce. Both the savoriness of the dish with the sweetness of the fish sauce balanced each other well. Fun fact: it made LA Times top 101 2023

Same owner, same food as the original Ngu Binh on Magnolia, but bigger, cleaner, quieter with tasteful decorations and seating for about 100 people. We went for lunch on a Friday, the place was pretty much empty with only 12-15 guests. We got seated immediately unlike the normal hour-long wait at the old location. They offer a good menu of noodle dishes from Central Vietnam, bun bo Hue, mi Quang, Bun rieu oc and various pastries, beers $3, wines avail. We ordered large bun bo Hue and bun rieu oc, large bowl $14, small bowls $13, both are large portions, authentic and the tastiest, served with generous veggies and herbs. I cannot think of another place in So Cal that can do better in both quality and value with these dishes. Even a few connoisseurs from Vietnam agreed their noodle soups are much better than what they can find in Vietnam, cleaner too. Recommended.

The bún bò huế tasted not as spicy as I had thought it would be since I do not handle spice that well. The service was pretty quick, due to not many people in the restaurant around 7pm on a Wednesday. If you are planning to use credit card, they have a minimum purchase of $25 or more (don't know if they are going to change this in the near future) and the parking is free.

I was looking for a delicious and authentic bowl of Bún bò Huế. A friend recommended this place. This place serves the best version of this spicy beef noodle soup that I have ever tasted. The broth is rich and flavorful, the meat is tender and generous, and the noodles are cooked to perfection. You can customize the spiciness level to your liking, but I recommend going for the maximum if you can handle the heat. It will make your taste buds sing and your nose run. The environment is also very pleasant and spacious, with high ceilings and comfortable seating. The service is friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. I always leave feeling satisfied and happy. Now this place is one of my favorite spots to eat in the area, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Vietnamese cuisine or wants to try something new and exciting. You won't regret it!

This place specializes in Central Vietnamese food, and great place for large group and family to hang out. The restaurant is huge and clean. The service was quick. I like the banh beo, you never go wrong with banh beo and banh bot loc. The fish sauce was perfectly made. Price is reasonable. I need to try bun bo Hue next time because of the girl in our group said it’s really good.

We ordered the 3 items combo that consisted of steam rice cakes and dumplings and the rice with chicken salad. It was very delicious and the waiter was very gracious with the order. Very good authentic Vietnamese food 👍

The Bun Bo Hue did not disappoint!!! Fresh mix of 4-5 different meats, perfect broth, clean tables and even clean bathrooms. I wish them luck and I hope they stay at the same quality for years to come

Minh Thai

We came on Saturday for lunch at Ngu Binh Fountain Valley. I think they have 2 locations. The place was packed. We have to sign in and waited about 20 minutes. We only have 2 people so it was quicker. Me and my wife both ordered the bun bo hue. And we added on a side order of Bánh It Kẹp Bánh Ram. The food was really good. They know how to cater to people who don't eat too spicy like my wife. She ordered bun bo hue not spicy. I got the spicy one. Their food is really authentic. And very good. Great atmosphere and friendly service. We really enjoyed our time there and plan to come back soon to try other items on the menu. Parking is a little tight because there are quite a few busy restaurants on the same center. Just have to be patient.

Kristina

If you’ve only ever had pho, let me introduce you to Bún Bò Huế...bold, flavorful, and yes, it’s gluten-free too! 📍 Ngu Binh Restaurant 16033 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Danielle

This place is an upgrade from Ngự Bình 1 restaurant. Spacious, great seatings and beautiful decoration. We got seated right away after coming in. The food we got here was perfect. I definitely get more toppings on my plate for Combo bánh bèo, nậm, lọc. The plate of veggies and herb that came with Bún bò Huế or mì Quảng was definitely fuller. And, my oh my I can never get over the mì Quảng that we had here. Rich and deep flavors with perfect toppings. Absolutely satisfied with the experience that we had here! The managers and workers were friendly. Also, they also sells chả lá separately for anyone who is interested. One more thing, they have very clean bathroom (definitely a plus compared to many other places). We will be back for sure if we ever come back to California!

Ron Deo

Good Vietnamese restaurant with a nice seating arrangement. Ordered the Bún Bò Huế, Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng, and the Bánh Ướt chả for the first time visiting. Bún Bò Huế: was robust but I definitely wish it could be a bit spicier in broth. I needed to add the chili to have a more spiciness as I imbibe the flavor of the broth. Other than the broth, the blood cubes, pork and beef slices were abundant and were the first to be devoured while eating. Bánh Ướt chả: was ok, the fish sauce overpowered the dish completely and made eating it too sweet in taste. Mít Xúc Bánh Tráng: this was definitely the best of the three and this dish would definitely be a good addition to what you order. The cracker that comes with it was crispy, and the jack fruit + shrimp was delicious with the fish sauce. Both the savoriness of the dish with the sweetness of the fish sauce balanced each other well. Fun fact: it made LA Times top 101 2023

Hans Solo

Same owner, same food as the original Ngu Binh on Magnolia, but bigger, cleaner, quieter with tasteful decorations and seating for about 100 people. We went for lunch on a Friday, the place was pretty much empty with only 12-15 guests. We got seated immediately unlike the normal hour-long wait at the old location. They offer a good menu of noodle dishes from Central Vietnam, bun bo Hue, mi Quang, Bun rieu oc and various pastries, beers $3, wines avail. We ordered large bun bo Hue and bun rieu oc, large bowl $14, small bowls $13, both are large portions, authentic and the tastiest, served with generous veggies and herbs. I cannot think of another place in So Cal that can do better in both quality and value with these dishes. Even a few connoisseurs from Vietnam agreed their noodle soups are much better than what they can find in Vietnam, cleaner too. Recommended.

Jenifer Nguyen

The bún bò huế tasted not as spicy as I had thought it would be since I do not handle spice that well. The service was pretty quick, due to not many people in the restaurant around 7pm on a Wednesday. If you are planning to use credit card, they have a minimum purchase of $25 or more (don't know if they are going to change this in the near future) and the parking is free.

MiTom Pham

I was looking for a delicious and authentic bowl of Bún bò Huế. A friend recommended this place. This place serves the best version of this spicy beef noodle soup that I have ever tasted. The broth is rich and flavorful, the meat is tender and generous, and the noodles are cooked to perfection. You can customize the spiciness level to your liking, but I recommend going for the maximum if you can handle the heat. It will make your taste buds sing and your nose run. The environment is also very pleasant and spacious, with high ceilings and comfortable seating. The service is friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. I always leave feeling satisfied and happy. Now this place is one of my favorite spots to eat in the area, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Vietnamese cuisine or wants to try something new and exciting. You won't regret it!

Vicky T

This place specializes in Central Vietnamese food, and great place for large group and family to hang out. The restaurant is huge and clean. The service was quick. I like the banh beo, you never go wrong with banh beo and banh bot loc. The fish sauce was perfectly made. Price is reasonable. I need to try bun bo Hue next time because of the girl in our group said it’s really good.

Hack Ly

We ordered the 3 items combo that consisted of steam rice cakes and dumplings and the rice with chicken salad. It was very delicious and the waiter was very gracious with the order. Very good authentic Vietnamese food 👍

Kevin J

The Bun Bo Hue did not disappoint!!! Fresh mix of 4-5 different meats, perfect broth, clean tables and even clean bathrooms. I wish them luck and I hope they stay at the same quality for years to come

Krystal Nguyễn

YUM I'm so happy there's a Ngu Binh 2 (aka V-Land) closer to me. They are well-known for their bun bo hue, which I got on my first visit there. I got the canh bun on my second visit, and it did not disappoint. Flavorful broth, firm and juicy tofu, plenty of veggies! I don't eat meat so I order these dishes without them. My friend ordered the BBH and he said it was really good. We drank all our broth. That's when you know it's good! I hope they can have some veggie options for banh beo chen. Beautiful interior and clean. Service has been friendly and quick. They take card and cash.

Bon bo hue is pretty good. Spicier than other places.

+2

Restaurant is clean, Mì Quảng noodles color are white, I use to see and eat the yellow noodle but is tasting ok... Bún Bò Huế's beef and pork meat is very good but if the use more lemongrass for the broth then it will tasting perfect.

Stunning, clean, comfy interior. Friendly. Ordered bun rieu. Loaded with meat & "herbs". Soup was a bit tasteless. Anchovy sauce saved it. Seems hard to find really good bun rieu. Will keep looking.

Caveat, after three days of driving and only breakfast sandwiches and Panda, this was great! Comb appetizers and Bun Bo Hue was perfect for the two of us. Staff was super friendly and accommodating to my 9 yo whom took a bit and asks questions. They asked a couple of times if the spice will be ok for him. He loves spicy food. We thought both dishes were good! Like the broth, meats, vegetables and herbs!

I do believe they have the best banh beo here. Banh it ram: pork and shrimp filling with fried flour. Each banh it is about half or my hand. They are huge. However, we had to wait for about 20 minutes for this. Mi quang: This is surprisingly their best-selling dish and it's amazing! The vegetable is quite fresh and the sauce is well seasoned.

I went this place on Memorial Day with party of 9 people around 7pm. We got the table right away and the food came out very fast. 10/10 for the good service. The staffs are so nice. I ordered Canh Bun & Bun Bo Hue no spicy. They are so delicious. The restaurant is so clean and nicely decorated. Highly recommend for small or big party. I will come back for sure.

Food is ok. Service is very nice . The only one reason I give 4 stars because me and my husband get allergie after we it.

Vivian P.

I do believe they have the best banh beo here. Banh it ram: pork and shrimp filling with fried flour. Each banh it is about half or my hand. They are huge. However, we had to wait for about 20 minutes for this. Mi quang: This is surprisingly their best-selling dish and it's amazing! The vegetable is quite fresh and the sauce is well seasoned.

Mia Ly

I went this place on Memorial Day with party of 9 people around 7pm. We got the table right away and the food came out very fast. 10/10 for the good service. The staffs are so nice. I ordered Canh Bun & Bun Bo Hue no spicy. They are so delicious. The restaurant is so clean and nicely decorated. Highly recommend for small or big party. I will come back for sure.

Annie Nguyen

Food is ok. Service is very nice . The only one reason I give 4 stars because me and my husband get allergie after we it.

Robert

Bon bo hue is pretty good. Spicier than other places.

Been going to Ngự Bình when it was a small restaurant next to the massage place (now it’s Pho Gà Hai Van), 20 years+. Every time they expanded, they charged more but the food got worsen. I was at Ngu Bình 2 last night and won’t be going back to any Ngu Bình restaurant any more. I was not impressed with the food and the service to pay that 18%. They should had told us about service charge up front. My other family members also reported Ngự Bình had overcharged them too.

My husband and I eating, then I hv to go outside for a phone call,my husband went to get the Togo box from the register and when he came back back to the table to pack my bowl Togo the guy already cleared out our table and trash my perfectly good bowl of Bun Bo Hue into the trash….Dang thanks a lot… talk about fast fast service.. we paid for 2 bowl but only eat one.. NEVER CM BCK AGAIN 😡😡😡

Bún bò is decent, bánh combo is too thick and chewy. Clean space but please clean your laminated menus!

Newer, clean restaurant with good ambience. Although restaurant was not busy when we came for lunch at around 11:45, our wait for food was over 20 minutes- when I asked the waiter to check on it, he simply told me to “wait a little longer”. The bun Bo hue is ok , broth is OK nothing extra ordinary, but they do give lots of vegetables. Based on this experience, I personally would not go out of my way to come back since there are many other options for bun Bo hue .

I went there yesterday with my children. The Bún bò Huế was not as good as Ngự Bình 1 because the beef were thin & very chewy. I ordered less spicy but it was very spicy. I couldn’t finish it & brought it home & cooked the beef for 20 minutes but still was tough to chew. The Bánh ít Ram need more shrimp, too much flour. Bánh bột lọc & banh beo were good.

I tried the Bun Bo Hue, which was very disappointing. It lacks flavor, like lemongrass and dried shrimp, and needs more heat.

Stopped by for quick bite before heading to the airport on Christmas Day evening. Not crowded, plenty of parking in a big lot. This is their second store and it is bigger than the original one. It’s bigger, brighter, clean, and more seating both inside and outside. Easy menu and quick order. Staff is nice and friendly. The Bun Bo Hue is nice and good, the mi Quang is okey but the broth is quite salty even after squeezed lemon onto it. I just ate the meats and the noodles. The 3 items combo is okey, nothing special nor standout. The fish sauce has that strong odor that just stuck with you even after you left but taste wise, nothing special nor bad. For the banh ram, it’s huge and crunchy, chewy (which is a good thing), and good. The place decorated with VNese artwork (a huge one) with several TVs. Overall it was okey experience, not quite like I remembered the last time I had with them at the original place.

I've been here twice; the food is good, but the first location has a better flavor in my opinion. The service depends on the day's staff members; the first time I came here, the service was excellent. When my aunt paid the money for the second time, she said twice that she wanted to tip in cash, but the cashier (guy) kept asking her if she wanted to tip in card. When I walked by the restroom, I overheard them gossiping about my aunt. I knew they were talking about her because it was just the group of us that early in the morning.

Christopher T

Stopped by for quick bite before heading to the airport on Christmas Day evening. Not crowded, plenty of parking in a big lot. This is their second store and it is bigger than the original one. It’s bigger, brighter, clean, and more seating both inside and outside. Easy menu and quick order. Staff is nice and friendly. The Bun Bo Hue is nice and good, the mi Quang is okey but the broth is quite salty even after squeezed lemon onto it. I just ate the meats and the noodles. The 3 items combo is okey, nothing special nor standout. The fish sauce has that strong odor that just stuck with you even after you left but taste wise, nothing special nor bad. For the banh ram, it’s huge and crunchy, chewy (which is a good thing), and good. The place decorated with VNese artwork (a huge one) with several TVs. Overall it was okey experience, not quite like I remembered the last time I had with them at the original place.

Leona NgH

I've been here twice; the food is good, but the first location has a better flavor in my opinion. The service depends on the day's staff members; the first time I came here, the service was excellent. When my aunt paid the money for the second time, she said twice that she wanted to tip in cash, but the cashier (guy) kept asking her if she wanted to tip in card. When I walked by the restroom, I overheard them gossiping about my aunt. I knew they were talking about her because it was just the group of us that early in the morning.

The atmosphere made me really want to love this place. While some may not enjoy such relaxed seating and such an open space, I quite did. There seems like there may be a line but ultimately they get you in right away and we were actually transferred tables to something larger when they felt like we ordered too much food (i.e. an appetizer). I'm not a HUGE fan of bun bo hue but it was the only noodle dish I the menu I was interested in. Ultimately, it was a fine BBH, nothing terribly special but I did enjoy the broth (after I added quite a bit of their spicy accompaniments to it). The canh bun oc I thought was fine. I'm not typically super huge fan of this dish and if anything this was less grainy in terms of the crab than I'm used to, which was a plus. The 3 item app combo (banh bot loc, banh beo, banh nam) were three things I'd never have before and truly will not order again. Service was super friendly until after you get the food, at which point they sort of forgot about us (since you walk up to the front to pay).

I asked for a check, the waiter told me to go to the register to pay…he was also my cashier…the bill was $23. He stated there is a $25 minimum for cc. I ask him how much he stated $0.75. So he rather charge me the fee then get a $5 tip. I obliged.

Andrew Kanouse

The atmosphere made me really want to love this place. While some may not enjoy such relaxed seating and such an open space, I quite did. There seems like there may be a line but ultimately they get you in right away and we were actually transferred tables to something larger when they felt like we ordered too much food (i.e. an appetizer). I'm not a HUGE fan of bun bo hue but it was the only noodle dish I the menu I was interested in. Ultimately, it was a fine BBH, nothing terribly special but I did enjoy the broth (after I added quite a bit of their spicy accompaniments to it). The canh bun oc I thought was fine. I'm not typically super huge fan of this dish and if anything this was less grainy in terms of the crab than I'm used to, which was a plus. The 3 item app combo (banh bot loc, banh beo, banh nam) were three things I'd never have before and truly will not order again. Service was super friendly until after you get the food, at which point they sort of forgot about us (since you walk up to the front to pay).

I am always coming to this place every chance I have for Bun bo. The latest (4/6/24) was a letdown. The broth is lackluster with too much msg while the meat was so little, too thin to the point of no taste. I used to struggle to finish a large bowl now it’s barely filled me up.

The food is average - nothing spectacular. The ambience, however, is very discomforting. It's 85 degrees outside, and quite humid. And this place is so CHEAP that they don't even turn on the central air, for paying customers to enjoy their food in relative comfort. If I have to sweat as soon as I enter the restaurant, sweat while waiting for the food, and sweat while eating, then rest assured I will not return to a place such as this. Absolutely in bad taste. Of all the area they can cut down to save money on, they choose the comfort of their customers! Not the brightest bunch here.

Food was good, but very little noodle given for a large bowl. Extremely rude waiters. I have to wait a long time for my Bun Bo hue

I had a terrible experience with a male cashier today at 3:40 pm on Saturday, September 6. After reviewing my receipt, I discovered that I had been overcharged by $14.95. When I pointed it out, the cashier said he would only refund the $14.95. When I asked about the tax, he reluctantly added just 5 cents--hardly a proper refund. The cashier's behavior appeared dishonest and possibly intentional, making me suspect that other customers may have been overcharged as well. I will be contacting my bank to dispute the charge, as I refuse to accept being scammed. I had originally planned to return to this restaurant, but after this horrible experience, I will never come back. If this cashier is allowed to continue such practices without accountability, this restaurant risks losing many more customers.

The employees here have the most unreasonably rude and nastiest attitudes. I would never eat food prepared by someone who behaves like that as an adult.

We ordered two bowls of bun bo here. Everything was fine until the food came out. My wife ended up chewing on a rubber band. We showed it to one of the waiters and he hurriedly took it from us with a short reply of not knowing. I brought it up to the cashier girl and she had the audacity to tell us we couldn't tell the difference between bắp chửi and a rubber band.... Instead of just apologizing, She even said curtly, I don't want to argue with you.....I've never been so frustrated over the service before. This is the last time we will ever eat here..... first and last!!! Unacceptable customer service!!!! This is Vietnamese hospitality at its finest....owners, check your cameras and watch me play with the rubber band for awhile before it was taken away by one of your own staff.....

Absolutely disgusting experience. The food tasted old and unsafe, and the overwhelming stench inside the restaurant made it hard to even stay seated. The place felt dirty and poorly maintained. The service was outrageously slow, careless, and incompetent, with staff showing zero professionalism or concern. This restaurant shows no respect for customers or basic standards. A complete waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor and stay far away.

I came here with my wife and kid. We were seated right away by the cleaning uncle and then ignored for the rest of time. We patiently waited, finally the waited came, not to take our order but to greet and take order from another couple who just seated literally 2 minutes ago. He then proceed to turn around and left us speechless. I faced racism before but I have never felt discriminated, disgraced, disappointed, and saddened by any Vietnamese restaurant like this before. I am still confident and would take Vietnamese restaurant over everything else. But this place is now on my Most Disgusting list. What a TERRIBLE place!!!

Stacy B

Absolutely disgusting experience. The food tasted old and unsafe, and the overwhelming stench inside the restaurant made it hard to even stay seated. The place felt dirty and poorly maintained. The service was outrageously slow, careless, and incompetent, with staff showing zero professionalism or concern. This restaurant shows no respect for customers or basic standards. A complete waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor and stay far away.

Hung P

I had a terrible experience with a male cashier today at 3:40 pm on Saturday, September 6. After reviewing my receipt, I discovered that I had been overcharged by $14.95. When I pointed it out, the cashier said he would only refund the $14.95. When I asked about the tax, he reluctantly added just 5 cents--hardly a proper refund. The cashier's behavior appeared dishonest and possibly intentional, making me suspect that other customers may have been overcharged as well. I will be contacting my bank to dispute the charge, as I refuse to accept being scammed. I had originally planned to return to this restaurant, but after this horrible experience, I will never come back. If this cashier is allowed to continue such practices without accountability, this restaurant risks losing many more customers.