I haven’t waited for food in a long time, especially since pre-Covid. Well after I heard the hype and the wait decreased a little, Vince and I drove down to the OC area to check out Nep Cafe and see what the hype was all about. We did almost wait 2hr but it was worth the wait. I enjoyed people watching and seeing all these designer handbags come and go. We also had Anh and Preston as good company who have been here before so they knew what to order. In hindsight, I will definitely come back but I would order takeout instead and do a picnic of it at the park right across the street! There is a really nice park across the street and almost as big as Central Park in New York.
CÀ PHÊ TRỨNG MUỐI (Egg Coffee w/ Salted Egg Yolk). I had to get this! I recently tried it at Fresh Roast hot and thought it was decent. This is way better and I would say it reminds me of the sea salt cream and cheese foam but more thick and decadent and creamy!
CÀ PHÊ LATTE KHOAI MÔN (Ube Latte). The ube latte was also very good! Vince liked this one because even though there was an ube taste and smell, it wasn’t overly sweet. I personally thought it would be more creamy.
SEAFOOD CEVICHE. scallops, shrimp, calamari, coconut, thai chili, grape. This was my absolute favorite! Actually, it was all of our favorites! It was just so refreshing and light. The grapes was surprising and I loved the coconut milk. I actually drank the whole plate after!
BEEF TONGUE FRIED RICE. braised beef tongue, soy, egg, aji. One of Vince’s favorites and I would say very decent fried rice myself. I like the beef tongue as the choice of protein and feel like you can’t go wrong with it! The green salsa was a nice sour touch.
CRAB TOAST. lump crab, soft scrambled egg, toast. I really liked this one too! I loved the generous amounts of crab and chunks of it!! The scrambled eggs were creamy.
BONE MARROW PASTA. orecchiette pasta, Thịt Nướng roasted bone marrow, spinach. This was so good! Kind of reminds me of the bone marrow pasta at Bestia. Novelty feels.
BÁNH MÌ CHẢO. eggs, chả lụa, pâté, tomatoes, bánh mì, filet mignon, truffle peppercorn sauce. The filet mignon was very tender and flavorful. I loved the homemade fresh pate! The texture is so chunky and pulpy.
Overall, I really really like this place! I would definitely go back! Good vibes and definitely very good service. Our waiter was attentive and thoughtful. The shrimp ceviche and the coffee drinks is a must reorder for me!
