Simple, but way too much delicious food: Restaurant Madame Ngo Une Brasserie Hanoi (24. June 2023)
Over and over, I am misled by the German prices, as my head compares them to Swiss ones, assumes portion sizes must be tiny, and then I end up with a lot of food. We went for a few starters like the “Gà ngô (kikok corn chicken)” (EUR 6.50), which was rather uneventful as it was basically cooked chicken with a little grilled, respectively, roasted outside in a rather non-exciting sauce. Luckily, this wasn’t the first dish I had, as else my mood would definitely not have been too elevated.
The “Nem Hà Nôi (spring rolls, minced crab-pork, lettuce, herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette)” (EUR 12.00) were better, but also didn’t blow me away. Personally, the fried spring rolls, as they are not ‘regular spring rolls’ were too oily for me to be truly enjoyable.
The “nộm đu đủ bò khô (papaya verte, beef jerky, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanuts)” (EUR 16.00) was quite decent, but was a huge portion. Sure, it was tasty, and the beef jerky on top of it really added to me liking the dish, as it had a nice intensity to the dish.
Despite the fact that “Kim’s Summer Salad (prawns, hearts of palm, salad, herbs, chilli, onions, peanuts)” (EUR 18.00) seemed to be quite famous, I found it rather uneventful. The prawns are relatively bland and, in my opinion, lack some type of marinade or sauce.
What was incredibly amazing though, were the “Les Trois Cochons (three kinds of pork belly – grilled, braised, cooked)” (EUR 16.00) as this was truly where your mouth becomes watery. Even now, thinking about it, writing about it. The “grilled pork belly” was so full of flavour, it felt like a true flavour bomb exploding in your mouth.
The “braised pork slices” were quite enjoyable too. Rather on the light side for pork, but truly enjoyable, as the marinade in which it was served really added to the dish.
The “cooked pork” was my least favourite one. But damn, the grilled pork belly was to die for!
Something, which I found quite interesting and was curious to try, was the “Pâté de Foies (chicken and pork liver pâté)” (EUR 9.00). I had a hard time imagining how the combination of “chicken liver” with “pork liver” would really work, but it turned out that it actually does work quite well. And this is actually an understatement, as the foie is delicious, and you just don’t want to stop eating as it is so good.
Then, it was time for the famous “Phở bò Madame Ngo (beef steak, beef brisket, beef meatballs)” (EUR 17.00) and while it was looking amazing, at this point in time, I felt like my stomach is going to explode. So, I had quite a bit of the broth, but I was not able to finish the dish as it was just too much!
The Madame Ngo is the little cousin of the 893 Ryōtei – it is down to earth, the food is good and hearty, and it’s much less booked than the 893 Ryōtei. While I have had a reservation, which was done 4 months ago, they actually didn’t have it in the system (which is very disappointing!), but since the place is not as overbooked as other places, they were still able to accommodate us. To sum it up, the Madame Ngo is a safe and sound bet if you’re into Vietnamese food. Is it the most exciting food I’ve ever tried, sure not, but that damn grilled pork belly is a true revelation!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Madame Ngo Une Brasserie Hanoi
Kantstraße 30
10623 Berlin (DE)
Tel.: +49 1575 360 40 89
E-Mail: hello@madame-ngo.de
Homepage: http://www.madame-ngo.de
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
