A time for Pho
The man who started a noodle craze in Singapore comes to Manila to reintroduce modern Vietnamese food to Pinoys
Vietnamese food is still relatively unfamiliar to many Filipino diners. Yet, casual Vietnamese restaurants have abounded in malls and dining strips in the Metro for as long as I could remember. There’s even an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, teeming with local and foreign tourists, ran by Vietnamese refugees and their families, at Viet Village located in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. But somehow, the noodle soup pho could hardly come close to the (now winding down) “it” food status and culinary hysteria over the Japanese ramen. And Nam Q Nguyen or Chef Nam came to Manila recently to change all that.
Chef Nam spent the first seven years of his life in Saigon before his family escaped to Denmark in 1979 during the Vietnam War. Despite living in Scandinavia, his parents took every effort to ensure that the family kept their Vietnamese traditions and took great pride in the Vietnamese culture, starting with food. From plating to table setting and dining etiquette, it was impressed upon Nam that having a meal was not only about survival but also weaving elegance, refinement, and tradition through culinary techniques.
So after getting formal training at Copenhagen Institute, the Frenchtrained chef worked for hotels as executive chef in Norway, London, New York, Bali, and Bangkok among others. Working in hotels and Michelinstar restaurants, he learned firsthand that guests and travelers coming from all corners of the globe look for local food. “One day, I thought, if I ever open my own restaurant, it has to be Asian. But it has to relate to my own roots,” he says.
It took him about five years to conceptualize his own brand. He went on a culinary expedition to California, London, and Sydney, as well as to Saigon and Hanoi, to see (and taste) how modern Vietnamese food is being interpreted around the world. “I noticed that everybody was doing a very typical traditional Viet restaurant that serves pho, rice dishes, spring rolls, and bahn mi (French-inspired savory baguettes) in a hodgepodge way. I didn’t want to do another restaurant that serves things like that. I wanted a noodle bar tweaked a little bit to adapt to the international crowd,” he says.
STARTING A PHENOMENON
Compared to Japanese food, Chef Nam says that Vietnamese food is “not as sexy and cult famous.” But worldwide, practically everywhere, Vietnamese food has been increasingly popular. In Singapore, when he opened the noodle bar concept of his dreams NamNam Noodle Bar five years ago, it quickly became the talk of the town, with snake-like queues to boot, serving traditional Vietnamese fare like pho and bahn mi with a modern twist. He then opened other branches in prime locations like Raffles City, Wheelock Place, Suntec City, and Plaza Singapura. “The Vietnamese don’t normally mix these two items together. But I love its combination so I wanted these to be the stars of my restaurants.”
The NamNam Noodle Bar became a foodie catalyst of sorts as other Vietnamese restaurants followed suit soon after establishing his resto chain in the Lion City. “There was a big demand for it. There’s a Vietnamese restaurant at every mall in Singapore now,” he adds. “Our stores attract from everyone from school kids to corporate executives, CEOs to families. I’m very pleased to see we target all kinds of audience because at the end of the day, it’s all about the food. And it’s not super expensive.”
MAKING A MARK IN MANILA
Chef Nam endeavors to do the same in Manila, opening his first restaurant in Eastwood City (his ninth venture in Southeast Asia) Annam Noodle Bar. He had to modify the name since another company already has the rights to “NamNam.” The Manila concept is also more trendy and upscale—more casual dining than the quick self-service setup in Singapore and his three other stores in Jakarta.
“I didn’t know much about the Philippines before, to be honest. My partner Raymund Magdaluyo (of the Red Crab Group), came to me two years ago saying that we should have a Vietnamese restaurant here in the Philippines. So I didn’t really know much about the country so I kept quiet for a few years. He approached me again last year and he was really passionate. He believed that in Manila, the trend of ramen is declining. And people are looking for healthier options. So here I am,” he says with a smile.
Upon arriving in the Philippines last month, the global chef was pleasantly surprised. “Holy cow, man, this Metro Manila is seriously big compared to Singapore,” he muses. He stayed in Makati and checked out all the Vietnamese concepts. And he believes that, “there’s space for a bit more modern concept like Annam, which presents Vietnamese food in a different way, suited for a younger crowd.”
Annam Noodle Bar repackages the old-world concept of street food as seen in the restaurant’s chic industrial interiors, tightly arranged communal seating area, and the carefully curated menu, which serves simple, healthy, and value for money Vietnamese street food with a modern touch.
HEALTHY PHO-LOSOPHY
The noodle bar’s selection of pho pays tribute to Hanoi, the birthplace of the Vietnamese noodle soup, with flavors ranging from Pho Beef Steak slices to the premium Pho Wagyu Beef Slices, Pho Oxtail, and Beef Balls. Each bowl of rice flour noodles is simmered with an intense broth boiled for at least 24 hours then topped with fresh herbs. Other star pho dishes include Sauteed Lemongrass Pork Noodle, the time-honored dish from the city of Hue in Central Vietnam, the crowd favorite Spicy Hue Beef Noodle; and the Saigon Fisherman’s Noodle Soup with seafood and pork in piquant broth.
In the bahn mi selection, each baguette is baked to light, fluffy, and crispy perfection, topped with chicken pate, mayonnaise, chili peppers, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, and fresh cilantro. If you’re looking for a filling breakfast or afternoon sandwich, try the grilled chicken, five-spiced pork belly, and lemongrass pork bahn mis. A selection of small plate dishes is also available like the Crispy Fried Imperials Rolls, the traditional fresh spring rolls, and pomelo salad.
But what makes these traditional Vietnamese fare modern? “I grew up in Europe so I translate Vietnamese cuisine differently. I find the food in Vietnam too sweet for me and it has so much MSG. I do love eating around Hanoi and Saigon but it almost gave me an MSG hangover. I removed lots of that from my dishes and the recipes. I cook in a way I like to eat. So that’s why I call it modern. It’s not that similar to local traditional dishes also because is quite impossible to do so. Certain ingredients you can’t get easily in Manila, Singapore, and Jakarta. I have to adapt everywhere I go.”
Another modern twist is seen in the vegetarian options like the vegetarian pho and the vegetarian southern rolls. “In Vietnam, people don’t go to hawkers stores for vegetarian food. It’s like an insult for them to make a vegetarian version of food they’ve been making for centuries. But that’s the demand today in modern world, people like to live healthier and cleaner. They like to cut down on the protein. Like I said, at the end of the day, it’s always about the food. And I want everybody to enjoy modern Vietnamese food,” he ends.
Annam is located at Unit 1880-4 G/F, 1880 Building Eastwood Ave., Eastwood City, Libis. Facebook/@ AnnamNoodleBar, Instagram/@AnnamNoodleBar
‘There’s space for a bit more modern concept like Annam, which presents Vietnamese food in a different way, suited for a younger crowd.’