Vietnamese street food with a modern twist at Annam Noodle Bar

MANILA, Philippines – AnnamNoodle Bar is a noodle bar and I want to keep it very simple. So we have no rice meals here,” said chef Nam Q. Nguyen at the soft opening of Annam in Eastwood recently. “The new generation of diners wants something healthy but not complicated. They also want food that is served fast.”

Here in Manila, Annam Noodle Bar is based on the very same concept as the original NamNam in Singapore, which pioneered the “trendy Vietnamese” restaurant. Annam is the brand’s first franchise outlet and will no doubt win the hearts of Filipino foodies.

The casual quick-service restaurant was first launched in Singapore in 2012 by chef Nam. Known as NamNam Noodle Bar there, it gained popularity among local urbanites and tourists alike. 

“Annam is our version of the very successful NamNam Vietnamese Noodle Bar, which has rocked both Singapore’s and Jakarta’s dining scene,” said Raymund Magdaluyo, managing partner, Annam Philippines. “Food that’s great for the body and soul, ambience and vibe appealing to younger diners and a culture of passion and service integrity embodied by no less than its original founder, chef Nam Q Nguyen.”

Time To Eat

As I walked around Annam on that rainy Wednesday noon last week, it was a little difficult to get a seat because the place was filled with a mixture of young and older people ready to sample Eastwood’s newest offering. I watched as the waiters brought out hot bowls of noodle soup paired with various banh mi — I noticed how quick the service was and how meticulously the restaurant staff paid attention to each order — no matter the chaos that always comes on the opening day of a new restaurant.

The service was not only fast but also efficient, which is very important for those looking for a quick meal.  We all know what it’s like to get our order and then to find that it’s all wrong.  

As a vegetarian, it always makes me happy to find vegetarian dishes on the menu. And Annam did not disappoint.

I had the vegetarian banh mi, which I enjoyed to the last bite. It is loaded with veggies and tofu, and as an option I could ask for it to be made spicy (I love spicy food).  No problem, I was told. I paired my banh mi with a pho noodle dish (which is cooked in vegetarian broth) — just perfect. 

Annam’s meatless options include the vegetarian pho with tofu, tomatoes, leafy vegetables and bean sprouts simmered in vegetable broth; and the refreshing Vegetarian Southern Rolls with jicama, carrots and cabbage served with a peanut dipping sauce.

Fast Food That’s Healthy, Too!

Chef Nam designed the menu to be simple, healthy and gentle on the wallet so as to make Vietnamese street food accessible and affordable to everyone.

“Annam aims to evoke the nostalgic street setting in Vietnam using various elements, from the chic industrial interior to the tightly arranged communal seating and the carefully thought-out menu,” he shares.

Based on classic recipes and cooking methods, Annam offers a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes inspired by the streets of northern, central and southern Vietnam.

The selection of Hanoi pho pays tribute to the birthplace of Vietnamese pho with six flavors ranging from Pho Beef Steak Slices, the premium Pho Wagyu Beef Slices, to Pho Oxtail and Beef Balls. Quintessential to Vietnamese cuisine, each bowl of rice flour noodles is simmered in an intense broth boiled for at least 24 hours, then topped with lots of fresh herbs.

The noodle journey continues with more street noodle recipes. Bestselling dishes include the Sautéed Lemongrass Pork Noodle, rice vermicelli with delicious marinated pork and fried spring roll; while the Spicy Hue beef noodle, a time-honored dish from the city of Hue in central Vietnam, packs a spicy broth. The Saigon Fisherman’s Noodle Soup is a hearty bowl of mouse-tail noodles with seafood and pork in a piquant broth and is always a crowd favorite.

Apart from noodles, French-inspired savory baguettes known as banh mi make the perfect breakfast or afternoon bite. Each baguette is baked to light, fluffy and crisp perfection, and topped with chicken pate, mayonnaise, hot chili peppers, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber and fresh cilantro. Bestsellers include the Grilled Chicken, Egg Omelette, Chicken Floss; Caramelised five-spice Pork Belly; and Sautéed Lemongrass Pork with Cream Cheese.

A selection of nine “small plates” dishes complement the meal with the ever-popular Crispy Fried Imperial Rolls and the traditional Vietnamese Fresh Southern Rolls with Prawn, Fresh Herbs, Peanut Sauce, while the refreshing Pomelo Salad and Tangy Mango Salad make great starters.

Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted with the wide variety of cold and hot Viet desserts — from the traditional Chilled 3 Colour Dessert and Chilled Dried Longan, to the all-time favorite Crispy Fried Banana with Coconut Sauce — for a sweet ending to the meal.

To kick-start the morning, Annam’s Vietnamese coffee, a full-bodied brew of premium Robusta beans, is bound to awaken the taste buds with its fragrant aroma.

The pocket-friendly restaurant also offers the ultimate dining deals available on weekdays. The weekday Value Lunch Set includes Fresh Southern Rolls, a choice of Chicken or Beef Pho, and a drink for only P350. Take an afternoon break with the daily Viet Teatime Set that includes a drink with an option of any banh mi for P200 or a dessert for P180.

In order to make sure that the food at Annam is always at its best, chef Nam has made visits to some of the best wet markets in Metro Manila. He says that he is impressed with just how well-maintained our wet markets are. It is because of his experience here that he has made it a point to go local.

“I want to make sure that we help the local producers here in the Philippines,” he says. “Eighty percent of our ingredients are sourced locally — otherwise, our food will not be fresh and healthy.”

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Annam Noodle Bar is located at Unit 1880-4 Ground Floor, 1880 Building, Eastwood Ave., Eastwood City, Libis. Stay updated with the latest Annam news on Facebook.com/AnnamNoodleBar and @AnnamNoodleBar on Instagram.