NẾP Cafe

If you're trying out egg coffee for the first time, this is the place to go. Both hot and iced egg coffee are delicious. They menu are full of great items, but we got The Đạo and crab toast, delicious. To end it a nice coconut ice-cream for the hot weather.👍🏼

This restaurant is a Vietnamese fusion restaurant. The menu is not diverse but everything is delicious. The beef tongue fried rice is very good, not sweet, fragrant, delicious. The Vietnamese salad is very refreshing to eat. Making the noodles in a self-cooking style might be a bit strange, but there's no coriander. It tastes like garlic. Service is superb.

Everything here was fantastic. Atmosphere is super cool and well lit. You can see the kitchen from anywhere you're sitting and really see how well the team works together to provide such a great experience. Egg coffee with salted yolk is a must. The skillet I got was incredible, had about 10 different things on it and I didn't leave a single thing behind. Came with a baguette on the side too which was perfectly soft and delicious. Will definitely be back to try so many more things on the menu.

I visited NẾP Cafe back in 2022, when they didn’t even have dinner menu yet. After that visit, there was nothing I could remember about this place. Basically, nothing was special enough to impress me back then. However, I visited again last week and their new menu took my heart 😍 Same as before, I came for lunch time and the new menu had a lot more options. Below is my detailed reviews for all dishes we ordered:

1. Seafood Ceviche: ♾/5 ⭐
My most favorite dish. Everything was perfect, the flavor was amazing, the seafood was super fresh!

2. Shanghai Dumpling: 4.5/5 ⭐
The spicy sauce is amazing 😍 The pork & shrimps were juicy and well-marinated inside. I would like it more if the dumpling cover was a little bit thinner.

3. Crab Toast: 5/5 ⭐
The crab smelt sooooo good with soft scrambled egg and butter. The crispy toast is the best option to go with 🥰

4. The Dao: 5/5 ⭐
The truffle levels up this dish to the next level 😍 If you like the taste of the raw, creamy egg yolk, this one is for youuu!

5. Beef Tongue Fried Rice: 4.5/5 ⭐
I love how they fry the rice dry enough. And most importantly, the tongue didn’t smell at all!!

6. Bánh Mì Chảo: 4/5 ⭐
The meat was super soft and fresh. The sauce somehow didn’t impress me. It was good but I need more “wow”.

7. Calamansi Paloma: 3/5 ⭐
I don’t taste anything else except alcohol taste.

8. Egg Coffee: 4/5 ⭐
The egg cream smelt fishy a little bit but the coffee was good.

9. Creme Brulee Coffee: 5/5 ⭐
If you love sweet and creamy, this drink is for you 🥰

The drinks are pretty decent (fyi they are pretty sweet as our server noted), but to be honest, you want to come here for the food. Every single food item we ordered was amazing. I wish I could forget my first time here, just to be able to go back and try everything again. So good. My faves were the beef carpaccio, xoi chien, and branzino.

Delightful fusion that is both familiar and a little different. The drinks can be overtly sweet, although the servers are very helpful in letting you know beforehand. Service is friendly and relatively fast. The wait can be long, so reservations are recommended. We tried the Beyond dumplings and they were impressive.

Cannot complain. Just try everything! You can’t go wrong. Egg coffee was quite unique.

One of our friends is a die hard fan of NEP, so she made a reservation one week before our trip to LA to make sure we could dine in there. And, bravo for her efforts 👏👏👏 when we arrived, we got seated in less than 5 minutes!

The store was decored nice and tidy. Each seating table was spacious and the atmosphere was great. There was also some soft background music to boost the mood of the customers. The staff was quick once we ordered. But, it was hard to get their attention, especially when we needed to pay. One of my friends ended up getting the to go box himself so we could wrap up because they took too long with the bills.

The food was indeed insta-worthy. Nice presentation of every dishes, except for the kid’s meal. Why was it so simple all of a sudden? 🤣

Based on the dish’s descriptions, this was not genuine Vietnamese cuisine, rather it’s an Americanized Vietnamese restaurant. The food was great though. Every dish had their own unique taste. I knew why my friend simped this place now. If we come back to LA, we will visit this place once more.

I honestly enjoyed everything I ate. Flavors are on point, everything was seasoned well and delicious! Beef tongue fried rice I would get every time. The sauce is good, but honestly you barely need it because the fried rice is already great without it. Definitely go with several friends or family members so you can try more things. Been to their Irvine location as well, even nicer!

Service was great. Everyone there is so nice and helpful. They explain everything and anything if you ask. Gave great recommendations too! FYI for the fountain valley location there was definitely a wait so just be prepared. When we went to the Irvine one, I was expecting a wait but I guess we got lucky and didn’t even have to wait. I believe you can also do a reservation in advance but we went on a whim in the moment when we went to both.

Parking (for both locations) - there are lots, it’s free. Super easy and convenient parking.

Overall the food was good. Definitely worth trying if you haven’t been there. The egg coffee is the best that I’ve tried to date. The beef belly plate was good as well.

Great place for fusion food. It’s almost always busy so the wait can be long.

Food: well balanced flavors and seasonings. Ingredients seem fresh. Portion looks small but is filling. The Shanghai Dumplings and Spicy Noodles with Chicken are tasty and totally recommended. The Sichuan peppercorn flavor in Mala sauce is not as strong and overpowering as one from traditional Sichuan restaurants, making the food more easily enjoyable. The Xoi Chien is good but not outstanding; the crust is too hard and not the airy crisp that I expect.

Drinks: interesting menu. The egg coffee and wild berry matcha latte are quite sweet.

Service: attentive and fast

I recently dined at Nep Cafe, and it was a delightful culinary experience. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with tasteful decor that reflects Vietnamese culture. The menu offers a wide range of authentic Vietnamese dishes, each prepared with fresh ingredients and bursting with flavor.

I started with the spring rolls, which were crispy and filled with a delicious combination of shrimp and herbs. For the main course, I had the pho, which was outstanding. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the noodles were perfectly cooked. The generous portions of tender beef and fresh herbs made it a truly satisfying dish.

The service at Nep Cafe was excellent. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. They were more than happy to make recommendations and answer

I came here for the first time around 10:30am on a Monday to the Fountain Valley location and thankfully there was no wait. Outdoor seating was charming on a mild winter day. Both the egg and Ube coffee were great, very creamy and full of flavor. I'll be back for the tiramisu and brulee coffee. The crab/ scrambled egg toast was just a delight, and could use more toast to use that glorious dip. I love the banh mi chao, I wish I could have a skillet breakfast or brunch dish like this near me. The coconut ice cream was a pleasing end to a very satisfying brunch. If this cafe was closer to the 626, I would be here at least twice a month. Service was excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. Places like this just hit different in the OC.

The food at this place are absolutely fantastic, boasting the same delicious taste I remember from Fountain Valley. The fusion of flavors here, coupled with great coffee, makes for a delightful experience. However, it's worth noting that the menu choices are a bit limited. If, like me, you find yourself returning multiple times, you might eventually try everything available.

While every dish is good, a touch more creativity in introducing new dishes would add a refreshing element to the experience. Perhaps a seasonal menu could be a great idea. On a positive note, their coffee is a standout—I love how it elevates the brunch experience. In summary, if you're a fan of superb dumplings and unique fusion flavors, this place is worth a visit.

Im not sure if it's reservation only but it's good to make one for faster seating. First time here and it's a nice place. The place isn't big. The food is good depending on what you order. Ordered the filet, fried rice, fried chicken, crab toast and pasta. Everything was good except for the pasta and fried rice. The pasta and fried rice was very light in flavors so if you're scared to try other food, it is a safe choice but not the best.
The coffee is good. Some can be too sweet. The creme Brulee latte was good. Not too sweet. It's creamy.
Service was attentive and nice. They also offer mouth wash in the bathroom.

The new menu is better! And they brought back the original Vietnamese baguette and got rid of the dense French one, thank goodness!

Went there for lunch to celebrate our bestfriends birthday. We didn’t get to buy a cake so they offered to serve ice cream with a cute candle. The food was great! We had 2 servings of the ube coffee. We all got different stuff on the menu so we can taste everything and it was all good. Will definitely visit this resto again when I visit my friend in irvine.

Very busy brunch restaurant inside Gem Dining (Gem is only for dinner). Make reservations to avoid the lines. Food was good but know that the portions are small and pricey. The egg coffee is a must try but extremely sweet. It’s a very “Instagramable” experience type of restaurant to try 1 time. Food is so photogenic!

The food is amazing! My fave is xôi mặn. Super tasty. Egg coffee is just right. Been here twice now, and each time has been great is terms of food and vibes. Will be back!

Amazing new take on traditional Vietnamese coffee! We loved the creativity with the egg, avocado, and sea salt coffee flavors. Wish we had a similar place in Denver!