Interiors of the restaurantIf one were to say that a pop of colour is what defines all that VietNom — the latest Vietnamese restaurant in town — has to offer to its visitors, it wouldn’t be off the mark. Right from the furniture to the walls, from the crockery to the cutlery, from the food to the drinks, colours define everything here.
But green is the colour of food here — healthy, fresh and vegetarian-friendly. “Half of the menu here, due to the very nature of Vietnamese cuisine, is low-fat, gluten-free and relies on fresh seasonal veggies; almost one-third of our dishes would be vegan,” says Chef Bhim Tamang, who is steering the kitchen. “A lot of our food is even Keto-compliant, considering that the Vietnamese palate doesn’t depend too much on carbohydrates,” he says.
Vegan dishes here include Wok Tossed Vegetable, Stir Fried Morning Glory and Bok Choi while highlights of the Keto selection are Fresh Vegetable Summer Roll, White Rose Dumplings and Seafood Salad. There are options for meat eaters as well. A typical Vietnamese meal includes soup, rice, grilled or steamed meats, a vegetable dish, fresh fruit and salad; and VietNom aims to bring out all of these different components to the plates, adds the chef.
A serving of Fresh Vegetable Summer RollOn the menu, there’s a blast of all things Vietnamese — with La Lot (chicken wrapped in betel leaves), Banh Xeo (crispy pancake), Stone Hot Pot Fish, Lemongrass Tenderloin and Vietnamese Salmon, besides a range of Tim Sams (dim sums) and salads. The expansive menu uses a lot of fresh ingredients in almost everything, claiming it to be their USP, even though it is fraught with the risk of making all courses look similar.
We tried the Fresh Vegetable Summer Roll, one of the most popular starters at the restaurant — which is basically rice paper rolls filled with coconut mayonnaise, seasonal vegetables and vermicelli noodles. Served with a rich peanut sauce, the rolls were refreshing. There is also the Keto-friendly Seafood Salad, served in a bowl placed on ice, and is loaded with prawns, fish tossed with vegetables and herbs.
VietNom has a diverse range of dumplings suited for all palates. If you like it spicy, there is chicken and chilli dumplings, served on a bed of hot chilli oil; while for the lovers of mushrooms, there’s the 7 Treasure Mushroom Gyoza.
Among the mains, the chef claims the simple Chicken Mango Curry to be their most popular dish, while Pho — meal in a bowl, considered Vietnam’s gift to the world — remains their mainstay. There’s the vegetarian Home Made Pho, with vegetables, straw mushrooms and rice noodles, which is mild, aromatic, tampered with herbs and crunchy vegetables. A bowl goes out to nearly all the tables here, as one could see. The non-veg variant is loaded with chicken.
The restaurant has also introduced Vietnamese coffee, which goes well with Banh Tieu Donuts. But if you want to just have the dessert, Pearl Jewels with Mango is a winner. Sago pearls are soaked in coconut water, basil seeds, coconut cream and condensed milk, giving it a rich pudding texture. There’s also the Espresso Panna Cotta, a thick coffee-flavoured dessert for those looking for a caffeine boost.
Meal for Two: Rs 2,500 approx
Address: DLF CyberHub, DLF Phase 2, Sector 24, Gurugram
Contact: 9582274622
