In case you hadn’t noticed, Vietnamese food is basically taking over the capital, with FOLD on Brick Lane and Wardour Street’s Viet Food recently opened, House of Ho on Old Compton Street just rebranded Ho, and Fitzrovia imminently welcoming its own House of Ho. Recent opening CôBa adds a dash of Oz and a smattering of Japanese influence to the Vietnamese mix in Barnsbury, but is it worth the trip oop north (London)? Read on to find out…
From the team behind the popular Table For 10 supper club comes this equally congenial Vietnamese restaurant, the work of Damon Bui (above). CôBa occupies a former corner pub on an unloved stretch of York Way (north of King’s Cross), near to sprouting housing developments. Nevertheless, its welcoming atmosphere, and some killer dishes on its menu, mean the place deserves more than just neighbourhood success.
Born in Vietnam and raised in Australia, Bui has designed the interior to reflect his childhood (and named the restaurant after his mum). Expanses of sandy-coloured surfaces, plenty of natural light and glints of copper evoke sunnier climes and make for a modern, clean but comfortable dining room.
Start by ordering small plates of exemplary spring or summer rolls, but don’t miss the prawn toast: gently fried, thick bread piled with juicy, crisp prawns slathered in spiced mayonnaise (Bui cites Soho’s Shackfuyu as inspiration for this menu highlight). Mains steer the diner back to Vietnam with a range of generous noodle salads packed with barbecued meats and doused in nuoc cham (a fish sauce-based dressing), as well as bowls of ramen or gently flavoured beef pho. Look out for daily specials (our barbecued lamb chops were smoky, sticky and delicious), finish with cake delivered from a nearby Aussie bakery, and expect a succinct list of cocktails and unusual wines. Pricing is occasionally high, but the value is good overall and the quality is undeniable – long live CôBa.
Itching to know more? Read our interview with CôBa’s founder Damon Bui here
This article was published 4 November 2015