Khoai Cafe

It won’t win any awards for interior design, but this simple room, watched over by polite, soft-spoken ladies, is as good a place as any to sample light, fragrant Vietnamese food. Khoai Café is pleasantly lively, as diners – ranging from couples to families with young children – tuck into inexpensive dishes that rarely breach the £10 barrier. The menu lists more than 70 choices, covering all the usual soups, stir-fries, noodles & salads, but it’s worth homing-in on the ‘regional specialities’ section. In this fish-heavy selection you’ll find light, zingy options such as minced prawns with vermicelli, salad & mixed herbs, & the oft raved about Hanoi-style grilled fish, served sizzling with dill & spring onions & accompanied by noodles, salads & nuoc cham dipping sauce.