Nong La Cafe Reviews

Parking space is very limited in the area and there was a little wait at the door but definitely worth the wait. Soup base was god both for chicken and beef, was a decent herb plate for self garnishing. Very authentic taste and good service.

Just had a ban mai sandwich to go from is place. It was great. It had lots of meet and all the fixings.

Amazing Vietnamese food. We went for the spring rolls and the buns and it was one of the best we ever had. It felt like being in Vietnam! Highly recommended.

I have eaten here three times and have never been disappointed! I strongly suggest the lemongrass chicken sandwich and the clam salad. All the sandwiches are ample sized, great fillings and fresh French bread. The clam salad is unusual and simply bursting with flavor. I have also had the Chicken Pho which was very nice. The service is excellent the prices extremely reasonable.

I was introduced by colleagues to Nong La today and pleased they did. Wonderfully savory and reasonably priced. Wrap the egg rolls in the accompanying lettuce leaves, douse in the dipping liquid and enjoy. Perfectly balanced. The pork Bahn Mi with fried egg was exquisite. Ask for a bowl of the beef soup (spicy or not). It’s not on the menu but for a few dollars you get a whole bowl of the stuff and regulars know about this option. The spicy version is very spicy and medicinal if you have a cold or sinus condition. Then you can turn your Bahn Mi into a Vietnamese French dip! To drink….passion fruit iced tea. Service is excellent and our every need was anticipated by the friendly staff (extra napkins, refills, etc.). I really could not find a fault. Valet parking is cheap if you remember to validate. Get there before noon or expect to wait. They open at 11:30. They do not accept Amex.

Went here today for lunch. Tried the veggie spring rolls, pork banh mi, and a steak banh mi with a fried egg on top. (You can add a fried egg to any banh mi, kind of cool) Everything was delicious. The pork banh mi was my favorite, though. Well priced. Some outdoor seating which is really nice on a walk street like Sawtelle.

We visited this place after a day of sightseeing in LA, and it was the best pho(so far), that we had outside Vietnam. We ordered veggie spring rolls, which comes with peanut sauce. They were good, but I still prefer the sweet&sour sauce, and no mushrooms in the rolls. The pho though! Super delicious and tasty, with a thicker noodles than the real pho,but still, amazing flavors. Service was quick, came around 5:00 pm and the place started to pack when we left.

They were unfortunately out of beef broth when I went so I settled for Chicken Pho, but it was really soothing and delicious. Their summer rolls are also really good. A low maintenance and great Vietnamese spot.

A Vietnamese restaurant in the Japanese town on Sawtelle Street in West LA. The service is light and fast food-like. The terrace seats are a bit small. The spring rolls are filled with plenty of ingredients, and the pho can be topped with plenty of vegetables, which is quite tasty.

For some reason, I had an incorrect preconception about this cafe. I imagined baselessly, that the food might have a strange taste and not be delicious. But actually I should have come here earlier! Spring roll, Pho Ga, Bun, every dish tasted good and was an adequate portion. But I assume it might not be enough quantity for people who are greedy eaters. Casual and tidy decor was not authentic Vietnamese style though we had a favorable impression of them. All staff are very friendly and thoughtful, it was very attentive service throughout. I don't have any complaints. Surely we will come here again.

I ordered two classic dishes, chicken pho and fresh spring rolls. It was absolutely delicious. No regrets, and I felt at ease. There were many businessmen in the restaurant during the day, so it had a safe atmosphere.

Was quite a wait to get either an outdoor or indoor seating when we arrived around 7:15p.m. on a weeknight in August before the quarter system began at UCLA. Roughly about a 20-30 min. wait which was average for all the restaurants on the block and area. Was worth the wait as the food was great. We had an outdoor seat which was nice. Specialty is Vietnamese food-- had the Bun Thit Nuong-- pork cutlet vermicelli dish which was a nice dish for a hot day. Parking may be tricky here but after circling around for a couple of times, you will most likely find something available as cars come and go quickly during meal hours. Watch out for no- parking signs in certain areas-- esp. at night! Well worth the wait!

If you are a lover of Vietnamese food, or even good hot soup, I recommend this little restaurant in West Los Angeles,. The pho is excellent as are the banh mi sandwiches. The appetizers also don't disappoint. I love their homemade lemonades! Every time that I've been there the food has been great and the service is prompt and with a smile. The restaurant is small, modern and very clean.

Definitly different, with thick noodles in their pho, i thing the overall Nong La experience is very good. I have had their pho, bahn mi, and crispy egg rolls and all were good. My only complaint was I ordered their Bun to go one time and since I am allergic to peanuts, speciifically requested no peanuts, and looked when i got the box, and none were visable, but they hid them on the bottom, underneath all the noodles. was a very sad day, but glad i checked before i ate.

A small café in LA’s Japantown. They have a small inside area and a few sidewalk tables. The staff was friendly. Being unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, the menu was a little confusing. The pork sandwich was well flavored and on a fresh baquette. The noodles with grilled lemongrass chicken and rice with pork chop were also good.

The noodles and broth is flavorful, fresh and authentic. The price is welcoming and service is friendly. I'm a local and this is my go to place.

If I had to choose one restaurant to be my alltime favorite for convenience, value, flavor and service, this is it! The staff are joyful and attentive and there is always a friendsly atmosphere created both by customers and Waiters. Thier love of what they cook up and serve is contageous. Dinners are affordable, filling and the spices masterful. I always feel healthier and more alive after eating their Bun Bo Hue and Spring Rolls. Great for families and the kids love their Homemade Passionfruit Ice Tea.

My boyfriend and I went at this restaurant with no expectation, but it was delicious! We had Bun Pork and Bun Steak. Both dishes was tasty and it comes in a large bol. The service was fast and the staff was really kind. This is a great spot near Santa Monica.

After strolling around Santa Monica Pier, we searched up restaurants on Yelp to find the closest and most recomended restaurant in the vicinity. Our choice was Nong La Cafe which was owned by siblings Elaine and Victor Phuong who opened their restaurants to honor their mother’s cooking. The one we went to was located at Sawtelle Blvd but they also have another branch at La Brea Ave. The small dining room had several tables for two, indoor and outdoor. We ordered : cold vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and spring rolls, rice with grilled pork chop and warm french baguette served with with house mayo, pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumbers and grilled pork. The food were well presented, very fresh, delicious and tasted amazing. The service was excellent and price was reasonable. Since the location is surrounded by many restaurants and businesses, finding parking was very difficult.

Bland watery broth. Beef balls were pretty good. Spring rolls with shrimp were average and crispy egg rolls were tasty. Not bad overall but I have had better.

I love Vietnamese food and this is our local hangout for bun (pronounced boon). It is a huge portion with amazing meats (the lemongrass chicken and steak are our favorite) and makes you full without any guilt! The passionfruit iced tea is yummy-- but no free refills :( I am not a huge fan of the pho here.

This is nice place to stop in the midst of the Japanese food that dominates the Sawtelle neighborhood. Cheap eats served in a small appealing space with nice outdoor seating. You will find better pho and banh mi in Westminster but not in West LA. Service is quick and efficient. The best menu item is the Bun Bo Hue which is harder to find outside Westminster.

Our son found us this place for dinner recommended by some friends! It’s a modern restaurant that turns out some very tasty pho, banh mi sandwiches and Bo Nuong Cha Gio! The service isn’t that great but the food is excellent! Fresh ingredients! The meat is tender and hardly any fat!

They are located on Sawtelle Blvd, in the middle of Japanese Town. I tried a pork bun, and it was OK. The service was also good, but it’s a bit pricey at $18.00 for a bun.

When the lines are too long at Tsujita and the other places like Hide or Furaibo, we sometimes go to Nongla. The pho and bo bun hue available here is of medium quality but affordable priced and in huge quantities. Staff is really attentive

I tried their banh mi to go and it was surely not disappointing. The sandwich portion was quite big and it tasted delicious. The cafe is nicely tucked in the busy Sawtelle area of LA. It is small but if you are craving for a Vietnamese food in the area, try this cafe.

Sadly, after years of living in Vietnam, I've become something of a spoiled snob. The food here is solid. Fresh, well put together, and it's tasty. The thing that stood out to me though was that they've tailored the tastes for the American palate, which is understandable. The goi cuon were very fresh and enjoyable, but missing one or two of the traditional herbs I think. The peanut sauce was delicious. I preferred the bun bo hue to the pho here. I won't go into great detail about what I thought was missed. Again, this is for American tastes and in that context, they do a great job. I'd give them 3.5 stars if I could, but I'm still searching for something closer to the traditional taste.

I wasn't feeling all that well that day, so my son said let's get some Pho. We had not visited Japantown so headed there based on the online reviews for Nong La. I just ordered the chicken soup, and so did my son. I swear, it cured me on the spot. I felt so much better after we left and the Leftovers! I had it for dinner and breakfast the next day. I am home in Nebraska now, a month later, and craving that soup so much!

Had the beef brisket pho. Broth was very flavorful with the cinnamon and spices behind the beefy broth. Besides the rice noodles and thin slices of beef they provide a ton of the bean sprouts and basil which I really like. I must say their pho is much better than the pho I had on Wilshire Blvd.