Nam Giao Restaurant & Bakery

Dear Nam Giao owner and staffs, I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional service and incredible food that you consistently provide. Dining at your restaurant feels like a warm, comforting hug – just like Mom's cooking. From the moment I step through your doors, I am greeted with genuine smiles and a welcoming atmosphere that instantly makes me feel at home. Your staff's dedication to ensuring every visit is a memorable one is truly commendable. They make me feel like a cherished guest every time I dine with you. Now, let's talk about the food – it's nothing short of extraordinary. The flavors, the aromas, the presentation – every aspect of the dishes you serve reflects the passion and skill of your kitchen team. Each bite transports me back to the cherished memories of my mom's cooking. It's a nostalgic journey that warms my heart. The authenticity of your cuisine is unparalleled, and I can taste the love and dedication that goes into each and every recipe. It's a rare and precious gift to find a restaurant that serves food so authentic and delicious, just like Mom used to make. Please convey my heartfelt appreciation to your chefs, servers, and the entire team for consistently going above and beyond to create a dining experience that feels like a homecoming. Your restaurant holds a special place in my heart, and I eagerly look forward to every visit. Thank you, once again, for being a culinary gem that brings joy and comfort to my life. Your commitment to excellence is truly appreciated. With warmest regards and sincere thanks, Your humble clients

This restaurant offers real Vietnamese Hue cusine! Not your average pho 😅. The food is flavorful and of good quality, and the portion sizes are generous. I like “Banh it tran” and “Banh Nam” - their sotf, sticky, steamed glutinous gems inside banana leaf. There is a restaurant in Saigon with the same name, Nam Giao, and for a moment the food is so tasty that I thought I am in Saigon and not Houston 😋😋😋

The crystal pork and shrimp dumplings were delicious, the seasoning on the protein was flavorful but not overly salty. They provided fish sauce with REAL cut up chili peppers, which was fresh and spicy! This restaurant definitely specializes in Hue dishes more so than I've seen before which is really unique to me! I had to try the bun bo hue of course, which was very flavorful and they gave a lot of meat and a big piece of what looks like pork hock, but without the bone. Broth was a bit greasy for me unfortunately so I minus'd one star for that because I've had better, but I still killed it! 😄 We also ordered the Mi Quang noodle dish and it was really good, too! It had a different type of yellow noodle, perhaps egg noodles (?) that was so soft but never got soggy. The broth was seafood based and very flavorful. Also killed this dish! We'd love to go back and try more Hue dishes and street food appetizers because not too many places in Bellaire serve what Nam Giao does!

We had the combo platter (#4), the grilled chicken with vermicelli (#36) and the banh xeo (#27). We enjoyed the banh beo (steamed mini rice pancake #1) and banh bot loc (pork and shrimp crystal cake #3) but not the banh nam (#2). The grilled chicken with vermicelli was good! The crispy rice pancake (#27) was too oily for our likings (I appreciate the sliced green apple on the sides though). I would love to try below on the next visit: #6 Pork and shrimp crystal dumpling #7 Mochi on crisp mochi #12 Grilled chicken spring rolls The wait staffs don’t really speak English so it was abit hard to communicate during the ordering session. Overall it was a good experience.

We were craving good Vietnamese after a 5yr absence and Nam Giao did not disappoint! Great flavours and quality is the same as we remembered. We love the sticky, steamed glutinous gems inside banana leaf. The grilled pork plate was charred and yummy with the rolled vermicelli/lettuce wraps. Friendly service, good portion size and not expensive.

Like others, I came here after seeing Nam Giao in Ugly Delicious. This food was different from any Vietnamese food I've ever tasted and makes me realize how much food I have yet to taste from different cultures. We really enjoyed combo platter #1 and especially loved the Banh Bro Chen/steamed mini rice pancakes. I didn't read the instructions about pouring fish sauce on the Banh Nam which would definitely have enhanced the flavor. The pork and shrimp crystal dumplings were also good. I tried my first ever Com Hen which was definitely a very different flavor experience, but I loved all the different textures from the clams, rice, peanuts, and rice crackers. I wish I hadn't poured in all the shrimp sauce and clam broth in as it made the dish way too salty, but it was a very comforting hearty dish to eat on a rainy day!