Little Nam Food Review
I'm not sure if there are other Vietnamese restaurants in Davao City, but Little Nam is the first that I tried.
Goi Cuon – 4 pieces of fresh garden rolls filled with steamed shrimp and rice vermicelli, a very popular Vietnamese appetizer, served with chef’s own peanut sauce. Php128.
Goi Cuon literally means “salad rolls”. The translucent spring rolls are dunked in peanut sauce or in the ever-present Vietnamese dipping sauce called Nuoc Cham which is sweet, spicy, sour, and fishy. Although aesthetically appetizing, the roll had one too many basil leaves which overpowered the taste. My friend had to spit out the whole roll and was too traumatized to try another one. However, the cucumbers and tomatoes were fresh and the peanut sauce was really great, perfect for fresh lumpia.
Pho Dac Biet – Traditional beef noodle soup with slim cut tenderloin, flavored with various herbs and spices. Php188.
This came in with bean sprouts, a whole twig of basil leaves, and Chinese lemon, instead of lime. The best part of this soup is the broth: clear, aromatic, flavorful, light, but a little too salty. It would’ve been preferable if the fish sauce and chili sauce were provided separately so one can adjust the taste to their liking. The slim cuts of beef were tender, the pho was al dente, the bean sprouts were fresh and crunchy, and the basil leaves gave a fresh finish to this savory soup.
Cha Nuong – 5 pieces of skewered grilled pork and rice vermicelli served with a plate of thai basil leaves, pickled carrots and radish, and rice paper with chef’s own dipping sauce. Php 198.
You can opt to prepare your own roll for this dish. But hunger is real, so we ordered the pre-rolled version. The grilled pork tasted like chorizo; sweet and peppery and the pickled veggies crunchy sweet and sour. All this sweetness would require a salty and spicy dipping sauce. Unfortunately, the accompanying sauce was also sweet, much like atsara or pickled papaya. I also noticed that the leafy greens used were not that fresh due to the brown edges. Suffice to say, we were unable to finish this dish due to over satiation.
Tom Rin Don – Vietnamese caramelized shrimps, drizzled with garlic and served with chef’s own dipping sauce. Php198.
These are crunchy, garlicky, sweet, crunchy shrimps dipped in spicy-sweet-sour-sauce that makes your mouth water even if you are already eating it. I pity those with seafood allergies, I must say.
Overall Rating: 7/10
The dishes are not totally authentic Vietnamese but Little Nam serves quality Filipinized Vietnamese comfort food.
