• Sweet Potato Shrimp Croquettes Lightly breaded sweet potato and shrimp, fresh herbs and a spicy aioli (shared) $6.00
• Bún Thit Nuong Rice vermicelli with grilled marinated Fischer Farms pork $8.95
• Coconut lychee roll $5.95

What a treat to go to Ngon. Much of what I love about many Vietnamese restaurants in the area is the fact that they are a bit hole in the wallish and you never really know what you will get, will it be gem or will you wish you never walked in? From the moment I walked in to Ngon I knew this was going to be a gem. In part because it was not a hole in the wall, this was a nice bistro setting and you could tell they wanted to make you feel welcome and fill you with great food.

This is also not a typical Vietnamese restaurant the menu trends a bit more toward an eclectic restaurant than Vietnamese all the while maintaining the favorites of the cuisine. I went very traditional and ordered the Bun salad which I typically really like, but here I loved it. They really took it up to the next level and made it something that I have actually craved since. The appetizer was a bit unusual, but very tasty. My dessert was a nice ending to a wonderful meal.

So if you like Vietnamese and want to have a non hole in the wall experience or if you want a bistro setting with a Vietnamese flair, I would recommend going to Ngon.

• Oxtail Pasta Braised Thousand Hills oxtail with shitake mushrooms, scallions, & grape tomatoes in a creamy anise sauce $15.00
• "Mango fire cake" Asian pear crisp $5.95

I was somewhat apprehensive when I first looked at the menu at Ngon Bistro. I was worried that the kitchen was too ambitious in offering higher priced entrees when their specialty should be Vietnamese. I should know not to judge a restaurant by its menu (all the time). Everything I had tasted excellent. I was especially impressed with the oxtail pasta because that can be difficult to pull off. But Ngon sourced its ingredients well, and it turned out just fine. I was also impressed with the Asian pear crisp I had for dessert. The fruit was succulent and delicious - perfect for a refreshing early summer dessert.