Restaurant review: Namo

Mackerel in Claypot

Namo on Victoria Park Road has for the past five years been a local favourite. Owner Linh Vu comes from a family of Vietnamese chefs: her father runs the acclaimed restaurant Huong Viet in Englefield Road. Linh works in the kitchen most days, preparing sauces and marinades for the evening’s meals; occasionally she is joined in the restaurant by her architect husband Colin, though more often he is left to care for their one-year-old.

That Namo is a family-run restaurant is evident in the atmosphere. The décor is simple and modern, the music and lighting low-key. Well-staffed and laid-back, the place has a relaxed and welcoming feel to it. We were reassured to see ‘No MSG added to cooking’ on the menus.

To start, my dining partner chose pan-fried scallops with chargrilled aubergine (£5.80). I chose Vietnamese vegetable pancake (£5.90, available also with prawns or chicken).

The pancake, a southern Vietnamese speciality, proved the more challenging of the two dishes. Lettuce, fresh herbs and sauce were provided to wrap bits of the pancake in, with a sauce to top it off. The combination was messy and delicious.

Moving on to mains, we both plumped for fish. For him, mackerel in a clay pot with ginger sauce and mushrooms (£7.70); for myself, monkfish marinated in turmeric with a shrimp and mushroom sauce (£7.90).

Monkfish in shrimp and mushroom sauce

The fish itself was great, but it was the sauces which were star performers. Rich and complex, each sauce combined a host of fresh bright flavours and textures. We also had an ample side order of organic greens in garlic and soy sauce (£4.90).

The dessert menu deviated somewhat from the exotic fare of our first two courses. Options included brownies and cheesecake. I chose instead tofu served in coconut sauce and ginger syrup (£3.90). My partner opted for the chocolate brownie (£3.90), which came with a hot chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream to boot. He then ordered a Vietnamese coffee (£1.75), which arrived in a glass with a metal filter perched atop it. After about five minutes (a delay which evoked comparisons with upside-down Guinness), the rich chocolatey coffee percolated down into the glass, ready to be mixed with the condensed milk below.

We left stuffed, and vowed to go back again soon.

Namo
178 Victoria Park Road
London
E9 7HD
020 8533 0639

Opening hours
Evenings: Tuesday to Sunday 5.30-11.00
Lunchtimes: Friday to Sunday 12.00-3.00.