There's a stretch of Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road, between the Geffrey and Waterston St., and I was in the area and hungry for bánh xèo (Vietnamese crispy pancake filled with stir-fried meat and veggies). Looking at all the restaurant menus, this one seemed to have the best priced version of the dish, and I could choose chicken or shrimp. The ambience was bright and uncluttered, with a decent amount of customers but no line. My partner and I walked in and got a table for two at around 7.30pm on a weeknight. Unfortunately, we weren't wowed. Our verdict was that they have decent bánh xèo (I opted for the shrimp, which were nicely plump and cooked well.) Their bánh cuôn (spring rolls) were pretty poor, in our opinion as people who have collectively taken three trips to Vietnam and eaten at a fair few Vietnamese restaurants. By poor, I mean the taste was simply not good. I only ate half of one and didn't want more. My partner's celery beef phô seemed good, but I don't eat beef so I only slurped a little soup. What irked us was that there was no fish sauce on table, and when we asked for some it was pretty watery. All in all I'm excited to try other restaurants on this strip, but likely won't be back here. read more

Of the many Vietnamese along Kingsland Road, I decided on this one night as it was closest to a nearby pub. It was Halloween night, and instead of waiting in the queue for over 10mins, I decided to sate my hunger for a cheap quick bite. That was the key. I wasn't interested in anything fancy, just value for money, reliable and expected quick eat - and Loong Kee delivered on those points. Service fast and friendly, and even though they hosted huge party downstairs, and customers were still being sat down when I arrived after 22:30 at a still busy house, my dish was served to me in 5 minutes. I opted for the dry vermicelli noodles with lemon grass and grilled chicken, over the other usual pho. Portion was huge, and it came with generous side bowl of sweet vinaigrette. I would preferred more vermicelli noodles, but at least veg was very fresh, abundant and chicken cooked just right. Tasted just like how one would make at home; wholesome, filling and comforting. Yes, the decor is a bit dated, it isn't exactly white-table cloth clean, but like how most street food type of menus at value prices, people just come for the quick yummy bites. If you're looking for exception service and a more refined interior, you'll be paying more at the other Vietnamese restaurants on the same street. At similar price points, but slightly better ingredients and taste, the prices will creep closer to £10 per main course. Overall, for no-frills wholesome simple dishes, highly recommended, especially for late night bites. read more

Loong Kee - Dry vermicelli noodles with lemon grass and grilled chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

My friends in London were planning a meal out in London and decided to go for a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant was a bit crowded in my option, but during the cold and dinner time, what else is there going to be?! We had a variety of dishes to try and all were very tasty. I'd recommend coming on a weekday if possible. It will be a bit more quiet. ENJOY! read more

Super disappointed with this place. Have always been hearing that the banh cuon was meant to be amazing. It really wasn't. I went with a Vietnamese friend and I've been eating Vietnamese food for a while now and I can confirm the filling was mediocre and tasteless. Without the sauce it was flavourless. With the sauce, it was lame. Hoping the summer rolls were going to be better. It wasn't. The rolls were filled with lettuce and a prawn that had been sliced in half. Once again, super disappointed. :( where's the vermicelli, herbs and flavours?? Finally. Onto the shaking beef and morning glory...both were okay, although the beef dish contained more onions than beef. Will not be going back...ever. Such a disappointment. read more

Solidly solid Vietnamese at the far end of Kingston road. Perhaps not the greatest, and an odd, claustrophobia-inducing layout, but a variety of folk here sampling pretty decent dishes. We only had a bowl of Pho and a bowl of Bun - staples to fill our bellies, but both were well-executed,big, fresh, and solid. Perhaps a touch thin on the broth end, but cheap. Also, BYO. They lose a star - and business - though, as they charge £2.30 for boiled rice. This means that the reasonable dishes are bloody expensive. Now, I know they need to make a living, but it's rice. About 20p worth. Maybe 23p including the gas and water to cook it. Come on. read more

Oh Que Viet, why were you closed for a wedding reception last night!? You forced us away into the Vietnamese Wilderness that is Kingsland Road and we ended up in... Loong Kee. Hmm... what good thing can I say about Loong Kee? Well it was BYO. The food as Fred J. had described was largely stodgy and flavourless and I was sorely disappointed by my grilled monkfish with fixings (usually SOOOOO good at Que Viet). The bowls of pho were massive though and everyone managed to eat most of their food, so I will go for "it is not disgusting, but hardly amazing either". The waitstaff were rather inattentive and 1/2 the table's food arrived when we basically finished our meal and the toilet were apparently disgusting- I didn't get to go coz the men's was blocked and 2 people were having a conversation in the ladies for like most of our meal. We did have a fun britpop quiz and talked at large about tv shows. And obviously I enthused about R patz and how the word "dazzling" pisses me off nowadays. Thank gods that the quality of conversations are not affected by the quality of restaurants. read more

I had a great time dining at Loong Kee. After pouring through the thousands of reviews on Vietnamese restaurants along Kingsland Road, this is where I elected to bring my boyfriend at the time for his first introduction to Vietnamese cuisine - he's pretty discerning and picky, so I wanted to make sure we went somewhere stellar - and I'm happy to say that neither one of us left disappointed. As a starter, I had the steamed spring rolls and he had some kind of sesame cracker-looking thing topped with prawns, which he said was marvelous. As a main I had a soup with noodles and tofu and he had the pho... when we ordered he was a bit concerned that a "bowl of soup" wouldn't be enough, but when he saw the massive terrines they arrived in - his concerns were allayed. The ingredients were all top-notch and the vegetables, especially, seemed fresh. The boyfriend couldn't believe the amazing flavour of the pho, and I felt my work had been in done in converting him to a new cuisine and a new dish. The service was very friendly and our food came out quickly. The overall value for money was unbelievably fantastic... but note that it's BYOB - so we arrived with a chilled bottle of Sauvignon. In a funny aside, our server, Ben, who it turned out was the son of the owner, approached my boyfriend while he was standing outside, waiting for me to finish washing up. After a bit of chit chat he suddenly blurted out, "Are you dating her?" "Yes," my boyfriend replied. "Is she your girlfriend?" "Yes," he assured him, "she is." "YOU," Ben said pointing at him, "are LUCKY," not without some reproach. Ha... I laughed then, but especially now because said-boyfriend really should have taken heed. Yes, Ben, he *was* lucky - very lucky indeed. read more

In terms of value for money, Loong Kee's definitely one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in this part of town (namely because this place allows you to BYOB, if I recall correctly). In terms of service, though, this place is sadly lacking. I'd give it four stars if you're looking for a cheap place to fill up, and three stars for service. The Banh Cuon (meat rolls) is pretty amazing. A small dish consists of nine or ten rolls (I lost count). The shallots which adorn this dish are very nice, so much so that my friend requested for additional shallots, and we got a whole bowl full. The crispy friend tilapia was delicious, but the fried glass noodle with unagi was just about so-so. This is a popular destination. Even on Saturday, when it was pouring down, there was always a queue out the door. This was not good for us; our table was seated near the door and we were freezing throughout! read more

When you feel like Vietnamese, it is a safe bet to come to Kingsland Road and visit one of the restaurants there. We had been to a couple of good restaurants which we were pleased with, but thought we would extend our list. This place is just down the road from Song Que and looked like a good option. We arrived and we were seated at a tight table right next to another group, which seemed weird as there was plenty of room in the rest of the restaurant. The place quickly filled up and was actually full by the time we left. The food itself was good, but just not as good as the other places we have been to so far. The beef in my pho was a little tough, but the soup itself was so nice. I had a bit of a cold going at the time, and this was a nice treat to help clear my sinuses. My rating of 3 reflects that it's A-OK, but not as good as the other options around. read more

So far we have tried the summer rolls, banh cuon and pho with garlic beef. All were delicious and I will definitely keep coming. The prices are fair and the food comes very quickly! This is a great spot if you're in a rush and want fresh food. I recommend the summer rolls and banh cuon (with minced pork.) I'm definitely a noodles lover and the pho definitely filled my satisfaction. I do wish there was more stuffing in the banh cuon but it's still delicious. read more

2-stars because of the rice? Get a grip. This place is great. There are so many different dishes on offer, and I have sampled maybe 10% of them in the 5-6 time I have been to Loong Kee. What they all have in common is incredible freshness, attention-to-detail and rustic authenticity. I will stalk the chef to find out the ingredient of the papaya salad here - it is incredible. This is my go-to Vietnamese on Kingsland Road. Highly recommended! read more

Loong Kee Café is on that stretch of Kingsland Road some call Little Hanoi. Approaching it from Old Street, it is beyond most of the other Vietnamese cafés and just before the Geffrye Museaum It would be good to make any to the area visit as an outing for the day and also see the Geffrye Museum. Its is interesting to see English middle-class domestic interiors from Elizabethan times in the almshouse that houses the museum. In the evening the Loong Kee Café's plainly decorated room with canteen-style unadorned wooden furniture is packed with groups of young people appreciating the sprightliness and healthiness of the inexpensive food (most dishes £5 or under) and the economical (Buy Your Own) beer and wine. I actually wanted to try Banh Cuon Thit as apparently this rice flour pancake rolled around, in this instance, minced pork and mushrooms, is not easily found and is considered to be a speciality of Loong Kee. In looks and slippery texture it is similar to the dim sum called Cheung-Fun but is even more unwieldy when approached with chopsticks. A sweet crunchiness was sprinkled on top which seemed like a faint rendition of the traditional fried shallots but tasted good nevertheless. It is worth ordering, not least for leading you towards the list entitled Special Vietnamese Dishes. One of the dishes I chose was Cha Chien, a Vietnamese sausage which my friend Lesley said tasted divine and perhaps some chain stores should consider introducing this item as regular purchase alongside the usual offerings. The soups we went for , Wonton with Vegetables and hot and sour Tofu, were both generously served (at £2 each) and tastefully prepared. Softshell crab with salt and chilli was better here than in far grander places where I have eaten it. Slow cooking breaking down the connective tissue in meat was perfectly demonstrated in Vietnamese stewed beef served in a covered clay pot. The meat,smothered in a rich reddish sauce, was softer than the most tender fillet. Rice and noodle assemblies were less creatively prepared, better for quick one-dish meals when eating alone. We asked for the Pak Choi with garlic that we saw our fellow diners eating and were pleased to have a huge heap of some cooked but still chewy greenery along with the salad and fresh herb garnishes of other dishes. A big bowl of dipping sauce is put on each table and fish sauce, soya sauce and a pot of crushed chillies are also provided. Everything was so neat and creatively laid out-nice for one off treat- occasional dining and that type of thing. read more

Loong Kee - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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This lace is definitely good value for money. In the evenings it is understandably packed and their mix of Chinese and Vietnamese cooking makes for a slightly different slice compared to the rest o the Vietnamese restos on Kingsland Rd. I needn't repeat what everyone else is saying but its definitely worth checking out. The sizzling hanoi fish dish is to die for! read more

Last weekend saw our little supper club 9 strong and heading over to Hackney for a Saturday night feast at Loong Kee. After a couple of beers at The Dove, which was a very pleasant pub and comes highly recommended, we wandered a couple of minutes down the road to the brightly lit restaurant. Fortunately we had taken the precaution of booking because at 8.30pm Loong Kee was absolutely heaving. It was all hustle and bustle, and fairly chaotic, but we were soon found a table in the basement area (like a lot of basement rooms this one had a bit of a musty whiff about it which the owners had tried to ward off with incense not so bad that it would put you off your dinner but worth noting if you have a sensitive nose). Menus and jugs of tap water soon arrived as did glasses for the beer and wine we had brought with us; no corkage charge here if bring your own. Service was friendly if a bit hit and miss all night, but we kind of expected that on a very busy Saturday night. You might need to work on catching the eye of passing staff if you want to order or they have forgotten any dishes. Various different starters were ordered and most were met with nods and smiles of approval. I particularly liked the soft shelled crab with salt and chilli which went down a treat. I ordered 12 of the pork and shrimp steamed rolls, a classic Vietnamese dish of stuffed steamed rice batter, which I shared with the group. Now these were certainly not to everyone's taste, but when teamed up with the accompanying dipping sauce I thought they were very tasty and I would recommend that you give them a try. By now the wine was flowing and conversations were getting louder and more heated throughout the restaurant; all good fun if you are with a group but I would probably give Loong Kee a bit of a wide berth if you are looking for a romantic Saturday night supper. Without too much of a wait our mains began arriving in a fairly random and haphazard fashion. No worries though as we were all in a very good mood by this point in the evening and we tucked into anything and everything that arrived. My main of the Hanoi Grilled Fish was a real winner; crispy, full of flavour and pretty authentic I liked this dish a lot. B had the duck which was tasty, had been well cooked and was just the right shade of pink. Various different noodle and rice combinations were tried and all seemed to go down very well. When the time came to pay the bill we were all more than happy to stump up our share. The starters and mains are all very reasonably priced and if you bring your own wine you will have the pleasure of a very cheap, very tasty supper. It's not somewhere I would recommend for a special occasion but it's a great place to eat with a bunch of pals at the weekend or for a quieter experience, come and fill your boots with quality Vietnamese cuisine on a mid-week evening. read more

Loong Kee - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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Having been tempted away from my usual favourite Vietnamese place with some trepidation, I was nervous about Loong Kee. However, I was absolutely won over. Our waiters were adorable and funny, and my tofu was ridiculously delicious. It was if it is possible: creamy! I've now been multiple times and each time have fallen mad in love again and again. There's less of a buzzy atmosphere which can be a little disappointing, especially in the basement where it can feel a little lonely, but the food makes up for all of that. read more

Loong Kee is technically the furthest vietnamese restaurant from old st and many travel past an array of others to get here. It's not the worst of the bunch, but it's definitely not the best. Most of the food has a cantonese-esque feel to it, tisn't what I'd call authentic vietnamese. The pork vermicelli is really good though, and I'm quite fond of the chilli beef noodles. It's pretty darn tasty grub they serve here but just because it's full, it don't mean it's the best. Walk back a few steps to try out Mein Tey if you're looking for a more authentic taste. read more

I always have the same thing when I go here: steamed rolls followed by the braised pork in a clay pot with steamed rice, all of which are really excellent. If you go here, try the aforementioned pork, it's AMAZING! read more

I went here for a quick lunch and it took over an hour for them to get it to me! I had to watch all my friends eating while I constanly asked for passing waiters where my food was. Sad because when the food actually came it was quite good but I would not go back here due to the terrible service (they actually said that they gave my order to a different table when I reminded them about it). read more

I read a review of this place in The Week which described the food as delicious so I thought I had to give it a go especially since I hadn't had Vietnamese food since being in Vietnam 5 years ago and when I was out there, I loved everything I tasted! However this restaurant was probably the most disappointing place I have eaten in. The food was nothing like what I remembered Vietnamese food being like; it seemed a lot more like cheap Chinese packed with E numbers and colourants. It was, however, very cheap and the portions were huge so if you are in the area looking for a standard Chinesey-type cheap as chips restaurant then go for it! read more

The best of the "kingsland rd Vietnamese". Although it hasn't been as good since they took over the next door and added all the extra seats a few years back. Think it was around the time shoreditch took a turn for the worse. The pho never tasted quite the same after that. read more

Brilliant! One of my favorite restaurants, tasty, fresh, plentiful and healthy food. I have tried all the Vietnamese restaurants on this road and i think this one is the best. I would recommend only ordering from the Vietnamese menu the Cantonese is not their forte. Service is brisk and friendly, what you would expect for the budget price, and its a bonus you can bring your own drinks with no corkage charge. read more

Very happy dining at this place. The place quite nice. The food was cheap and the amount of food was large. The service was also very pleasant and I will happily return. I'm Vietnamese and I can recommend this place. read more

The food here is amazing value, two fab courses for about £12. The only downside is on the weekends because its BYOB other customers can be quite rowdy and loud and make it hard to have a conversation with your table. Quick service and really delicious. read more

The good point is the price is cheap. But the catch is bad customer service and food. So to be fair, with the money you are paying, you are just literally borrowing a place to eat to get an atmosphere, not taste. read more

Authentic Vietnamese cuisine at this Shoreditch restaurant, right off the Hoxton tube stop. I recommend the streamed rolls with prawn, works rolls, aubergine with minced pork and pork sauce, and Vietnamese pancake with prawns. read more

One of the better Vietnamese restaurants in the area, with great service. The food is good and cheap, the only downside being the loud crowd on weekends. read more

Arrived at Loong Kee on the recommendation of my boyfriend who had previously eaten here as had his brother, stating it used to be his 'go- to' Vietnamese on Kingsland Road. Once inside he revealed he and his brother had stopped dining here as the quality had very noticeably declined at some period. . If only I had taken heed! We ordered for starters 16 piece prawn and pork steam rolls and the salt and pepper spare ribs. We received prawn steam rolls no pork- they were bland tasteless and frugal on the prawns. The ribs were a mammoth portion of greasy under cooked fatty meat which reminded me of the sort of food you might be served in a chicken shop near Old Street station. Pink pork is never a good sign. For the main I had the beef and lemon grass vermicelli and my boyfriend ordered the Sizzling Beef Pho, what he got was a portion of sizzling beef. When we explained this was not we had ordered we were repeatedly told the name of the dish before it was taken away. After much discussion at the till and look backs he was offered the correct mea. By the time it arrived I had finished my dinner- which was in fact an extremely tasty dish marred somewhat by the sickly feeling the starters had left me with, eating on my own whilst the mix up was resolved and the general bad atmosphere that had been created by a poor meal and poor service. Having finished dinner we waited for the bill nobody arrived with it (this was about 4.45 on a Monday and there were 3 other tables in the restaurant being used so I don't think the delay was due to their being busy). We really wanted to get out of there so we headed up to the till to pay our £27.40 bill. I produced my card only to be told the machine is broken cash only. pretty much the final insult. I say that, the real final insult was the upset stomach my boyfriend experienced later that night. 100% never returning to this restaurant and will head back to my favorites further down the road. read more