My god. This place was spectacular. We randomly came across this restaurant on a whim and had no idea that this was a michelin recognized spot. But after eating here, I understand why. I never had central vietnamese food before and never heard of most of these dishes. We saw that everyone was getting the three appetizer platter, bun bo hue, and had to try it. I also got the chicken vermicelli just as a classic. But every single item in the bun bo hue platter was jawdroppingly good. I never had anything like it before. I didn't know there were vietnamese dishes that utilized mochi flour and now I can never go back. Every single item was so good. The mochi was cooked so perfectly as every bite was so chewy and soft with no hard clumps at all. The meat that came with them as well were so sweet and tender. The vermicelli plate was awesome too as you can make a wrap with the lettuce and veggies and rice noodles and they all come together to mouthwatering perfection. I found a new spot to hyperfixate on whenever I come to houston. read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

One of my favorite spots in Houston! Not your usual Vietnamese pho spot, amazing small dishes. Must get the banh beo chen - I recommend at least 8 per person and doctoring it up with the fish sauce and jalapeño. My favorite appetizers (in order): Banh beo chen, Banh ram it, banh bot loc, egg rolls, crystal dumplings. Personally I wasn't a fan of the paste-y texture of the banh nam but that is a personal preference! Service is not the most hospitable but very quick. We were reseated after spotting a cockroach under our table. But even so I would come back to have this amazing food any day. read more

See all

It's not accessible to have or make banh beo and banh bot loc. This was the perfect spot to satisfy those cravings, especially at this price point and for a large group. I can't emphasize enough how affordable it was. My group got Mi Quang and Bun Bo Hue. We didn't find anything special about the soups. They were okay. The main event was the banh beo, banh ram it, and banh bot loc. If you're looking to satisfy those cravings, I definitely recommend! They have seating for large groups, but it does get busy and fills up quickly. read more

See all

MUST GET ITEM is the Banh Ram It! Soft and chewy texture with some shrimp, pork and veggies inside of it. Sitting on top of a crispy cracker. You'll pair this with fish sauce and it's a lovely combo. They also serve mi quang and com thit nuong. Everything was pretty flavorful. The Mi Quang used a thicker noodle almost udon-like which i thought was unique. Lots of seating inside and parking is within the plaza. To take to-go they also have various vietnamese snacks like Crispy Rice. Love this! read more

See all

Because of its Michelin Bibendum recognition, I was excited to try Nam Giao and am so glad I did. My mom and sister were with me, and we all agreed the food's flavors were absolutely outstanding. We tried many dishes (every dish mentioned in the Michelin piece plus others,) and we found each to be unique, perfectly seasoned, and of fresh, high quality. Everything else? Well, let's just say this place is a bit of a "cheap eats" place, so ambiance is not a thing. The soles of my sneakers were sticking to the floor as I walked across the dining room to find a fork for my mom. Forks? They didn't have any. No forks. They only had spoons, and they weren't normal eating spoons, they were the long metal spoons used to stir tall beverages :D And, yeah, I had to get up to seek my mom's eating utensil myself, because there was Just one person working out front. One. So naturally, service was nonexistent in the traditional sense, like expecting someone to actually take your order. That's right, I had to walk across that sticky floor a few times to order food. And that's the thing... we ordered food and more food! Because it was delicious! So, I agree with The Guide in that the dishes are amazing, and I'm really glad we tried it. Will I be back? Ummm... no. read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

The restaurant may not have the best ambiance or attentive service, but it more than makes up for it with their unique Central Vietnamese dishes. One of the standout dishes on the menu is the Banh Beo, a traditional steamed rice cake topped with savory toppings. At Nem Gio, the toppings are dried minced shrimp and crispy pork pieces. You can order them without the pork pieces to make them pescatarian friendly. You can also order 32 of these delightful little darlings for just $15.50, which is a steal and can be enjoyed by 2-3 people. Whenever I am craving Banh Beo, this place is my go-to. My mom and I can easily finish all 32 of them by ourselves! I also highly recommend trying the Baby Clam Rice dish (Com Hen). It's not often you'll find this dish on a restaurant menu, so it's definitely worth trying. I would skip the rolls and soups from here. There are much better places for those. Oh! And please be patient with the service as the ladies at the front are older and often there is only one of them working. They handle taking orders, running them out, and bussing tables all with a pleasant attitude so please be patient with them. =) Overall, this restaurant is a hidden gem for those seeking for the best Banh Beo and unique Hue dishes like Com Hen. read more

See all

Wow!!! This was quite the new food experience! I thought I had tried practically every cuisine until I tried this. It was delicous- however I LOVE mochi/chewy rice cake things in general, so if you're not big on that this is not the place for you. The flavor was spot on- savory and sweet fish sauce and the texture on everything was addicting!!! I will definitely be back.- also only $13 split between 2 people for all this food. I recommend ordering the combination platter with their homemade sausage along with the mochi crisps. read more

See all

Nam Giao has a very unique, hole-in-the wall vibe that would be a bit charming if service was a tad better. There is no service what so ever. We had to get the high chair for our toddler ourselves, they sat a pair of scissors right in front of her, dirty plates were left on tables the whole time we were there, the servers were watching shows on their cell phones - there were a lot of little misses. That being said, the food is super unique - farr far farrr different from any Vietnamese restaurant Ive ever been to. I had to use Yelp and Google to help us choose what to get. A lot of the dishes were a gummy texture which can be surprising. Many things were also paired with a sauce. The type of sauce depended on the dish. The Banh Ram It was one of my favorite dishes, the cracker added a nice texture element. The Banh Beo was ok, the sauce it came with is necessary and is what made it edible. The chicken spring rolls were perfect. The chicken was tender and well cooked. The roll was stuffed. The Banh nam was another dish that was carried by the sauce it was paired with. I loved the Banh hoi nem nuong although they gave me dirty scissors to use with it (I am assuming it was for the Banh hoi). The meatballs were full of flavor and the fish sauce was a 10/10. I would say the customer service is really dragging this place down a bit. If they paid a little more attention, I think Nam Giao could really shine. I mean I honestly found myself at times saying - what do I doo. Even with the scissors, I wasn't told what they were for. read more

I came here because I was craving banh beo, and I forgot that it was recognized by Michelin this year! I originally ordered 8 banh beo, but the lady told me that 8 is not enough, so I got 16 banh beo instead. It was absolutely delicious. I think I devoured it all in 15 minutes. It was steaming warm when I got it, and the crispy pork skin made it all the better. For the price and the quality it is unbeatable. It does take some time for the food to be ready as the banh beo is made to order. The place was super clean. I appreciate that despite the recognition, they still kept their paper menu the same. I will definitely come again to have more banh beo and to try their other food. read more

Nam Giao - Bánh beo - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Our first time at this mom-and-pop Vietnamese eatery, and it won't be the last. Tried the steamed mini rice pancakes (8 for $4.75), pork and shrimp crystal dumplings ($6.25) & mochi on crisp mochi ($7.95). Service was quick. Dining area was clean.Their mini rice pancakes were my definite favourite. They were so good that I wished I were hungry enough to order 32 of them (an option for $15.95). The tasty trifecta of soft steamed rice + crunchy toppings + umami fish sauce was unbeatable. read more

Nam Giao - (left-right) Banh Quai Vac, Banh Ram It. (center) Banh Beo Chen - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Come here to satisfy your cravings for Central Vietnam cuisine. We enjoyed our dishes like Mi Quang and Banh Canh. read more

See all

I'm not even sure how this place got a Bib gourmand last year and still kept that award this year. We came on a Saturday in the early afternoon and there were only a few other tables. There was one large table with dirty dishes and napkins all over the table. There were several workers just passing by that table and not cleaning it up. I also read in other reviews that the service isn't great (typical at most restaurants in this area so I'm already quite aware of this). I had to flag someone down to take down our order. The bun bo hue was lacking flavor, banh xeo wasn't quite tasty as how it is at Thien An BUT the banh beo was the only thing that was good and memorable about this place. I normally take photos of all our dishes but after the BBH, I didn't even have an appetite to take photos of the rest of our meal. For a place with a Bib gourmand, we expected a little more! read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Didn't know whether to expect a wait here or not knowing that this spot made bib gourmand rec list. Walked in right around noon and easily found a table for 5. The appetizers selection is really what seems to be popular here and what we came for. The crystal dumplings were great and the combo platter gave us a good sampling of all the steamed rice batter dishes. The egg rolls were solid, as was the banh Xeo. Dipping sauces and chili to bring the heat were all good. It was finally something different I'd had for Vietnamese foods and who doesn't love Chinatown prices. Would be interested in returning here. read more

Checked this place out after seeing it on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Its a casual Vietnamese spot tucked into a plaza, easy to miss and gives family-owned vibes We ordered the grilled flank steak wrapped in vine leaves rice plate, the pork and shrimp crystal dumplings, and the crispy grilled pork spring rolls. Everything was great, but the spring rolls were amazing. It comes with a peanut sauce + serrano chili sauce that lowkey makes the whole dish. I could honestly eat the sauce on its own lol Definitely come and try their spring rolls. Its my go-to now! read more

See all

This is my third time coming here and this is the spot I take my friends and family if they want authentic Vietnamese food. I've ordered the following: Banh Beo Banh Bot Loc La Bam Ram It Banh Qual Vac Ban Xeo Don Tan Nem Nuong Even though there are so many Vietnamese restaurants in the Houston area, there's not a lot of spots that serve Bahn Beo. However, this is Nam Giao's specialty and honestly, all the other dishes I had here were fantastic too! I love how the Bahn Beo has both chewy/soft texture from the steamed rice cake as well as crunchy textures from the toppings. As for the interior, there's a good number of seats and the service is relatively fast. If you're looking for Vietnamese food other than your usual pho/banh mi, give Nam Giao a try! read more

See all

Best place in town for Banh Beo - the perfect ratio of the toppings and the fish sauce is so addicting I'm almost drinking it in between bites! I always take people here to get 32 Banh beos for like $8 and the Banh Ram It (this super savory meat pie on top of crunchy goodness) as a light snack as part of our food crawl. The rest of the food items on the menu are nothing special so I truly only come here for two things read more

Nam Giao - #7 Banh ram it (top) and Banh Beo - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

We were quite excited to dine at this Michelin guide place on the cheap. The place had quite a lot of seating. It's not particularly fancy. We've been to plenty of Vietnamese restaurants, but this place offers many types of food that we have not encountered before. We had the staff recommend some dishes that were popular. Here's what we tried: - Combo platter 2: I think this was their award-winning stuff. It was good but wasn't mind-blowing - Pro & shrimp crystal dumpling: Great - Mochi on crisp mochi: We loved this - The big crispy rice pancake: Quite interesting, but half the dish was just salad - Grill flank steak wrapped in vine leaves with vermicelli - this was very good. Each 'pellet' was filled with flavor. - Grilled pork chop with rice: Very decent We would revisit with our friends for the culinary experience. read more

See all

legit Bánh Bèo. We weren't super hungry so we got the #5 combo platter 2 with sausage. Bèo Nậm Lọc Chả Huế Casual place for lunch or dinner with family or friends. The service was fairly relaxed but reasonably efficient. The food came out quickly. Decent amount of parking in the lot in front. read more

See all

Been here a few times, but first time visiting since they were awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. Was busy for a Saturday lunch, but didn't have problems getting seated right away I think I echo a lot of folks when they rave about the Steamed mini rice pancakes. Get the 32 ct, you won't regret it. So delicious! Loves the crunchy pork with the pillowy soft noodles I also ordered the vermicelli noddles (pressed in rectangles) with vibe wrapped flanked steak. Was really good! Service was a bit on the slower side, was just two ladies taking orders and serving. Nothing in particular about the decor to write home about. Bathroom was sub-par read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Nam Giao is the go to place for banh beo chen or "steamed mini rice pancakes." I've been coming here for years, but they recently got awarded a bib gourmand by the Michelin Guide. Very much well deserved! Nam Giao specializes in Hue style food specific to Central Vietnam. Each little banh beo is perfectly steamed and topped with pork, shrimp, and chives. Dipping them in fish sauce is a must especially with some of their chopped fresh chilis for a kick. Service wise, the food comes out here QUICK. They are pros at making Viet food so expect high quality food fast. Ambiance wise, it's just causal. Be sure to try the rest of their menu as well, everything is great! 10/10 would recommend! Enjoy! read more

See all

I came here for an early lunch around 11:00 AM on a Sunday and it was pretty empty until 12 PM. I will come here again. For lunch my friend and I shared: Mi Quaug--it was a rich pork broth with thick yellow rice noodles. There were probably 3-4 big pieces of pork and 2 pieces of shrimp. The pork was really chewy. Topped it off with bean sprouts, mint, lettuce, and a squeeze of lime. Banh Beo Chen--this was my friend's favorite. It has a bouncy texture topped with shrimp and crunchy onions I believe. It was so good with the fish sauce. Banh Bot Loc La--something my mother doesn't make anymore cause of the amount of labor. Chewy tapioca with shrimp and pork. Great with fish sauce. Ca phe sua da--Vietnamese ice coffee was strong and delicious. read more

The food is great at Nam Giao, as the menu offer specialties from the Hue region not offered by other Vietnamese restaurants. I recommend trying the Banh Xeo, Banh Bei, Cha Gio, Banh Quai Vac and Banh Nam with their outstanding fish sauce. It is fun to try the variety of appetizers, which can easily make a great meal in and of itself. The entrees are very generous, and result in delicious leftovers for the next day. One deduction for the service, which is slow and hit or miss. I think that the problem is that the staff do not understand English, which makes it difficult to order and receive what you want. Takeout is also a good option, as you can enjoy your meal in the comfort of your own home. read more

See all

The best place for banh beo, banh nam, and banh bot loc. it tastes just like the Vietnamese parties I used to go to growing up. Someone's aunt is making them in the back and it's perfect!! I love coming here anytime I am in town. read more

Nam Giao - Store front - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Finally made a stop to try Nam Giao after they got a Bib Gourmand! We felt bad coming in an hour before closing but the service was so friendly, and we were promptly seated. As someone who grew up around restaurant-quality homecooked Vietnamese food from my mom and grandma, I consider myself a tough critic. That said, I was not blown away by anything we ordered. The banh xeo was crispy but somewhat greasy and underwhelming. The filling of the banh uot was very rich, and the crispy rice cake underneath was also greasy. The banh canh with fish was lacking in flavor - had to add a lot of chilli oil to enjoy it. We did enjoy the bo la lot (beef wrapped in grape leaves), but there could've been more meat given to balance the amount of vermicelli. Our favorite was the banh beo! No complaints there. Overall I'd come back for the banh beo and to try the banh khoat! read more

Nam Giao - Bo la lot (front) Banh beo (back) - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

What a treat to come back here and have a quick lunch. We love how fresh everything is and it's quick service. The food is superb and the seasoning is just right. read more

Nam Giao - Mi quang #23 - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

The service is extremely quick and friendly. Everything is 10/10. The bun bo hue is actually okay. It is better than most places but it is okay. The flavor isn't deep or complex. The banh beo is phenomenal! read more

See all

Food and service was superb! One of the auntie like ladies (Sandra? Sandy?) came to help us choose what to order. We left full and happy! Highly recommended to explore Vietnamese food beyond pho and bahn mi sandwiches. If I can give it 10 out of 10 stars, I would! read more

5 stars for the food. Everything we tried was delicious. I will go back again for sure!

Parking was easy considering we went over the weekend. We were seated almost immediately, the lady taking our order was very nice and helpful. We ordered the #4 I believe which is a combo of the steamed rice cakes/pancakes and shrimp crystal cake. My favorite was the banh bot loc la (excuse my spelling) and the mochi. It was my first time trying both and I wanted more. My bf got the grilled steak wrapped in vine leaves w/ vermicelli = bomb! The banh canh was okay. Looking forward to coming back when we're able to visit the area again. read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

This place is a hole in the wall vibe but serving AMAZING dishes! The service was a bit slow since it's only 1-2 servers for the whole restaurant - so just an fyi. But this didn't compromise the great food we good! The best was the small rice cakes, banh beo. This with a little fish sauce was spectacular! My whole family loved - we ordered the biggest 32 ct size and ate/enjoyed all of them so quickly! The crunch from the pork with the yummy rice cake texture. Amazing! My favorite dish was the grilled pork vermicelli plate. The flavor of the meat was amazing!! read more

See all

Nam Giao is one of the only places in Houston (#1) that specializes in Central Vietnamese cuisine. Unlike the many Viet places in Bellaire Asiatown that has pho, banh mi, com, or banh cuon as a niche, Nam Giao has a whole region of items that have made them a popular destination. The vibe is very casual and usually very quiet. It's likely my terrible timing, but I haven't been here on any days where there's a significant crowd. There are so many tables and even an adjacent room almost looks like the place is abandoned. I think anyone who comes here looking for a group for 12 will have zero problems finding seating for everyone. Also, a slight thumbs down on the bathroom situation. Food wise, there's a lot to appreciate. I'm a sucker for banh beo, which is already very hard to find but these pillow steamed rice cakes with pork cracklin on are fabulous. I also love the banh ram it, which might be tough for the texture snobs, but perfect for me. I also like the banh bot la, a pork + shrimp combo crystalized steam along with the cha oc (sausage w/periwinkle) and cha hue (hue style sausage). When in doubt, just order the combo platters and it'll be great. They also have noodles, such as the super famous bun bo hue and the slightly lesser known my quang, a tumeric based wide noodle with a number of ingredients. They also have banh canh, a Vietnamese style udon that is best with crabmeat and shrimp. If not, the rice platters (com) are popular, even if it's not their best product. The service can be on the slower side, but that hasn't deterred me from coming. I've brought out-of-towners, curious friends, and hungry family members and have walked out satisfied every time. I am already looking forward to many more tasty adventures with Hue style foods. _________ (#1) And likely, the country. read more

See all

I really like banh beo. I like how small it is for me to swallow the whole thing. It's your typical mom and pop shop. They take your order and leave you alone. I feel it's accessible for wheelchair users. They have tables in the front of the restaurant for wheelchair users. read more

I love this place because they give Serrano on the side to add into our spring roll dipping sauce. It makes the sauce more flavorful and spicy, which makes the rolls yummier to eat. My favorite is the crispy grilled pork roll, there is a crunchy filling with just veggies and meat, super light and fresh. We got the Vietnamese style egg rolls too, very crispy and variety of filling, taste meaty and flavorful too. The charcoal steak my boyfriend ordered was interesting flavor and texture, it's wrapped in a leaf. I like the smoky taste though. Overall, fast and friendly service, ample seatings, great for family gathering too. Plus great authentic viet foods, I will come back for some quick eats anytime! read more

See all

Good food, fresh and everything. Been there thrice already in a month. That means I liove the place. read more

Nam Giao - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

If you are in Houston and you want a break from barbecue, check out this delicious Vietnamese restaurant. We came on a Saturday around lunch time with a group of about 12 people. They were able to seat us quickly and took our very large order. We ordered a variety of dishes for the table, including ban beo, banh ram it, banh bot loc la, ban xeo, bun bo hue, and others. Feel free to check out my menu pictures for a description of each of these dishes. Vietnamese cuisine may not be for everyone, but if you are feeling adventurous or you are missing or craving some authentic Vietnamese food, then the variety on this menu will fulfill that craving. Bar party enjoyed all of the food that came out. I wanted to give a shout out to the banh beo, which was pretty good. They also do large party trays if you want to cater it out. Overall, this was a needed stop on our trip to satisfy that Asian food craving! Definitely come by and try this place out! read more

See all

I enjoyed trying a couple traditional Vietnamese dishes here for the first time. The prices are reasonable, although I will say because the food is on the lighter side the portions seem a bit small however the flavors and textures are really good and the food is very fresh. The inside is clean with a good amount of seating. Service is a little slow, but overall, I had a good experience and I would come back and try some other dishes. read more

See all

honestly a great place that is reasonably priced! A large platter of banh beo is a definite must. The food is just authentic and very comforting/nostalgic. Their sauce is soooo addicting (each person always ends up finishing an entire bowl of sauce and chilis). I generally just come here to eat their banh beo Chen (steamed mini rice pancakes) and other appetizer dishes. If you're lost, the combo platter 2 is fantastic and includes a little of everything. (banh beo Chen, banh nam, banh bot loc La, and their homemade sausage). The banh ram it is also very good which is mochi with their shrimp filling on a crisp kochi. That's generally enough to satisfy me. They are pretty quick so you can also just keep ordering until you're full. Keep in mind this is just a little Vietnamese establishment so the service is just from very nice ladies that are trying their best! read more

See all

Come here and enjoy all the rice cakes that you can eat! It's one of their best dishes and I keep going back just for that! The Bun Bo Hue wasn't my favorite but it was still good. Great for family lunch or dinner on a sunday and small groups also. The restaurant has plenty of space to accommodate 6-8 people per table also so that's very nice! Price wise it's reasonable! The restaurant interior is fairly plain but it's the typical look of a restaurant in Chinatown. Highly recommend coming here and bringing friends and family to enjoy great food! read more

4 stars, but not for everyone. Food here is a different flair of Vietnamese food. Im sure its pretty authentic, but its very different than what you'd expect at most other (Americanized?) Vietnamese restaurants. If you are feeling adventurous stop by and ask for the most popular dishes. It's different.. everything is well made and comes out piping hot. It's a small place with not much fanciness, but it's solid and they are willing to accommodate and provide recommendations as much as possible. For my (Americanized) Vietnamese food expectations, I left unsatisfied. No pho, no deep fried imperial/spring rolls. Plus/minus, you decide. read more

See all

Saw this on the Michelin guide and thought to give it a try. First of all, there was plenty of parking spaces. It's my first time trying Nam Giao. First thing I see on everyone's tables was stacks of the banh Beo trays. Banh beo was on everyone's table so I had to try it too. It was pretty good. We ordered 16 banh beos which was not a lot considering the size of it. They sold 8, 16 and 32 banh beos. I didn't want to get too much and get full so we ordered 16. But everyone at the table who wanted to try was able to. Banh Beo was not something that every Vietnamese restaurant offered. We also had the Banh xeo. What's different what comes with this banh xeo was green apples that they soaked in some sort of line juice. I didn't hate it but the shrimp was colored with something that made it look red. I didn't like that. Banh ceo had bean sprout, onion and pork/ shrimp and its banh xeo was no different. Next up we tried the dumplings; we were expecting them to look a little different. I guess the clear opaque dumplings was new to us. We were expecting the outside of the dumplings to be white. And like pan fried. It was pretty good. The inside was flavorful and the outside was more slimy texture than the ones I'm used to. We also ordered spring rolls with the peanut sauce. That was delicious. And also bun Bo hue. This bun Bo hue was not spicy as I was expecting. It also did not have the pork blood which is one of my fav things to eat with it. They make their own ham (gio) here that they add onto the soup. It looks like the shape of the ones that u would get in Vietnam. I thought it tasted good but it needed some sate. We also had 2 orders of the chao tom. This gave us so much of the banh hoi but not much of the chao Tom to eat with it. It came with 2 sugar cane chao Tom sticks. I can tell u I've had better chao Tom elsewhere in china town. The chao Tom flavor was not it for me. They served it on a platter similar to the banh xeo; I would eat it with the veggies and the banh hoi and dip it into the fish sauce. The service here was pretty slow. There are 2 ladies working for the entire restaurant. We came in a Sat afternoon and there were plenty of empty tables. Everything ive tasted here, I've had elsewhere in Chinatown and tasted better with faster service. I will say that this is the only Hue restaurant I've been to so their specialty is Hue region which is why u have only bun Bo hue and not pho. I wouldn't come back here bc it just didn't wow me. First time the Michelin guide has disappointed me. read more

See all