Feels like a knock off of the original. Food is not nearly as good the Santa Ana / Anaheim locations. It's like an "airport" takeout version where the menu is similar but the food quality is poor and ingredients/recipe is not the original. Definitely not coming to this one again. read more

Getting to this place was pretty easy, but locating the actual storefront for Nguyen's Kitchen was a little tricky. They share the same location (same kitchen, separate counters and menus) as PUR Acai Bowls. Didn't know about this place until I got there. It's a fusion Vietnamese gourmet food counter. The service was pretty swift. I placed by order and within 5 minutes, I had my garlic noodles with bulgogi steak and my Vietnamese coffee. Nothing spectacular in terms of the meat or garlic noodles but Portions are good and I had my entree over the course of two meals. read more

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Yooo!! This place is so good and it's opened late. The garlic noodles with the jumbo shrimp is fire! Their wings are fire! The coffee is fire! And they even have açaí bowls. Try it you won't be disappointed! read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

Excellent service, plenty of seating indoor/outdoor. I really enjoyed the bulgogi bowl and the pork bun. It was so good! read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Bulgogi Short Rib Steak Bowl Golden Bao (2 pcs) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

The food is delicious! It's simple food but well paired. Nice selection. They stay open late!

I just want to initially compliment the aesthetics of this place. Walking in, I felt it was a nice atmosphere. I really enjoy the open aesthetics design with glass windows and floor. It was creatively written on monitors. The menu looked simple but you can add all kinds of variation with additional cost if you look close. The menu is a bit expensive so be aware. I ordered the garlic noodles with steak protein so it came to 18.08 It's amazing!! The garlic noodles with steak is scrumptious and satisfying across the palate. It tastes just as it is priced. I think it's most satisfying thing I ever ate! If only it would be more affordable. Also there is no free refills on the speciality drinks when I asked. All in all 4 stars for the taste of the food! It would be five stars except for the no refill speciality drink (I got peach lychee, which was really good) and expensive pricing. Probably go here once a year! Also was told that even though I checked in for the free drink order, I am forced to write a review to receive the drink in addition to the check in. Also why this place is not 5 stars. read more

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My friends and I went here in between classes to get a bite to eat! I got the crawfish pasta, and they got the garlic noodles and beef noodles (?)... can't exactly remember what they got but I think it was those! Oh, and we got some garlic fries to share. They really liked the garlic noodles--there was a lot of flavor and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The garlic fries were also great. I liked the flavor of my crawfish pasta, but the only issue was the amount of shell pieces in the pasta. I've gotten this pasta before, and there were a couple the last times. I don't mind it it there's a couple pieces but still obviously wish there weren't any. However this time there were shell pieces almost every bite and I had to throw it away halfway through eating it unfortunately. Which sucked because like I mentioned the flavor is great! But yeah, paid $16 and couldn't eat the whole thing. I hope one day they fix this issue because it's aggravating to have to deal with when eating. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

I needed a quick lunch in the area and Nguyen's Kitchen popped up really close by, so I quickly said yes to some garlic noods! When arriving, you walk in through Pur Bowls and the counter to order for NK is around the corner. My boyfriend and I ordered the garlic noodles with steak and garlic cajun fries to share. Food came out really quickly and portions were enormous! They weren't kidding about GARLIC cajun fries. There were huge chunks of garlic topped on the crispy fries, but I wish there was a little bit more cajun seasoning? Nonetheless, can't really go wrong with garlic and fries. The garlic noodles, however, were slightly disappointing. It's been about 7 hours since we've had it and we're still constantly reaching for water to relieve the thirst from all the sodium and the BUTTER that the noodles were doused in. Butter in the garlic noods are essential, but oh man - it really tasted and felt like they used an entire stick of butter for the one order of noodles! The steak was more very thinly sliced meat you can get at an Asian grocery store for shabu. Now thinking back... did they give me bulgolgi instead? I think I'd come back again, but definitely skipping the garlic noodles. Maybe I'll try the vermicelli bowls.. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Garlic noodles with steak - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

It's very nice that this place is open into the early morning hours. They share their space with an acai bowl place, which is also open till 1am. Seating is somewhat limited, especially with the constant flow of people to the acai place. They have a nice seating area outside, but it gets pretty cold out there!! You order what you want at the counter. Annoying part that night though was the guy who was taking orders was on break or something, but he was sitting outside on one of the tables for a good 20 or so minutes while we were standing there waiting to order. There were people in the kitchen cooking, but no one bothered to come get our orders, so that was really annoying. And customer service wise he wasent that great, just seemed to be attitudy and borderline mean. We ordered several things. But specifically, I ordered their NK wings, cajun garlic fries, and their popcorn chicken. Priced are really inexpensive considering inflation and how expensive everything else, including life. The fries are less than 6 bucks. And the portion size is massive!! Cooked well. Salted nicely. Took some of it home. The wings were ok. Small. But nicely breaded. And cooked well. Popcorn chicken was really good, too. Tender on the inside, nice crunch on the outside. And at $5.95, you really can't beat that!! They have multiple sauces to dip them in. There's this green one that has a nice kick to it. So that's different!! All the other things that the group ordered, they said, tasted good too!! Large portions, relatively inexpensive. It's definitely a late night gem in the Carson area!! read more

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Fewer sandwiches satisfy my pallette like a good grilled pork banh mi sandwich. Their's is exceptional, with a good serving of meat on lightly toasted baguette. It also comes with a green sauce that tastes like it has cilantro and mild jalapeños. The other sauce is a sweet and savory marinade, and I found myself alternating between both sauces with every bite. Also had the garlic noodles, which was perfectly doused in butter and garlic with fresh black pepper. Service was great, and the place has nice indoor and outdoor seating. It's definitely a go-to for modern Vietnamese. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Grilled Pork Sandwich - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

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The food was so bomb, new favorite spot. Tried the garlic noodles with beef and holy Jesus imma always eat this when on the go

Good food and super friendly service. I came back two days later to have more! Best part is that they are open late without compromising on quality or taste. Noodles are very buttery tasting, and can be a little dry. Definitely buy a drink if you get this. Get extra jalapeño sauce for the noodles. Garlic noodles with shrimp: delicious and big pieces of shrimp. Personally would prefer 2-3 more pieces for protein to noodle ratio and price. Garlic noodles with steak: good, but shrimp is better. There was a little bit of bone and tendon in the food which usually puts me off if I bite into one. Ratio of protein to noodle was good Cajun garlic fries: disappointment. The flavor just wasn't there. Maybe better to get with protein. The sauces were fine, jalapeño one was nice but the other tasted like ranch. The amount of sauce also didn't seem enough. Peach Lychee drink: refreshing Mango refresher: a little too sweet but good Thai tea: has caffeine and is delicious! I don't typically like Thai teas but this was perfect sweetness and one of my favorites. Service: very friendly! My friends and I tried SEVERAL of their drink samples and Valerie was super patient with us and friendly. She even remembered me when I came back two days later! Ambience: nice cute vibe. But since it's popular at night, the seats get taken up quickly. The place isn't super big. They have outdoor seating but wish they had heaters out. Parking: very easy with big parking lot read more

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The food is delicious full of flavor. This is my second time going back within one weekit read more

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My wife and I ordered two grilled pork sandwiches and garlic fries to go. The outdoor seating area is pretty nice - it's where the sign is, but you actually enter in through the pur bowl entrance so park there! Pretty clean on the inside and it's actually connected to pur bowl. In terms of the food, the bread could have been toasted a little longer to get more of a crunch. The flavor was there but the proportions were a little off. All the veggies were on one side and all the meat was on the other side so if you have a small mouth like me and take bites from one side at a time, I was getting either all meat or all veggies in my mouth. The fries were seasoned well but could've been a little more crispy. Overall, it was pretty tasty and I'd prolly come back if I'm in the area. read more

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Ordered delivery and overall impression was just okay. We have definitely had better Vietnamese unfortunately. I had the beef bowl which was a bit bland. The husband had the pork bowl. The pork still had hairs on it - it had not been removed! The pork was also a bit salty. read more

Food is good, but not going to blow you away. I think their strength is the more street food style items but even then there are better places around. I would get it again if i was craving it and this was the only thing open, but otherwise I think there are better options available. read more

This place serves Asian fusion, seems mostly based on Vietnamese food from what I can tell. They offer chicken, beef, pork, shrimp options for either a sandwich, noodles, or a rice bowl. Located in a plaza across from the South Bay pavilion mall (ikea) and has plenty of parking. My favorite part was their jalapeño aioli that was served with all of the items that I ordered - the chicken rice bowl, beef bulgogi sandwich (Bahn mi style), cajun fries. Will come back just for this aioli! The chicken bowl was nicely balanced with a side of lettuce and the pickled carrots/radish. I felt the beef bulgogi was a bit too sweet for my liking but it was still good. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Chicken rice bowl, bulgogi beef sandwich, Cajun fries - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

My friends and I enjoy coming here before class to get a quick bite and coffee. Every dish we've had here was yummy. We enjoy their Vietnamese iced coffee and popcorn chicken with Cajun fries the most. read more

The second time my drink was in the inundated with creamer I was so looking forward unfortunately I had throw it away again read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - The thai tea was more milk than tea not the correct balance - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

My office placed an ordered for lunch which was ready in 20 minutes. I selected the short rib Banh Mi sandwich and garlic noodles with shrimp. The flavors were fresh and light for the sandwich. The garlic noodles speak for themselves! read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Garlic Noodles (Protein) Shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

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Love that this place is open late. Crawfish pasta with a mango refresher is the way to go. May always has the best energy, you can tell she is a good worker!! And theres always good music playing. read more

Wed. 28Oct. I was looking forward to coming here. However my excitement disappeared real fast. First thing I noticed was how the staff were so dry and dead. No greetings, no smiles, no welcoming. They all looked like they don't want to be bothered and would rather be somewhere else. It made the whole place looked dead, no atmosphere, no ambience. Management should really be looking at service training especially if you have a younger staff members. Food was not good not all. The Cajun Garlic Fries was too salty and to soggy. I have my order to ho and live only 5 minutes drive. But by the time I got home it was already cold. The Chicken Wings was too salty too and dry. Thanks goodness for the sauce. Grilled Pork Sandwich was average. Flavorful and fresh, however the bread was on the stale side. It's lacking the crispness and crunch. Too bad I really want to love this place, but my first time experience left a terrible taste in my mouth. I'd rather take my business somewhere where I get value for my bucks and appreciated. read more

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First off we need to support small restaurant businesses that stay open past 10pm. Seems that your options are incredibly limited after 10pm. Nguyen's Kitchen is an excellent value and you can't go wrong with any of their sandwich options. I've tried all three options and can't decide which is best. If forced to decide, I'd pick the Bulgogi Short Rib Steak Sandwich. When they start grilling the food the smell overtakes the small dining area. My first visit was to Purr for a Healthy Fruit Bowl but I'm not sure I'll be able to bypass another chance of eating a Vietnamese sandwich when I'm in the area. read more

I love how late this place is open. They have wonderful noodles AÇAÍ and Fantastic staff!

Welp! Let's just say I'm disappointed. I ordered the garlic noodles with extra garlic and added the grilled pork as my protein. The dish didn't taste like garlic noodles. It was sweet and seems to use lots of butter or lard. Im also not a fan of their thin noodles that seems to be broken to pieces because of the noodle type and portion size is small, Let's just say after $17 for that plate I was left still hungry and unsatisfied. Do yourself a favor and go down to Hiccups a mile down. They have much bigger portion of garlic noodles (enough to take home for a second meal) and a drink for $15. Plenty of free parking. Across from Ikea/ Carson Mall read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Garlic noodles and grilled pork $17 - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

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I had been wanting to order food from here for a while but I only got a snack. I got the NK Sliders and the NK Wings. The sliders were decent but could definitely use a lot more of the toppings, but overall the flavor was decent and the bun was nice and soft. The wings were pretty good and I definitely enjoyed them. They had nice flavor and a good crunch but not too much if you like them crispy. My wife ordered the garlic noodles and those were good too. They gave a good amount and the flavor was good, not too much garlic. There are a couple more things that I would like to try, so stay tuned for updates. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - NK Sliders & NK Wings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

As a fellow Nguyen i feel i have some more weight to my review. These are the red flags: Banh mi was just called a sandwhich Beef dishes were labelled bulgogi (Korean) Not a single thing was also labelled in vietnamese (indicative of a good viet spot is to have bi or tri lingual menus We ordered a lot "Short rib" sandwich was more like ribeye and the bread was stale and soft, and the food had no flavor Popcorn chicken tasted like it came out of a frozen bag that the crappy boba tea shops use. Egg rolls (Cha Gio) was the worst ive had in my life, and ive had one that are 24 hours old that had more crisp and flavor than these had. The spicy sauce was good, but every other sauce tasted like Sysco bought sauces. For the prices & portion sizes, this place deserves a 0. PLEASE DO NOT GO HERE, not a single viet person in sight. read more

Walked in and the service provided was subpar. A lady was taking my order and when I asked what was in the salad she couldn't even provide an answer. She asked her colleagues by stepping away and never returned, they couldn't eve.my answer. Another guy then went on to take my order, not even adding the first item I ordered to the rest of my order request. The staff got my to-go items mixed up with my dine in items, and at that point I was like it's fine I'll take it as is. The salad didn't come with the dressing I requested and they don't even provide water, but was able to give ice in a cup; like it helped the situation. As a restaurant, water should be a thing that is always available. Definitely not a good impression especially as a new business in the area. I've eaten at Nguyen's Kitchen before in the OC and this place and the food quality does not even meet those standards. I was really excited for them to have a location out here, but based off my experience I will not be returning. For the price I paid, the food was not worth it. read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Salad with pork, seasoned fries, pork banh mi, garlic noodles with pork - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

Food was disgusting af. Service was untrained. I overheard someone praying their food was good because the last time they came it was nasty. I should've just went to PUR because that chewy ass bulgari & dry ass garlic noodles gave me heart Burn. Food is not worth the hype and it does not live up to the posted pictures or menu'd description. Yard house has better noodles .... Nguyen's Kitchen is ALL HYPE. Oh, and the garlic butter for the garlic noodles is an additional $4. -2/10 read more

Not really impressed. I love Vietnamese food and this wasn't really Vietnamese. I should've known better when I saw bulgogi on the menu. Their photos make the food look delicious but I was bamboozled. My review is solely for the food since I ordered it in through a delivery service. We got the grilled pork sandwich (their version of a banh mi), NK chicken wings and garlic noodles with house marinated chicken. The sandwich was probably their best thing but we ordered this spot because we were craving garlic noodles. The garlic noodles were super bland and didn't even smell or taste like garlic. The marinated chicken was just okay but didn't really help flavor the noodles at all. The wings were overcooked and also very bland and the honey sauce that came with it was.. interesting. When it comes to Vietnamese food, I have high expectations and this was just not it. read more

The food was absolutely delicious. It was my first time there and I will definitely be going back. Can't wait to try the garlic noodles and the plate i had last time again. read more

Really good food! I love le the Bahn Mi sandwich and the portion was great. We also had the garlic noodles with popcorn chicken and it really hit that food craving spot. We had ordered the food to be delivered and were very satisfied with the taste! read more

We were looking for a late dinner place to eat in the area- and this place was new, open late (til midnight), and had dessert options- sold. It's in the area with the ikea and target in a small strip mall spot closest to IKEA. The food was pretty good and decent where there aren't a lot of sit down food options. What was even better was that they had açaí bowls for dessert ($10 for the smallest) with lots of toppings. I had the grilled pork bowl which was filling and we also shared wings and popcorn chicken which were both good. If I had to choose between the wings and the popcorn chicken, I thought the wings were slightly better. Next time I'll try the crayfish pasta. There's a lot so parking is not a problem, and they have a few booths indoors and tables outside. Will definitely come back! read more

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Super excited to try their shrimp garlic noodles! Pictures on their social media looked a-mazing. Ordered in person and it took about 20 minutes. Drove home and the food is just average. There wasn't much garlic/buttery taste for the garlic noodles, but there was a good amount of shrimp (about 5 shrimps). Same issue (lacking flavor) for their bulgogi rice plate. Their thai tea on the other hand was delicious and definitely recommend ordering! read more

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I had a wonderful time here at Nguyen's Kitchen. The food is authentic and fresh. The service is very fast and attentive. The ambiance is super clean and fresh. 5 stars. read more

Garlic noodles delish...Steak bowl no guilt... Wing can't complain... definitely will come again read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - Window - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

I came here for dinner with some friends because we were craving garlic noodles. We were a little confused at first because it was also in the same building as Pur Bowls but I think it's a smart idea to have dessert right after dinner lol We got the garlic noodles with steak, golden bao, sliders, cajun garlic fries, popcorn chicken and chicken wings. It was a good thing too, cause the portions were kinda small and there was 3 of us to split everything. The bao and chicken wings were crispy and delicious and the garlic noodles definitely hit the spot. Everything else was great too, and the frozen yogurt from Pur finished up the meal nicely. read more

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[Review #757 2023-043 Food Order: CRAWFISH PASTA (crawfish tail meat, spicy sausage, tomato cream marinara sauce), GARLIC NOODLES; BULGOGI SHORT RIB STEAK SANDWICH (bulgogi sauce, onions, cucumbers, pickled carrots, cilantro), CAJUN GARLIC FRIES, JASMINE MILK TEA Located in South Bay Plaza, Nguyen's Kitchen serves Asian fusion dishes, though its name hints at Vietnamese cuisine. I learned of this restaurant when I was here for a Yelp event at Pur Bowls (also was lucky to attend the NK YEE too) & realized it's a dual space that houses Nguyen's Kitchen & Pur Bowls, though you're most likely not able to see NK's entrance since it faces Dominguez St. where as the açaí shop is towards the parking lot. I've mainly been here for their sister restaurant, Nguyen Kitchen is an afterthought. Not sure why... the food is fine, not amazing that I would crave or go out of my way for. I was first introduced to the garlic noodles that were ok & slightly on the dry side. The next trip, I was looking forward to the crawfish pasta. It was almost great except for the minuscule crawfish, which was overcooked so they're rubbery. The pasta had a generous serving of spicy sausage, though I didn't think they were that spicy; my kids felt otherwise. The green sauce ups the flavor (I need to remember to ask what it is); really love this. On my most recent trip, I had their bulgogi short rib steak sandwich with cajun garlic fries. I also got comped for a jasmine milk tea finally; I kept forgetting to redeem my Yelp check-in complimentary offer. I also like their Thai Tea, Cucumber Lemonade, & Peach Lychee Tea; sampled them before. The sandwich was flavorful & tasty, but had too much sauce so the roll got soggy & a lot of filling fell out. The bun:filling ratio was just right, though I wouldn't mind a little more veggies to offset the greasiness of the steak, felt a little skimpy. The cajun garlic fries were served hot & crisp with loads of garlic. I see my husband lovin' this (garlicky) side. TIP: Currently with a Yelp check-in, you get a free drink with an entree purchase. Get it while it's hot! I was able to get a premium refresher instead of a fountain drink. The dining space is limited to 6 tables with bench seats with patio space that has another 1/2 dz. tables. Their logo reminds me of the "Top Chef" knife except it's facing down & clear outline. Service here seems a bit of a downer to Pur Bowls, not quite as friendly or cheerful, just doing their thing & ringing up your order. You need to listen for your number (listed on your receipt) for pick-up. Depending on the item, price points run from moderate - expensive. The garlic noodles price is fair; however, adding a protein can run another $6.45 - $7.45 (72% - 83% increased mark-up). This monetary perception alone is turn off & sticker shock; instead, they should just individually list the noodle types with the price & note a "discount" for plain noodles as a vegetarian option. Same goes for the premium salads. While I like some of the premium refreshments, they're bordering boba prices without the boba & sweetness adjustment option. Portions run about 1 serving with the garlic noodles somewhat shy to be satisfying at that price. Menu layout needs a little refinement to be accepted as moderately priced. I like Nguyen Kitchen enough to order a dish or two, but the execution needs to improve for me to want ongoing returns. But they're always there as a reminder when I'm at Pur Bowls... I'm chasing the duchess title. ;-) Recommended: Bulgogi Short Rib Sandwich, Cajun Garlic Fries, Garlic Noodles, Jasmine Milk Tea, Thai Tea, Cucumber Lemonade, & Peach Lychee Tea. read more

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Really good spot they even have açaí bowls . The wings are the best wings I've tried in the area read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - They even sell açaí cowls - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

So I was working late & hungry & I could smell this place from across the street...so I followed the smell...if it wasn't so late I would've tried the Garlic Fries (highly recommend by the young lady at the counter)...but I went with the House Marinated Chicken Sandwich & it was perfect...I was full without the sluggish feeling & the sandwich was delicious read more

Nguyen's Kitchen - House Marinated Chicken Sandwich - Asian Fusion Near Me - Carson, California

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