Nhà Em, which means “My Home”, is a Vietnamese restaurant serving home-inspired Vietnamese cuisine in a mall-based environment. The flagship store opened in the beautiful 5/f Sky Park of SM Aura.
It’s a good place to enjoy a hot bowl of pho during the rainy days, or if you simply want to eat not-your-usual Vietnamese dishes.
Here’s what to expect and what to order at Nhà Em…
Nhà Em Vietnamese Restaurant
5/F SM Aura Sky Park, Taguig
Telephone: +632 541-5436
Mobile: +63 956 877-6180
Instagram: @nhaemph
Facebook: Nhà Em Vietnamese Cuisine
Operating Hours: 10.00am – 11.00pm daily
Nhà Em Menu: Mom’s Selection | Appetizers, Soups & Noodles | Wrap & Roll, Mains Mom’s Finest | Mains Mom’s Finest | Desserts & Beverages | Beverages
The interior aims to bring you closer to Vietnam with authentic decorations, a newspaper-inspired menu, and ambiance designed by a Vietnamese architect.
✓ Goi Cuon (P220). Fresh Spring Rolls.
I like how you can see the two big chunks of shrimp through the translucent wrapper and eat it with the peanut sauce in two satisfying bites.
✓ Cha Gio (P240). Fried Spring Rolls.
Notice the unusual texture of the crispy wrap absorbing more of the fish sauce, perfect with the flavors of minced pork, mushrooms, and rice noodles.
Wrap and roll it in the crisp lettuce for the best Cha Gio experience.
✓ Com Tam (P295). Broken Rice.
This Vietnamese pork chop was such a hit with the boys, we had to order a 2nd serving just to satisfy their appetite.
✓ Banh Xeo (P350). Crispy Crepe.
This is quite big and good to share in a group. Inside the folded fried crepe is a medley of meat, shrimp, and mixed vegetables.
You wrap it also with the leaves to make it healthier and so you don’t taste the oiliness of the fried crepe.
Dau Hu Chien Trung Muoi (P260). Salted Egg Tofu.
A good combination of bland tofu cubes fried in salted egg and served with salted egg sauce. Yum!
✓ Ca Kho To (P310). Braised Fish in Claypot.
The catfish is cooked in a sweet adobo-style sauce with a smoky flavor from being cooked directly in the claypot. Sarap but matinik lang.
✓ Pho Bo (P305). Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup.
The broth used here is cooked for 10 hours, so you can really taste the intense flavors. I like it simple with tender slices of beef.
You can add chili, bean sprouts, greens, and lime to taste but some like to mix in some Hoisin sauce as well for a stronger flavor.
Bo Luc Lac (P380). Shaking Beef.
We were not shaken by this shaking beef. This is just a normal dish you can skip.
Bun Bo Hue (P335). Spicy Beef & Pork Noodle Soup.
I like spicy and pork so we decided to order this, but it was too salty for our taste.
✓ Tom Kho Tau (P550). River Prawns in Roe Sauce.
Fresh River Prawns smothered in aligue sauce! We loved eating the meat inside the legs and cleaning the sauce out of the shell.
Muc Xao Xa Ot (P325). Lemongrass Squid with Chili.
This was just OK. The lemongrass flavor was underwhelming.
Thit Kho To Trung Cuc (P310). Braised Pork with Eggs in Claypot.
This has the same flavor as the catfish but with big chunks of lean pork meat mixed with the fatty slices.
We taste-tested all the desserts and here’s what we recommend…
✓ Sua Chua (P50). Homemade Yogurt.
The yogurt was sour-sweet and a hit with the kids!
✓ Che Dau 3 Mau (P105). 3-color Sweet Soup.
Vietnamese halo-halo with green jelly, mung beans, and red beans on a bed of condensed milk and topped with fresh milk.
We were all fighting over one serving that we had to order a second one.
Che Hat Sen (P105). Lotus Seed Sweet Soup.
A relatively healthier, less sweet dessert with lotus seed, nata de coco, almond jelly, and sago.
Overall, a good place to eat healthy, vegetable-rich dishes, especially when you’re craving for homey Vietnamese food in the mall.
Upon arrival, ask for the Cha Gio, Goi Cuon and/or the Banh Xeo for appetizers, depending on how big your group is. Order the Pho Bo to start with a nourishing broth and the Com Tam for the kids. Go for their clay pot dishes, Ca Kho To (fish) or the Thit Kho To Trung Cuc (beef) for your main dish. The Tom Kho Tau is a must-try for aligue sauce lovers. For dessert, we recommend the homemade yogurt and the Vietnamese halo–halo. Budget about P500/head.
It’s good to try it now while they just opened and their food is still good. Hopefully, the quality does not degrade over time, which happens with mall-based restaurants, especially when they expand. The pricing is a bit more premium than Bawai’s but better in terms of flavors and execution.
Congratulations to Nhà Em for successfully opening in Manila!
Nhà Em Vietnamese Restaurant
5/F SM Aura Sky Park, Taguig
Telephone: +632 541-5436
Mobile: +63 956 877-6180
Instagram: @nhaemph
Facebook: Nhà Em Vietnamese Cuisine
Operating Hours: 10.00am – 11.00pm daily
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Nhà Em. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. They are set to open two more branches before the year ends at Uptown Mall & the new Podium Tower.