DINING | Vina Trang: Straightforward, authentic Vietnamese cuisine

Vina Trang's bun thit nuong.

Apart from Hanoi's charming Old Quarter and that glorious Ha Long Bay cruise experience, one of the things I love about Vietnam is the food. That perennial clean taste and consistent use of vegetables in nearly every dish is something I can't seem to get enough of. Oh, that walking food tour we had last year was just absolutely great!

We do have a few Vietnamese restaurants here in Metro Manila but I haven't come across anything that really floored me. And then we stumbled upon Vina Trang in Century City Mall in Makati.

Vina Trang in Century City Mall.

Design and ambiance

The restaurant's design and layout is fairly simple with a white, cream, and dark brown motif. Fans hang from its high ceiling while a few paintings depicting life in Vietnam adorn the walls. Packing in quite a number of tables, they sure have maximized all available space, including the mezzanine and the immediate area outside the restaurant's premises. It's all pretty straightforward and functional, nothing fancy.

The main dining area.

More seating available at the mezzanine.

The food and service
Simply put, the food is good--authentic Vietnamese cuisine that's as close as I can get to the real deal in Hanoi, which makes sense since the owner is Vietnamese herself. The servings are huge and the prices, fairly reasonable.

Their pho was a delight. I think it was pho nam gan (Php 245) that I had that boasted of a hefty serving of very tender beef. Bean sprouts, meat, chili, and lemon are served on the side to add to your liking. I tried but I just couldn't finish the dish because it was really huge.

Now if you want noodles but are not too keen about soup, their bun thit nuong (Php 295) is worth a try. It's a big bowl of rice vermicelli noodles, grilled pork, a variety of veggies, and a slew of other things, served with that trademark Vietnamese dip of vinegar, water, fish sauce, greens, and spices.

Beef overload with pho nam gan.

Fresh spring rolls.

Their goi cuon (fresh spring rolls; Php 65/piece) is also good. It's got shrimp, meat, and a host of different veggies all rolled together in translucent rice paper. It's served with some peanut sauce on the side although the good o'l vinegar-based dip is much more to my liking.

Of course our Vietnamese dining experience wouldn't be complete without Vietnamese coffee (Php 125 for black, Php 135 if with milk). On the other hand, their iced tea (Php 125) proved to be a curious choice because it has a pandan flavor to it.

I can't speak for their banh mi yet; maybe next time. (Meanwhile, you can check out the full menu further below.)

Service is no-frills and serving time has always been quite fast so far in my three or four times there. The owner would also sometimes interact with diners to ask if they find the food okay.

Have a taste of Vietnam--to go.

And if you want to bring home a taste of Vietnam with you, Vina Trang also has a sampling of Vietnamese goodies for sale, among them coffee, instant tea mix, sauces, etc.

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In hindsight
For its authentic and great-tasting Vietnamese food alone, Vina Trang is worth a visit. It's the real deal, or at least close to it. Everything is very much straightforward from the interiors, the food, to overall service. Dining here also won't cost you much. Definitely recommended!

Vina Trang is located at the Lower Ground Floor of Century City Mall in Makati. It's right next to Pepper Lunch and Watson's.

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Full menu for your reference: