For some of the best Vietnamese and Thai around, head to Elements in West Kowloon and find yourself a seat at Nahms
Nahm, Vietnamese and Thai
Elements, 1 Austin Road West, West Kowloon
Tel: 2810 7575
Grub: Vietnamese and Thai
Vibe: The exterior and decor suggests fine dining, but inside the vibe is a lot more laid back; the tables are only set once you are seated, and diners are mostly casual shoppers stopping off for a bite rather than dedicated diners choosing to go out for a nice meal.
Who to take: This would be a great spot to go with a group of friends if you’re going to watch a movie afterwards, or if you’ve just done some shopping.
The sharing-style dishes are perfectly suited for a larger group, and mean you can try a lot more!
What’s hot: Honestly, when it comes to Vietnamese and Thai, what is there not to love? It’s hard to go wrong with two cuisines that are both so great, and Nahm perfectly fuses the two.
The duck spring rolls are amazing, and while the sound of pesto with spring rolls might make diners wary, it totally works. They were hot, crisp, with a good amount of duck, and the filling was evenly distributed throughout each spring roll.
The deep fried crab meat and mashed potato cake with pineapple dipping sauce was also very tasty – the pineapple sauce added a light, fresh edge to what would otherwise be quite a heavy dish. Be warned though, these are quite stodgy, so definitely one for sharing.
It’s hard to go wrong with a classic Vietnamese pho, and the Hanoi variant doesn’t disappoint; the dish is fragrant and inviting – perfect on a cool day.
What’s not: The service is definitely more casual restaurant than fine dining. We ordered the duck spring rolls, but were initially served the deep fried crab.
We’re not sure if the waitress misheard us when taking down our order, or if there was a mix up in the kitchen, but either way, it was disappointing to be served our starter at the end of the meal, after we’d finished our mains.
Cost: Small dishes costs HK$78-HK$108, soups costs HK$68-HK$78, and salads costs HK$68-HK$108. Noodles and rice cost HK$18-HK$108, and mains costs HK$98-HK$208. Sides costs HK$62HK$68. Drinks costs HK$30 and up.