If you ask Tuan Nguyen, few Brisbane suburbs compare to Paddington. He’d know – the restaurateur has operated in the area for years, opening Vietnamese restaurant Ngon in 2019, then following it with street-food specialist Given Kitchen & Bar in 2021. His love for the area is reciprocated by Paddington locals (as well as numerous guests from outside of the catchment), who frequently flock to Tuan’s eateries for a fix of his flavour-packed food. As amazing as this level of affection is, it hasn’t been without its downsides. Ngon, which began life within the cosy confines of 233 Given Terrace, boasted a limited number of seats. On particularly busy weekends, Tuan was turning away an estimated 150 guests simply because there was no space to accomodate them. This reason, coupled with Tuan’s desire to showcase Vietnamese cuisine on a grander scale, has led the restaurateur to relocate Ngon to a substantially larger space at 183 Given Terrace. Ngon 2.0 is roughly double the size of its predecessor, with 100 seats spread throughout the cavernous interior and street-facing alfresco space. Ngon’s aesthetic could be best described as modern-industrial, with Karen Ognibene, Ivan Ling and John Kim from KO & Co Architecture collaborating with Tuan on the interior layout and design. The venue’s abundance of white walls has been broken up with decorative elements, from the collection of colourful handmade lanterns imported from Hội An to the mural of Ngon’s mascot, Noodle Man, who overlooks the main dining space. In addition to the central dining floor, Ngon boasts a private dining room at the rear – nicknamed the Tiger Room, this curtained off space features eye-catching murals and its own custom light fixture overhead.

With a menu of winners already solidified, Tuan and Ngon’s kitchen team have refrained from going overboard with new menu additions. That’s not to say Ngon 2.0 doesn’t feature any new tempters to check out – a dedicated vegan and vegetarian menu will have herbivorous gourmands salivating with options like crispy Vietnamese crepes, eggplant and purple-yam soup, vegan pork belly served in a rice hammock, and Vietnamese gnocchi served with vegan pork rib and yellow curry sauce. Come March, the offering will expand to include a range of banh mi and a breakfast menu featuring out-of-the-box options like breakfast pho, bacon-and-egg banh mi and savoury pork balls to go along with cups of Industry Beans coffee. This newness is available on top of Ngon’s finely honed menu, which features snacks like Vietnamese corn ribs, duck spring rolls, young-rice-coated prawns, satay-grilled squid and rice paper rolls, as well as main-sized plates of twice-cooked roasted duck, Moreton Bay bugs battered in herb butter and served with black bean sauce, twice-cooked pork belly, sizzling beef hot plates and, of course, steaming bowls of Ngon’s signature beef noodle soup. If you’re overwhelmed by choice, don’t worry – a newly minted banquet offering is available for those that can’t bring themselves to decide. Ngon 2.0’s beverage list features an expanded range of wine available by the glass and bottle, a clutch of Vietnamese-inspired cocktails, local craft and imported beer (including Ngon’s own pale ale), house-made soda, Vietnamese iced coffee and tea. Moving forward, Tuan is eager to cement Ngon’s reputation as not only a phenomenal Vietnamese restaurant, but a place that is suitable for celebrations and Friday night takeaway – with service, food, value and vibes guaranteed regardless of occasion.

Ngon is now open to the public on Given Terrace. Check out the Stumble Guide for operating hours, contact details and menu information.