Vietnamese Small Plates: 5 Dishes for £18 at NAM in Ancoats

There’s a lot of choice for food and drinks on Cutting Room Square in Ancoats, with a raft of award-winning and highly impressive eateries all within metres of each other. As a fan of food in general – you’re bloody spoilt for choice every single day of the week.

There’s Italian, there’s British, and then there’s NAM – the phenomenal Vietnamese Street Food bar and restaurant that have been serving up some truly wonderful delights for a couple of years now.

Since re-opening after lockdown all the way back in July, NAM has revitalised their menu, added more cocktails and are about to open up their impressive downstairs bar over the next couple of weeks, a space which is home to one of the best sound systems in the city.

Before we talk about that though, I think it’s important that we let you know about their excellent Small Plates offering – where Monday – Thursday (and Sunday) you can get 3 plates for £12 – or even better – 5 plates for £18.

The choice on offer is extensive, with NAM’s classic Summer Rolls (available filled with Pork Collar & Crayfish or Mango & Red Pepper) and Spring Rolls getting things off to a start. Similarly, you can also choose from a Veggie or Pork & Prawn BÁNH XÈO – a crispy rice flour crepe that is an extremely popular dish on the streets of most towns in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Always a winner – NAM’s fantastic Spring Rolls // @nammcr

The choice of Small Plates also includes NAM’s Fried Tofu, Caramel & Ginger Chicken Wings and their always popular Salt ‘n’ Pepper Fried Squid served with a wedge of grapefruit and lashings of Sriracha mayo.

Salt & Pepper Squid // @smartblendguide

The new Bao Buns are a sight to behold // @nammcr

One of NAM’s most popular additions on their new menu has been their Bao Buns, which you can choose here as part of your 5 plates.

You can choose from Crispy Pork Belly, or a Fried Turmeric Banana Blossom one – or just go for both if you can’t decide. Also on the Small Plates menu is the excellent Duck Fried Rice (£2 extra), probably my favourite of the lot with braised duck, chilli and topped with a crispy fried duck egg.