
NEP redefines the essence of Vietnamese dining, blending the rich, dynamic flavors of Vietnam with a distinctly modern flair. Our culinary approach is innovative, moving beyond traditional boundaries to present a contemporary Vietnamese experience. NEP is the destination for those seeking to explore what’s current and what’s to come in Vietnamese cuisine. Every dish is a narrative, crafted to intrigue and delight, inviting you on a journey of culinary innovation and modern exploration.
Hours
| Friday | 9 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 14346 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604
Phone: (949) 527-6533
Website: https://www.nepcafe.com/
Menu Photos
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Nep Cafe
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Nep Cafe – Irvine Restaurant – Irvine, CA – OpenTable
Reviews
The filet steak with eggs was a standout: tender beef, rich sauce, and perfectly runny eggs that worked really well together. The shrimp pasta was another highlight — shrimp were well-seasoned and nicely seared, and the pasta had a good bite, not overcooked. The roasted chicken bowl was generous in portion, juicy inside with crispy skin, and balanced with fresh sides. Even the greens were done right, garlicky and flavorful without being too heavy. Drinks were also well made, especially the matcha and iced coffee.
Service was attentive and efficient. Staff were friendly, helped explain the menu, checked in at the right moments, and kept everything moving smoothly. Overall, a very enjoyable experience and an easy spot to recommend for brunch or a casual meal in Irvine.
James, our waiter, was incredibly kind and helpful in navigating the menu and we ended up getting 3 incredible apps. The seafood ceviche, shrimp salad, and crab toast. All 3 were phenomenal but the shrimp salad was truly special. I wouldn’t have gone for it if it weren’t for James’ suggestion, 10/10 would recommend! It’s so refreshing, light, and flavorful and pairs really well with the butteriness of the crab toast.
We were celebrating my partners birthday as well and James took care of us well. Thank you NEP & James for a wonderful birthday experience!
Our server was attentive. She gave us the option to either stagger the dishes or bring them all out at once.
We did family style for food and we were all stuffed by the end of the meal with no leftovers. I was very impressed with every single dish! Each one was unique and I would definitely get all of these again. I recommend doing family style so you can try out several dishes.
-Beef Carpaccio ($16): thinly sliced American wagyu; I enjoyed the flavor of the beef along with the herbs and peanuts
-Squid and Mango Salad ($17): served with large sesame rice crackers
-Crispy Calamari ($17)
-Chicken Wings ($16): came with 7-8 pieces
-Whole Branzino ($49): served with another plate filled with about 4-5 wrap set and perfectly cut vermicelli; loved this dish!
-Vietnamese Shaking Beef ($26): tender and flavorful meat served with rice
-Beef Tongue Fried Rice ($21)
-Bun Bo Hue Dry Noodles ($19)
-Seafood Tom Kha Pasta ($22): needed to try this dish since it was a new dish. Enjoyed the shrimp and squid. Loved the spiciness!
-Garlic Noodle with Charred Shrimp ($20)
Overall:
Great, unique dishes— order several dishes for family style. Make a reservation! Would love to come back again.
We ordered:
– garlic noodles with shrimp
– chicken wings
– Bah mi Chao with filet mignon
– crab toast
– pumpkin pie coffee
– egg coffee
We also ordered desert: banana bread pudding and mango sticky rice, despite waiting for 50+min, every other table around us finished and left, and our desert were never served.
The shrimp does not taste fresh, my silverware was dirty before I even used them.
Simply ridiculous dining experience. I would not recommend to anyone.
* Crab Toast with Egg
* Hanoi Spritz
* Chicken Wings
* Sugarcane Kumquat
* Garlic Noodles
{$90 with tip included}
On the surface, the food & drink was delicious. Very rich. Very flavorful. Digging deeper, it is my opinion that if you could communicate more with the wait staff, things could be slightly improved. For example: I would have ordered the toast less over toasted & the eggs over-easy instead of soft-scrambled. The communication is near impossible because it is exponentially the loudest restaurant that has ever existed. It feels like you need to hold your breath until you walk out to resolve the hyper stimulation. All that said, the staff deserves praise for dealing with the stress of the dining room. The staff is very professional and friendly. We enjoyed our meal and would recommend this to friends who enjoy tasty food in loud busy popular spaces.
I am a writer who publishes on concepts of “Prosperity” and has authored two cookbooks.