Tay Do Restaurant

Vietnamese restaurants in London are going from strength to strength, but – like everything in Shoreditch – everyone says that they were before the trend. When we tell you that Tay Do Restaurant have been in business since 2000, well before the current vogue for Vietnam, we’re not asserting their inalienable hipster credentials, we’re simply stating the enduring popularity that they have enjoyed among the locals in this part of East London. Pay them a visit on Kingsland Road and it won’t take you long to realise why the punters keep on coming back: a simple menu of Saigon specialities, cooked in the traditional manner and served quickly in a welcoming environment. Book a table online today and try them out for yourself.

Tay Do has stood on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch since the summer of 2000, and can lay a claim to being among the first Vietnamese restaurants in East London. They pride themselves on their originality: aside from the trail-blazing in terms of popularising their cuisine in Shoreditch they also emphasise the authenticity of their dishes. Thanh Nguyen and Thanh Pham, the husband and wife team that founded the restaurant, recreate the taste of their home town of Tay Do (now called Can Tho) in South Vietnam, through a menu that is packed with the classics of the cuisine and a whole host of street food favourites.

When you arrive at Tay Do on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, you’re going to head straight for the starters. We’d recommend the house platter, which includes spring rolls, prawn toast, fried spare ribs and crispy seaweed, or the green papaya salad with shredded dry beef or seafood. Follow that up with a proper bowl of pho – Vietnamese national dish, a soup with beef and rice noodles – or a seafood special, such as the special king prawns with chilli and lemongrass or the braised Mekong cat fish baked in a clay pot with caramel sauce. Whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed by the food on offer at Tay Do – just remember to book a table before you arrive, as this is one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in East London and they will fill up.