By Hien Bui
Sandwiched between a residential area and the nondescript acres of Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, there’s a plaza that faces a run-of-the-mill view of a public park. With a location description as lacking in excitement as that, one might not expect to find some of the hottest food spots in Orange County (OC) all lined up in a convenient, mouthwatering row.
It’s worth surviving the amazing scents wafting out of all the stores to make your way to the end of the line and your next go-to spot for breakfast, brunch and possibly lunch: Nep Cafe.
Nep Cafe is a fusion restaurant that offers spins on classic Vietnamese cuisine that are tasty, almost too pretty to eat and refreshingly innovative—which is no easy feat in OC’s expansive and always-Instagrammable food culture.
The “Dao”
The Chinese word “dao” means “path” or “method” and was central to a philosophy called Daoism. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Dao is the process of reality itself, the way things come together, while still transforming.”
Nep Cafe’s “Dao” lives up to its name; the first bite of this appetizer leaves you a changed person. The second bite and so forth have the same effect.
You should not be deceived by the simplicity of this dish’s look, ingredients list or presentation. It is a culinary journey wrapped up in four slices of bread and a little dish of egg souffle from the tentative first dip into the sauce to the confident stab of the yolk underneath.
The understated richness of the cream sauce layered on top of the brilliantly cooked egg makes for the best possible pairing for the garlicky bread.
This dish will leave you wanting to google what a sous vide egg/potato espuma/truffle is and ready to try what else Nep Cafe has to offer.
Banh Mi Chao
Eggs, cha lua, pate and a baguette are staples of Vietnamese food. They can all be combined in a sandwich called a banh mi. Nep Cafe takes these ingredients and the banh mi a step further by separating the ingredients.
The deconstructed banh mi chao is served in a sizzling cast iron skillet with an accompanying baguette.
The flavors on this dish taste like an elevated version of home cooking. The filet mignon, one of the meat options for the dish, is perfectly tender and juicy with the thick sauce covering it. The two eggs are cooked beautifully with a slight crisp around the sides and underneath. The tomatoes pop in your mouth with a warm, bright flavor.
This dish is a bit reminiscent of a typical American breakfast with a uniquely Vietnamese twist that makes it an instant classic for anyone looking to branch out their breakfast selections.
Egg and Ube Coffee
Nep Cafe’s drink menu features some amazing selections but standouts are their ca phe dua ube and ca phe trung (or ube and egg coffee, respectively).
With bases of strong Vietnamese coffee, there are layers of understated ube and egg flavor that are a surprisingly perfect pairing for brunch.
While ube isn’t a new ingredient, some may pause and think twice about the egg coffee. It’s hard to believe that the perfectly fluffy, slight yellow foam on top is really made of eggs. There may be the misconception that it’s just egg yolk dunked into the coffee.
Nep Cafe seems to be committed to elevating eggs as an ingredient—they make an appearance in a number of dishes and always in a unique, unexpected form or taste. This drink is no exception.
The egg foam comes off as more of a slight sweet flavor that has an amazing richness and creaminess to it that takes standard caffeination to another level. When stirred, the coffee and the egg parts of the drink blend seamlessly.
With their ingenious interpretations, creative usage of eggs and amazing quality, Nep Cafe should definitely be considered as the next addition to your breakfast/brunch circuit.
Nep Cafe is located 10836 Warner Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 and is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day of the week.
