Dallas’s Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen has opened in New York City
The menu reflects the life and cooking of Hanoi, Vietnam
July 7, 2026
The New York-to-Dallas restaurant pipeline is a busy one, with concepts like Carbone, Catch, Maman, Little Ruby’s, and others expanding into Dallas in recent months and years. It’s less common when a restaurant goes the opposite route, but that’s what happened in June when Dallas’s Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen opened an outpost in New York City’s East Village.
Ngon is soft-open now and will officially celebrate its grand opening on August 3, a date that holds personal meaning for founder Carol Nguyễn, as it marks 25 years since her arrival in the United States.
The new location is situated at the corner or 2nd Ave. and 5th St. in a two-story space. Bougainvillea frame the interior and are peppered throughout the restaurant, paying homage to the paper flowers that appear along balconies and gates in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital.
Phở Hà Nội has clear, aromatic broth.
The original Dallas restaurant was opened as a tribute to Nguyễn’s mother and grandmother, whose recipes helped to inspire and inform the concept. The New York opening is for her daughter, Elys.
“She lives in New York and missed my cooking,” Nguyễn said. “So I opened Ngon there for her, and for anyone else who misses the taste of home.”
Nguyễn noted that operating in New York is different and more challenging than operating in Dallas. And she’s still waiting for a liquor license.
“It’s a very competitive city, but there’s also a growing Vietnamese community and more Vietnamese restaurants opening, so we feel like we are becoming part of something here,” Nguyễn said. “It’s been about four weeks, and the response from New Yorkers has been very welcoming and positive.”
Ngon is rooted in Nguyen’s Hanoi upbringing and the street‑vendor flavors that shaped her early food memories.
Other popular dishes are Bún Chả Hà Nội and fresh rolls.
The restaurant is currently serving a limited menu, as the team settles into the space, and the full menu will become available for the grand opening.
One defining dish is Bún Chả Hà Nội, featuring chargrilled pork patties and pork belly served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce. Ngon serves two styles of chả — sausages or patties made with minced meat or seafood — including one wrapped in lá xương sông, a Vietnamese herb also called wild pepper leaf, that brings some aromatic depth distinctive to Northern Vietnamese cooking.
Another highlight is Bún Bò Huế, a Central Vietnamese noodle soup with a rich, spicy broth and deep layers of flavor. It’s served with beef and pork slices and finished with fresh herbs. There’s also pho, green papaya salad, egg coffee, and fresh rolls.
The menu is mostly the same across both locations, but Nguyễn said that she’s added bún riêu, a crab and tomato-based noodle soup, to the New York menu. There’s also an iced tamarind drink with pineapple jam and roasted peanuts, and house-made desserts.
About the Author
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray is a Dallas-based writer covering independent restaurants for NRN. He also writes for publications including Food & Wine, The Infatuation, and Wine Enthusiast, and he previously served as a correspondent for Restaurant Hospitality. Follow Kevin on Instagram.
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