If the name Med Salleh sounded familiar, that’s because Med Salleh Kopitiam is a hugely popular halal Malaysian restaurant in Queensway. It’s one we visit fairly often as well, especially when we were not able to get a table at our go-to Normah’s restaurant. Med Salleh Viet is its sister restaurant as founders, Med & Koi, decided to venture into filling the gap of halal Vietnamese food in London.
Authentic halal Vietnamese food is one that’s severely lacking in London. There may have been a few halal-friendly pan-Asian places that claim to make Vietnamese pho, but they are not even remotely close to how they should be. A trip to Vietnam (or southeast Asia in general) would’ve left you utterly appalled with the quality of the so-called halal Vietnamese food you receive in the UK. I can vividly remember my trip to Da Nang in Vietnam and devouring a bowl of halal beef pho at Thien Ly Restaurant – the taste and experience were unrivalled.
The closest authentic halal Vietnamese pho I’ve had was from Ban Be, a delivery-only restaurant in east London. Unfortunately, since we live in west London, it’s not one we could visit often. Therefore, we’ve been absolutely ecstatic with Med Salleh Viet opening in West London.
Med Salleh Viet Pho & Grill: Authentic Halal Vietnamese Home Cooking
Not too far off from their original Malaysian restaurant in Queensway, Med Salleh Viet is situated on Chepstow Road in Westbourne Park. Chef Syphong Lam, the wife of co-founder Koi runs the kitchen of Med Salleh Viet restaurant. Her culinary skills & knowledge are inherited from her parents, who had years of experience running a Vietnamese restaurant. This inspired her husband to open a new Vietnamese restaurant to share the beauty of the cuisine with the wider public, especially the halal dining market.
All meats served are halal at Med Salleh Viet Pho & Grill Restaurant.
The Food at Med Salleh Viet (what we ordered)
Date of visit: May 2023
Summer Rolls
The summer rolls were actually an accident when they mixed up our order for the Crispy Spring Rolls. But it’s been a delightful mistake as these summer rolls were tremendously delicious! I enjoyed the simplicity of it, with just prawns, lettuce, and cellophane noodles wrapped in thin rice paper. They were refreshing to taste and the sauces really brought everything to life. Whether it’s the nuoc cham (fish sauce) or the hoisin peanut sauce, they were both fantastic accompaniments to the dish.
Crispy Spring Rolls
The crispy spring rolls were lovely too. They were stuffed with shredded vegetables and cellophane noodles, then fried to the perfect golden crispiness as you can see in the image. It’s got a mild peppery kick of flavours, though not as punchily flavoured as the ones I remember having in Vietnam. Nonetheless, they were good and great to pair with a side of sweet chilli sauce.
Classic Rare Beef Pho
The secret of pho lies in the broth. It’s a labour of love, taking a full day of cooking, at the very least, to extract the best flavours. Incredibly clean to taste with a wonderfully sweet undertone, the broth here at Med Salleh Viet has certainly nailed it. The broth comes in a pot and is poured into the bowl in front of you upon serving. An alluring fragrance filled the table as the broth gets poured in and the hot broth starts cooking the rare beef slices. Every spoonful of broth tasted pleasantly natural, without a single hint of artificial flavours. In our personal opinions, perhaps just a teeny pinch more salt or fish sauce would give it a little more oomph.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Last but not least, I couldn’t leave without enjoying a glass of Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Expect a strong hit of coffee, laced with sweetness from the condensed milk, and a silky velvety texture. It’s not too sweet and, overall, had a great balance. The coffee itself was incredibly fragrant and aromatic as well. Vietnamese coffee is certainly the king of iced coffees and I’m glad to be able to have a pretty decent one here at Med Salleh Viet.
Restaurant Review Summary
It’s been a long-awaited time for an authentic halal Vietnamese restaurant to open up in London and I couldn’t be more thrilled for Med Salleh Viet. if you love Vietnamese food and share the same frustration as I did with the lack of representation & options in the UK, you won’t be disappointed with a visit here. I would like to also mention that our visit was on their very first day of opening so I can imagine things will only improve from there. The menu is currently relatively small and I hope that, with time, more dishes will be added to showcase the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine. We’re particularly hoping to see something like a spicy pho option (e.g. Bun Bo Hue) and other regional specialities on the menu!
OUR RATING:
Halal Status
All meats served are halal.
Med Salleh Viet Restaurant Information
Nearest station:
Westbourne Park / Royal Oak
Tel: 020 7221 8031
Restaurant Website
Instagram