NEP Cafe - Irvine

Had a great brunch here over the weekend. The space is bright, modern, and very comfortable, with plenty of natural light — perfect for a relaxed meal. We ordered several dishes to share and everything was solid. 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.

Came during happy hour. The happy hr start from 2pm to 5pm. I've ordered Seafood ceviche, it was ok. Chicken wings (6 pcs) chicken was tendered, skin was crispy, drizzle with camelized fish sauce. It was delicious! Beef belly bánh mì chao came with bread, personally I think it's too fattening but it was good. Garlic shrimp pasta was great. All staff are friendly, fast and efficient. Great customer service. Good place to hang out with friends and family. Definitely recommend to everyone.

10/10 experience here at NEP Cafe! We got the Crème brûlée Vietnamese coffee (elite) and the egg coffee (also delicious)! 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 party of 7 made a reservation on a Friday night and I highly recommend making a one regardless of your party size. Located in a plaza that shares a parking lot with many other establishments. Even though there seemed to have a lot of spots, it was completely packed. 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.

Nep offers a fantastic contemporary take on Vietnamese cuisine. The dishes were excellent and very well-executed. I was also really impressed by their selection of flavored Vietnamese coffees—they are unique and delicious! The only downside was our waiter, who wasn't very friendly or welcoming. Great food, but the service could definitely use some improvement

We visited during a weekend day for brunch. The food is okay but service is horrendous. 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.

This was our 1st time here. They’ve yummy, yummy food and beverages.The servers were exemplary- courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. I will totally come here again and if you’re in Irvine, I strongly recommend you check it out.