Annam Noodle Bar recently opened its second branch at Resorts World Manila!
ANNAM NOODLE BAR
Their first branch is in Eastwood, and with this second branch, it is now more accessible to people from the south. Annam Noodle Bar is the Philippine franchise of the famous NamNam Noodle Bar that started in Singapore.
The latest branch is located at the second floor of Newport City Mall, near the entrance to the casino on the second floor.
It is a casual, open-style restaurant that evokes Vietnamese interiors, but with a more modern aesthetic. It has the same look as their Eastwood branch.
CHEF NAM
Namnam was founded by owner Chef Nam. He is Vietnamese but fled to Denmark with his family in 1979. He is now based in Singapore.
He has worked in various award-winning restaurants and hotels – such as the one Michelin star Le Canard Oslo and the prestigious Sukhothai Bangkok, where he took the reins as Executive Chef. Despite his travels and exposure to various cuisines, Nam returned to his roots and opened the casual quick-service NamNam Noodle Bar. Based on old-world recipes with a modern twist, the robustly flavored dishes transport diners to the vibrant streets of Vietnam.
THE FOOD
Annam serves flavor-packed Vietnamese dishes with bright and punchy aromatics of coriander, lemongrass, etc… Everything is fresh.
There’s the usual pho and spring rolls:
I also like their Banh Mi because they really do use banh mi bread that is soft inside, but has a thin, crispy crust. You can tell just by looking at the cracks on the crusts of these banh mi’s!
Twice cooked Australian beef brisket, fried egg banh mi:
Crispy fried turmeric chicken banh mi:
Smoked salmon, tofu, cream cheese banh mi:
What’s new this time around are their rice dishes! As the name suggests, Annam is a noodle bar, but due to public demand, they are introducing rice meals.
The rice meals are still very Vietnamese – unique and flavorful. What I like about the rice meals is that they are already a complete platter. Instead of just the usual rice + main dish, Annam’s rice meals also include a side dish and vegetables so you’ll also have a variety of textures and flavors in one plate, keeping the meal interesting.
Some of their new rice meals are:
Twice-Cooked Australian Beef Brisket, Imperial Roll (P390):
Crispy Fried Pork Chop with Steamed Egg Meatloaf (P340):
Fried Fish Fillet, Tomato-Turmeric Sauce, Fresh Herbs, Prawn Sugarcane (P320):
Crispy Fried Turmeric Chicken with Steamed Egg Meatloaf (P340):
They have the usual condiments on the table, like liquid seasoning, vinegar, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and hot sauce:
They also introduced some new drinks:
Oh, how I wish I could try them all in one sitting! Nevermind, it just means that I’ll have to go back to Annam and keep trying different drinks. 
That Salted Caramel Banana Iced Coffee sounds yummy!
This is the Pandan Red Bean Iced Tea (P150) that a friend ordered:
I am still very partial to the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (P120) that has enough caffeine to keep you awake until tomorrow!
SUMMARY
I recommend the banh mi’s at Annam Noodle Bar because they use Vietnamese bread and not just ordinary French bread like in other restaurants. This time around, I tried the Twice Cooked Australian Beef Brisket Banh Mi and I really loved the balanced sweet, salty, spicy and umami flavors.
Their rice meals are a great addition to the menu, especially for rice-loving Pinoys. They are already a complete meal. The main meat dishes are soaked with flavor, and the side dishes like their pickled vegetables, cucumbers, herbs, fried spring rolls and steamed egg meatloaf make sure you have all the sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami flavors in one plate, as well as help meet your daily nutritional requirements deliciously. The steamed egg meatloaf is a childhood favorite that my grandmother used to make, so it made me nostalgic for her. I didn’t know that it was also a Vietnamese dish.
While the prices at Annam are a bit on the higher side, one thing I can say is that their vegetables are fresh, their fried rolls are crisp outside but juicy inside and not greasy, and their dishes are generally bombs of flavor. And they deliver on all that flavor without the use of MSG.
Since it is a quick-service casual restaurant, orders also arrive quickly so that’s always a plus, especially when you’re famished!
For how to order, etc… please read my review on the first Annam branch 
Annam Noodle Bar
Second Floor, Resorts World Manila, Newport City, Pasay City
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnamNoodleBar
Instagram: @AnnamNoodleBar
