Although this place is located right next to one of the Minsk restaurant staple places – “Beryozka”, Vietnam Café tends to be overlooked by visitors (perhaps due to that exact reason).

I paid it a visit having no expectations but with the firm intent to fill my stomach with some Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef and noodle soup) and whatever else this place could offer me as the main course.

An important note to make is that most places in Minsk offer relatively small portions and if you want to feel full you’d probably have to opt for a full course, i.e. appetizer/ soup (or both) + main course + side dish (if not included in the main course bundle) + dessert. Being used to this, me and my date ordered exactly that save for dessert: 2 soups, an appetizer, 2 main courses and a glass of bubble tea to wash it all down. I barely finished my food with my date succeeding only in completing roughly 60% of it.

The food is great but next time I will be careful what I wish for because this place can, and probably will exceed the expectations of a Minsk foodie in terms of portion size.

It appears that this place is a business run by a very hospitable Vietnamese family which definitely adds to the authenticity. It’s going to stay in my books as one of the best bang for the buck places with nutritious tasty meals and a great location.