Mien Tay
122 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8DP
Eating Vietnamese is an essential Shoreditch and Hackney experience (Kingsland Road has been rechristened ‘Pho Road’ for the huge number of basic and refreshingly cheap Vietnamese noodle restaurants) and Mien Tay is one of the best places to do it, serving authentic and beautifully presented south Vietnamese cuisine. There’s a strong accent on fish dishes – the chef hails from the Mekong Delta region – and the goat dishes are also recommended, unlikely as they may sound. It’s not the place for an intimate meal – unless your date is a cheap one, that is – but the food is excellent.