Deeply rooted in Vietnamese culinary traditions, Noya’s journey with Vietnamese food began at a young age. As the eldest daughter, responsibility fell upon her early on, and a stand out, poignant memory involves shopping for food for her four siblings and preparing rice in a Hong Kong refugee camp while her parents worked. This was shortly after Noya’s family made their departure from Vietnam in a boat when she was just seven years old. Settling in the UK, Vietnamese cuisine became the family’s connection to the culture that they had left behind. It became Noya’s personal joy to share the vibrant flavours of her favourite dishes with friends and customers, a culinary bridge back to her heritage.
Vietnamese cuisine, in essence, revolves around balance. It's a celebration of simplicity and freshness, enriched by an array of aromatic herbs that transcend mere garnish, playing a vital role in Noya’s Kitchen’s dishes. The layers of flavour, controlled spice levels tailored to individual preferences with the use of chilli and dipping fish sauce, define the essence of Vietnamese cooking. At Noya’s Kitchen, each dish is crafted to order using the freshest ingredients. Noya is proud to maintain a deliberately small menu, ensuring manageability while offering a broad enough selection to tantalise a variety of taste buds. Noya herself says “I was proud to open my own Vietnamese cafe in central Bath in December 2017. It's a beautiful, homely, Grade II listed building, and I'm so excited to welcome you to 7 St James's Parade.”
Enjoy fresh rice paper rolls with marinated lemongrass and garlic prawns, mango, fresh herbs and vermicelli noodles, along with crispy prawn dumplings topped with homemade chilli jam and served with a dipping sauce, or An's Vietnamese chicken curry served with Jasmine rice and pickled red onion.