Nam Song Sheffield: Vietnamese eating at its best is at this bright and lively all-day restaurant - review

It’s like nothing else. It’s far from the shot of espresso at the end of a late night meal or the flat whites we quaff down too easily.

It’s honestly more like a ceremony. The coffee itself is pitch black strong and arrives at the table still dripping through a compact little filter. More than that is the measure of ludicrously sweet evaporated milk you mix it with. You will wait five to 10 minutes - you have no choice in this matter, as the dripping takes as long as it needs - before taking a sip and being supercharged by this high caffeine, high sugar, dopamine delivery system.

It’s also available iced.

So that is the first reason you should visit Năm Sông, tucked away in Dyson Place on Sharrow Vale Road. There’s a second branch in Fulwood Road in Broomhill that I haven’t been to yet, but I’ll go ahead and recommend that one too.

Năm Sông has made the most of its location. Dyson Place is a lovely little courtyard of shops and restaurants and a good stopping off point while exploring Ecclesall Road. This Vietnamese restaurant has used this to the fullest with plenty of outdoor dining seating to enjoy the sun at midday, while indoors is lively with vibrant decoration. It’s absolutely glowing with orange paint and patterned bunting. All those bright stacked up cans of condensed milk are a nice touch too.

I have visited Năm Sông upwards of four, maybe five times now. I’ve taken friends, family and gone by myself, and always come away happy and sleepy full.

Every item I’ve tried has been a winner. Sure, for this review, I’ll tell you the pork bao bun, which comes stuffed with bright, fresh, crunchy veg is still a favourite and the nuoc cham chicken wing starters were a hit with friends.

But I could just as easily tell you how the chicken pho soup (“no coriander please”, which they are always happy to do) has been a treat on wintry days and outside in the sun. I'm also happy to recommend the fully loaded mushroom bahn mi baguettes, which I only got a bit of when I had some of my partner’s when we went with her mum, but it would make a proper filling lunch. This is becoming less a review and more just singing praises about one of my favourite spots in Sheffield.

… okay, one criticism. Ordering requires going to the menu on their website and placing it online. I assume this was done during Covid and has stuck around. The instructions are printed on the menu, help your less tech savvy family member.

If you need any more convincing, there’s always a time of day to visit. The kitchen is open at 10am, shuts at 4pm for an hour and is back for the dinner service by 5pm. The result is you can go for a Vietnamese spin on a fry up for breakfast or just visit for a baguette at lunch. There’s time for a bowl of pho with sides at dinner, or maybe just a portion of spring rolls with a pint at happy hour on weekdays (they have those).

Or just pop in for a coffee.