Xixo Vietnamese restaurant - Gedempte Oude Gracht 127 ZW

Extremly delicious South and North Vietnamese Food made with Love. Chef is a wonderfull person and an amazing Cook. Really apprechiate. See you next time in Haarlem. ?

I ordered rice vermicelli with chicken and 2 chicken spring rolls. Truly haven't had a meal I enjoyed this much in a long, long time. A really kind owner who clearly loves his craft.

Xixo might not be the restaurant you were expecting when looking from the outside, but don’t be fooled - you will thank yourself for walking in and be blessed to have a seat in this place. The owner - Jayron - is the receptionist, cleaner, waiter, wine connoisseur and chef. Yes, this place is a one man band. So what? Doesn’t sound so impressive when reading a review... but wait till you sit, experience the hospitality, and taste the food, to really understand the magician that Jayron is. We had 4 courses and still could not get enough. We ended up asking for seconds of the last dish - and that was not because we were not well fed. Our bellies struggled to make the extra room, but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make. Every single dish we were presented with was obviously made with fresh, quality ingredients, passion and authenticity - by a chef who truly loves doing this. It was a feast for all the senses; the colours in the food complimented eachother perfectly, every plate like a picture, the combination of smells from spices, herbs and broths tantalising. Then you get to actually tasting... wow. Your stomach won’t be left out of the experience either, the portions are not shy. Can HIGHLY recommend the Pho Bo Tai; 15 hour slow cooked beef to die for - and fried rice, like I’ve never tasted before, with so many colourful vegetables and herbs added it’s a feast in itself. And if you like wine, ask Jayron about his aerator! The chef not only makes amazing plates of food, but wonderful condiments to go with it. His “hot sauce” (not sure the names of them, there were a few!) really has a unique (amazing) taste - not just blowing your mouth off with spice, but whilst being hot enough for a chilli lover, still having somehow a sweet caramelised taste behind it. About some other reviews I saw regarding the speed of service - I think now that the new premises is smaller / more intimate, this issue won’t ever happen again. He has recently downsized from a larger establishment to now having only around 4 tables. The service we had was faultless. The setting may not be to everyone’s taste, with the tables / seating being basic yet comfortable - if you want to be in a fancy high class environment with mediocre overpriced rations of food, this is not for you. But, if you are interested in learning from a true Vietnamese chef, feeling welcomed and at home in the surroundings whilst enjoying some seriously well made dishes - you won’t be disappointed. If I could eat here every day, I would. And every time I’m within an hour radius of Haarlem, I will.

Great service although you should not be in a hurry because owner is cook and waiter but just very good food! Even possible to get a vegan Pho off menu with an amazing tasting broth. Looking fwd to the next time.

Delicious! The place is a true gem. Everything was prepared with care, you can see that the chef really puts his passion into the food!

I came to this Vietnamese restaurant with my friend from HK. My friend and I are both foodies (well, being Cantonese definitely make us foodies), before we even entered the place we smelled delicious pho soup from the outside already! Then we ordered pho and some summer rolls. My friend tried many Vietnamese restaurants and she said here is the most authentic and best taste one she ever been to in the Netherlands! Simply because this place make this fried rolls where other Vietnamese restaurants don’t offer! It’s good priced and great value of quality food!!! Will definitely recommend this place if you like authentic Vietnamese food!

Small and intimate restaurant, but the owner is absolutely incredible. He is the wait staff and the chef. We self served our own beers, but the owner had such attention to detail and even checked to see if we enjoyed coriander. The food was incredible and we could tell that he used the freshest ingredients. Next time we’re in Haarlem again, we will be going back.

If you want amazing Pho this is the place to go! Everything was on point, the broth was hearty, the chicken was tender! On top of everything the owner was so sweet and passionate about food.