It’s not easy when you’re embroiled in a ten-year love affair with Vietnamese food but you live in New York. Chef Rob Newton scoured the city for somewhere to satisfy his cravings that were born from the flavours of culinary school experimentation, but in the end gave up and used his knowledge and experience gained travelling around the South East Asian country to open his own place. If you want something doing…

The glamorous name sounds like a call sign from a spy film, but it’s really a throwback to the days when telephone switchboard operators used codes to designate neighbourhoods – Nightingale 9 is on Smith Street in Brooklyn. Although the menu is authentically Vietnamese, the ingredients are thankfully sourced closer to home for freshness – all that is except the unique nước mắm (fermented fish sauce) which is imported from Vietnam, presumably by men in HASMAT suits (anyone who has encountered the stuff will know what we mean). The interior is also authentic, featuring a long, thin dining area decorated with salvaged carved wooden pieces, and communal benches with metal condiment trays full of help-yourself chopsticks and the ubiquitous chilli sauce. Ngon quá!