Hidden between a nail bar and a barber’s you will find a beautifully-decorated and authentic Vietnamese restaurant.

Don’t believe me? You might just have to go there yourself to find out...

For this week’s Eat My Words I decided to try Roll 'n’ Bowl in Pudding Lane, Maidstone.

I wanted to dine with a clear mind, but to be honest my expectations were high for this place.

The restaurants along Pudding Lane had a good rep in my eyes, as I had previously reviewed the authentic Italian eatery La Villetta, which was just a couple of doors down.

My colleagues also had a positive Greek lunch at Pitta Souvlaki nearby and gave glowing remarks about its Philadelphia kebab, halloumi burger box and bougatsa.

This place was beautifully decorated with what looked like floating woven lanterns, which gave it an amazing ambience.

Wooden pillars were decorated with plants and green vines – they were fake but still added to the vibe.

A colourful mural was painted on one wall, with a mirror set on the other, making the place seem bigger than it was.

As I haven’t been to Vietnam I don’t have a comparison, but if I was whisked away I could tell this was the sort of place which would be by a beach or hidden away from the hustle and bustle of a city.

It was hard to believe the building was once a kitchen supply shop.

The only thing that brought me back to Kent was Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish blasting out of the speakers.

After picking our seats we started perusing what was available.

We felt slightly on display and noticed several people would walk past, stop and peer inside.

A bit of privacy film on at least half of the window panes would have made us feel slightly more at ease.

We went for a traditional Vietnamese iced latte to start, called bạc xỉu (£4.95) and some prawn crackers (£3) to share.

The drink was perfectly refreshing, although I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t have a sweet tooth. I, however, wished it came in a bigger glass!

There was plenty on offer, with different versions of the same dish – it was great if you preferred chicken or veg over beef.

I decided to go for the pho ga gion (£11.95) - a national dish, described as an “aromatic, healthy and delicious rice noodle soup served with bean sprout and herbs”.

This came with a big chunk of crispy chicken on the side and a honey chilli sauce.

My mum chose the com vit (£11.90) - a roast duck with rice and steamed pak choi.

We arrived just before 5.30pm, ordered and received the food all within about 30 minutes.

Both dishes were presented beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised at the portion sizes.

The broth, vegetables and noodles were all aromatic and I felt quite healthy inhaling them – that’s if you didn’t spy the large piece of deep-fried chicken on the side.

I wasn’t presented with cutlery and instead used chopsticks, but I liked the challenge.

Despite this, I struggled to eat the chicken, which became a handsy, greasy and grubby mess.

I think I’d preferred it to have been cut up or even shredded in the bowl, rather than whole.

My mum and I agreed the meals were filling and full of flavour, but not too spicy.

Plus they were good value for money compared to other establishments and popular chains in the area.

The lady who served us was very polite and asked if we had been before or if it was the first time we had tried Vietnamese food.

Was it that obvious? Did we look that scared?

I asked how you would pronounce “pho” and was told to say it like “f-ugh”.

She also said they had been around for about five months, which was slightly shocking as I normally know of all the new places to try in my home town.

How had it gone under the radar so long?

The restaurant seemed like some sort of secret venue that only a special select few knew about. A hidden gem I was glad I’d found.

Roll 'n’ Bowl says it serves “home-cooked” and “authentic” cuisine with “unbeatable prices”.

Most of the tables around us were filled with customers, which was a sign it had met that brief.

We certainly enjoyed ourselves, so they must be doing something right!

Out of five:

Food: If this is what all Vietnamese food tastes like, then sign me up. *****

Drink: A varied choice of drinks, ours were a little pricey but still tasted amazing. I only wish there was more of it in the glass. ***

Decor: A beautifully curated interior. It just needs a slight music change and privacy film added. ***

Staff: The servers were shy, polite and attentive. They made us feel comfortable as we had no idea what we were ordering. ****

Price: The total came to £40.03, including a service charge. Both meals were around £11, which is such good value for Maidstone. *****