909 Sleater Kinney Rd SE, Lacey
Date of visit: 7/24/07
What we had:
Pho Tai Nam, Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio, spring rolls
The broth in the Pho Tai Nam (rice noodles in beef soup served with beef flank steak and beef brisket) wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked.
The spring roll wasn't wrapped tightly so the contents spilled out into the peanut sauce after the first bite. Good thing the peanut sauce was yummy.
This version of Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio (vermicelli rice noodles served with charcoal grilled pork, egg rolls, salad greens, and herbs) is passable, but not the greatest I've ever had. The pork was a bit rubbery in texture and the accompanying Nước chấm's flavor was on the tame side.
Showing posts with label vietnamese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vietnamese. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Little Saigon Cuisine ^^^½
237 Division St NW, Olympia
Date of visit: 5/17/07
What we had:
Pad Thai w/ chicken, #6 Soup, spring rolls, Thai iced tea, Cà phê sữa đá
While the name of the #6 soup has been forgotten during the ride home, the unique flavors in the soup are memorable. Rice noodles, clear broth, squid, prawns, bbq pork, and ground pork aren't a combination normally seen but surprisingly they work well together.
Spring rolls should always taste as good as this. Fresh mint leaves and quality lettuce and bbq pork set them apart from your average spring roll. The peanut dipping sauce was a perfect blend with essences of real peanuts and hoisin.
The cà phê sữa đá was too sweet and it was served already mixed so there wasn't the fun element of waiting for the coffee to drip through the filter, stirring it together, and pouring it over ice.
The pad thai was unexpectedly not orange, but rather a more greenish in color. This didn't detract one bit from its flavor and the flavor of the similarly colored sauce. Bits of chicken breast were mingling with the noodles and tasted as if they were marinated for hours prior to being cooked.
My skewered chicken strips were quite tasty, with a nice tumeric spice, mildly peppered flavor. Again, they must have been marinated for hours to achieve the flavor.
The Thai iced tea was on par with the cà phê sữa đá, in that it was rather sweet, even for my liking of sweets. A first-timer with the iced tea...though, I would order it again, no question. What's not to like about iced tea that's creamy and sweet with a hint of what seemed to be caramel?
The service overall was quite acceptable. The servers could have been a bit more attentive to us when ready to order. They did visit our table more often throughout the course of the meal making sure we were satisfied.
Date of visit: 5/17/07
What we had:
Pad Thai w/ chicken, #6 Soup, spring rolls, Thai iced tea, Cà phê sữa đá
While the name of the #6 soup has been forgotten during the ride home, the unique flavors in the soup are memorable. Rice noodles, clear broth, squid, prawns, bbq pork, and ground pork aren't a combination normally seen but surprisingly they work well together.
Spring rolls should always taste as good as this. Fresh mint leaves and quality lettuce and bbq pork set them apart from your average spring roll. The peanut dipping sauce was a perfect blend with essences of real peanuts and hoisin.
The cà phê sữa đá was too sweet and it was served already mixed so there wasn't the fun element of waiting for the coffee to drip through the filter, stirring it together, and pouring it over ice.
The pad thai was unexpectedly not orange, but rather a more greenish in color. This didn't detract one bit from its flavor and the flavor of the similarly colored sauce. Bits of chicken breast were mingling with the noodles and tasted as if they were marinated for hours prior to being cooked.
My skewered chicken strips were quite tasty, with a nice tumeric spice, mildly peppered flavor. Again, they must have been marinated for hours to achieve the flavor.
The Thai iced tea was on par with the cà phê sữa đá, in that it was rather sweet, even for my liking of sweets. A first-timer with the iced tea...though, I would order it again, no question. What's not to like about iced tea that's creamy and sweet with a hint of what seemed to be caramel?
The service overall was quite acceptable. The servers could have been a bit more attentive to us when ready to order. They did visit our table more often throughout the course of the meal making sure we were satisfied.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Phở 38 ^^^^
3815 South Steele St, Tacoma
Date of visit: 5/16/07
What we had:
Various types of Phở (including rare beef, meatballs, and brisket), spring rolls, and pot stickers.
Bowls of steaming Phở were served up soon after ordering. The broth was satisfying and once the obligatory basil, hot peppers, bean sprouts, and lime juice were added, the complex yet balanced flavors was nothing short of beautiful.
The Cà phê sữa đá (iced chicory coffee) didn't disappoint either. It was strong and sweet, the perfect complement to the meal.
Date of visit: 5/16/07
What we had:
Various types of Phở (including rare beef, meatballs, and brisket), spring rolls, and pot stickers.
Bowls of steaming Phở were served up soon after ordering. The broth was satisfying and once the obligatory basil, hot peppers, bean sprouts, and lime juice were added, the complex yet balanced flavors was nothing short of beautiful.
The Cà phê sữa đá (iced chicory coffee) didn't disappoint either. It was strong and sweet, the perfect complement to the meal.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Noodle Dynasty Restaurant ^^^
4315 6th Ave SE Suite A, Lacey
Date of visit: 5-2-07 - ^^
What we had:
Almond chicken, pork fried rice, egg roll, wonton soup, sweet and sour pork
The food and service were both decent. What stood out for me was the wonton soup. Light flavor, piping hot, generous use of green onion- it's what I would order as a main dish on a future visit.
The almond chicken was what you'd normally expect, no surprises, though I wasn't crazy with the slightly too much crunch to the breading.
The fried rice was bland, though the slices of bbq pork throughout were a nice addition.
A slight salad comprised of shredded lettuce and rice vinegar seasoned julienned carrots would have been better had the lettuce been given a sprinkle of the rice vinegar as well.
The egg roll was decent, nothing notable about it though.
Though the sweet and sour pork was coated with that unnatural glowing red stuff passed off as sweet and sour sauce, surprisingly the pork itself was tender upon biting into it- a pleasant change from most restaurants in the area.
Service was okay. Fairly attentive and very polite. Food was served quickly.
---------------------
Date of visit: 5/22/07 - ^^^½
What we had:
Wonton soup w/ bbq pork and wonton soup with roasted chicken, Vietnamese chicken sandwiches
Best wonton soup outside of San Francisco's Chinatown, hands down. Savory broth, rice noodles, hearty wonton, and a generous helping of on-the-bone roasted chicken with bok choy and green onion.
The sandwiches were a good deal at under three dollars. The bread tasted freshly baked, roasted chicken, julienned carrot and cucumber, onion, and a surprise- green peppers. If you're not a fan of jalapeños, you might want to request them to hold the peppers. Normally though, Vietnamese sandwiches have a light vinegar based dressing, where this one involved mayonnaise. These would be a good choice to pick-up on your way to Huntamer Park for the City of Lacey's Summer Concerts in the Park or Outdoor Cinema series this summer.
Date of visit: 5-2-07 - ^^
What we had:
Almond chicken, pork fried rice, egg roll, wonton soup, sweet and sour pork
The food and service were both decent. What stood out for me was the wonton soup. Light flavor, piping hot, generous use of green onion- it's what I would order as a main dish on a future visit.
The almond chicken was what you'd normally expect, no surprises, though I wasn't crazy with the slightly too much crunch to the breading.
The fried rice was bland, though the slices of bbq pork throughout were a nice addition.
A slight salad comprised of shredded lettuce and rice vinegar seasoned julienned carrots would have been better had the lettuce been given a sprinkle of the rice vinegar as well.
The egg roll was decent, nothing notable about it though.
Though the sweet and sour pork was coated with that unnatural glowing red stuff passed off as sweet and sour sauce, surprisingly the pork itself was tender upon biting into it- a pleasant change from most restaurants in the area.
Service was okay. Fairly attentive and very polite. Food was served quickly.
---------------------
Date of visit: 5/22/07 - ^^^½
What we had:
Wonton soup w/ bbq pork and wonton soup with roasted chicken, Vietnamese chicken sandwiches
Best wonton soup outside of San Francisco's Chinatown, hands down. Savory broth, rice noodles, hearty wonton, and a generous helping of on-the-bone roasted chicken with bok choy and green onion.
The sandwiches were a good deal at under three dollars. The bread tasted freshly baked, roasted chicken, julienned carrot and cucumber, onion, and a surprise- green peppers. If you're not a fan of jalapeños, you might want to request them to hold the peppers. Normally though, Vietnamese sandwiches have a light vinegar based dressing, where this one involved mayonnaise. These would be a good choice to pick-up on your way to Huntamer Park for the City of Lacey's Summer Concerts in the Park or Outdoor Cinema series this summer.
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