I’m serious… this place had was one of the best meals of my life. It is situated in Queens and across the street from this scrap metal yard. Not exactly the most exciting area and not something you stumble upon randomly. We had to wait for a table and it was 6PM. This place is michelin rated but kind of a dive. Not the nicest restaurant, but I think this is what gives it such character. Seriously, you walk in and everything is super simple, just tables and chairs. Nothing fancy. But the food will BLOW you away. I mean, it blew me away.
First up came the Pho Ga, which is chicken pho. It is technically a main course, but it ended up being an appetizer for us. Just plain delicious. The broth was flavorful and the chicken was not dry or chewy, it had a good texture. You don’t need to add much to make it taste good. It was the perfect start to our meal.
Next up came the tuna and corn salad and the Traditional Banh Xeo. The flavor of the corn salad was so complex; spicy, sweet, acidic and just perfect all around. The curry was not overpowering in the salad and then coated the seared tuna on top. So light and delicious on a summer night. Now, the banh xeo is a crispy vietnamese crepe packed with shrimp, bacon, egg, bean sprouts and then you wrap it with lettuce. It is essentially a fried version of a breakfast sandwich, with shrimp. The combinations of flavors inside were amazing and the bacon was subtle. Just buttery goodness but you think it is somewhat light because you wrap it with lettuce. So its like salad, right? Totally.
Now, for the main courses….
Crispy Softshell Crab Banh Mi. My sisters favorite. It’s basically fried soft-shell crab stuffed into a roll. Then you’ve got some cucumber and other crunchy veggies to offset the crab texture. You can’t really go wrong here. You had me at fried soft-shell crab.
Ga Ri Ga. Curry bobo chicken, lemongrass, organic local carrots & potatoes, roti. I mean, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It was little pieces of chicken on the bone and cooked until perfectly tender. Slathered in a yellow curry; slightly spicy and creamy. Dip the roti in there, BOMB.com. Roti is basically Indian fried filo dough. So, what you make pastriest with. But fried. YEAH. This was my favorite dish hands down. Nailed it.
Last but not least, Grilled Lemongrass Black Angus Short Ribs on vermicelli, shiso and peanuts. This grilled angus short ribs, seasoned to a T. Then you’ve got fried scallions and peanuts over these thin (vermicelli) rice noodles. The char from the short ribs created a great complex flavor that leaked into the noodles. The sauce was slightly sweet but cut with a bit of peanut flavor.
All in all, every single thing we ordered was spectacular. I have ZERO complaints. If you like vietnamese food and you are in NYC or are visiting, this place is an absolute MUST. I would say just go here even if you aren’t a fan of vietnamese food. It will NOT disappoint. You are making a mistake if you DON’T go here.
I hope you drooled over the pictures.. because I’m drooling thinking about eating that meal again.
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