38382069
My sister Sandy believes we have the same taste in food. She adores my cooking, especially roast chicken or capon, matzo ball soup, burgers, beef cooked in red wine. But she has no sense of adventure when it comes to trying new foods.
She will not eat pork, although she loves bacon. If bits of it are heavily disguised in an egg roll or spring roll she throws caution to the wind. Sandy will not try foie gras, sweetbreads or lamb. We grew up eating lamb chops once a week or duck. No matter how hard I try, she does not believe me when I tell her boneless breast of duck tastes like steak.
So the upcoming dilemma was this. Will she try Vietnamese food? It is my favorite Asian cuisine because of the French influence and is generally lighter than other Asian fare. I knew we would steer clear of octopus and squid.
I decided to hold my breath and take Sandy to Le Viet, a Vietnamese restaurant at 11th Street and Washington Avenue which opened in the spring. Edward joined us for what turned out to be a charming evening. As long as we kept things safe, that is.
The restaurant is a large space with banquettes lining one wall and tables and chairs in the center of the room. The large, open kitchen afforded me a fine vista of the goings on. About a dozen people were celebrating a friend’s birthday and there were a few couples having dinner.
The first thing Sandy did was to ask for a fork. She won’t try chopsticks. Since Le Viet is BYOB, we brought a bottle of grassy Sauvignon Blanc.
We sampled three appetizers. First up were cha gio ($3.95), which were prepared with a mix of shrimp and pork rolled into a thin rice paper and deep fried. They were brown and crisp and free of grease. Goi cuon were a first for Sandy. This starter was made with prawns, vermicelli and pork rolled in rice paper with fresh mint and basil. I first thought Sandy would nix the peanut dipping sauce, but she actually liked it.
“You don’t think it’s weird?” I asked.
“No. It’s delicious. I like peanut butter so I like this,” she said.
Crepes are a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. Sandy likes blintzes, so I told her these would be a savory version. We shared the banh xeo ($9.95), which was slightly crisp and filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and scallions. The light as a feather crepe came with fresh lettuce and herbs.
I can eat hot soup in any weather. If the air conditioning is pumping, I have no problem tucking into a big bowl of piping hot soup. Although it was a brutally hot evening, we ordered pho Le Viet ha noi ($8.50). The pot was brimming with steak, flank steak, brisket, meatballs, noodles and tripe swimming in a light homemade broth. We ladled the soup into our bowls and had to wait a minute before sampling. It was really steaming. All it required was a sprinkling of salt. I showed Sandy how to tear some Thai basil and put it into the soup along with bean sprouts and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The beef, which was gently simmered in stock, was tender. I ate the tripe, Sandy did not. Anyone who loves pho knows it is a meal in a bowl. This soup was so satisfying we had to stop eating it and tote half home.
We steered clear of any dish prepared with cilantro because Sandy believes it tastes like soap. Still, I knew she would like an entrée prepared with lemongrass. Ga xao xa ot ($11.95) consisted of tender slices of chicken breast sautéed in lemongrass and served with a side of rice. The dish was on the spicy side, but not overly spiced. The heat was just right.
We ended our culinary trip to Vietnam with com chien tom cua ($12.95), a delicious mix of fried rice studded with jumbo lump crabmeat and shrimp. Half of it went home with us.
Service was excellent. Several servers watched the tables, filled our water glasses and gave us fresh plates for each course.
It’s funny. I have no desire to go to China, but I have always wanted to visit Vietnam. It is a beautiful country with delicious cuisine. Dining at Le Viet was the next best thing to calling the airline.
Three tips of the toque to Le Viet.
Le Viet
1019 S. 11th St.
215-463-1570
38384604
38382064
