Viet Huong

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On a cold winter’s day about a year ago, I began to do some research on the number of Vietnamese restaurants in Philadelphia. Chinatown has a few that I enjoy, but South Philly is the place for me when I hunger for a bowl of pho or a few appetizers that comprise a meal.

I came upon Viet Huong on Washington Avenue and immediately set out to try it. I was not very hungry, but a bowl of pho would constitute a satisfying early dinner.

I ordered the beef ball noodle soup ($7.50). A large, deep bowl was filled with rich broth, tender tasty meatballs and long thin noodles. As is the custom, a platter of fresh fragrant basil, mint leaves, bean sprouts and a wedge of lime arrived with it. The flavors were spot on, but I thought the broth could have been hotter. Crispy spring rolls ($3.50) were tasty and not a bit greasy. I made a note to return to the restaurant for a review.

Viet Huong is adjacent to a small Vietnamese market where I found hot sausages for sale. A man seated us at a roomy booth and brought us a complimentary pot of hot tea. Customers help themselves to chopsticks, soup spoons and hot sauce from the caddy on the table.

There are 288 items on the menu, not including several family style dinners. The front of the menu consists of color photographs of many items, but our knowledgeable waiter advised us to pay close attention to the rest of the menu that included descriptions of each item.

We began dinner with summer rolls ($3.50), one of my favorite starters. We received two plump rolls filled with shrimp, pork, basil and cool vermicelli noodles. Sometimes these rolls are overfilled with too many noodles, but the balance here was just right. A small dish of peanut dipping sauce came with the rolls. Diners can also order summer rolls filled with chicken.

Shredded pork rolls ($3.50) were prepared with tasty, tender barbecued pork and vegetables. What I enjoy about Vietnamese food is the even keel use of sweet and spicy (does not mean hot). The dipping sauce that came with the pork rolls was a good example of this practice.

Since I wanted a big bowl of soup for my entrée, I searched the menu for one more appetizer or salad. Unfortunately, our waiter told us the cold raw beef salad — a hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine — was not available. I came across fried potato shrimp cupcakes ($5.95), a dish I had never tried.

A mix of minced potatoes and shrimp was formed into cupcakes, coated with crumbs and deep fried. They were served with green leaf lettuce, basil, mint leaves, bean sprouts and the sweet and spicy dipping sauce I enjoyed with the pork rolls. I thought the potato shrimp mixture was a little dry, but the sauce added a bit of moisture. I also liked the pickled carrot and turnip sticks that were included on the plate.

Since I tried the pho on my earlier visit, I was intrigued about Viet Huong’s wonton noodle soup ($7.25). This is, hands down, one of my favorite soups in the world. It was large enough to share. The broth imparted a slightly sweet flavor, which was a first for me in any Asian restaurant. It could have been hotter as well. The wontons were handmade with light silky wrappers and filled with pork. I pulled the slender noodles apart with my chopsticks for easy eating. Bean sprouts and thinly sliced scallions floated in the broth.

Every time I dine in a Vietnamese restaurant, many patrons are eating pho. This soup has become so popular, it might just be the soup that best represents Philly, especially South Philly.

Three tips of the toque to Viet Huong.

Viet Huong

1110 Washington Ave.
215-336-5030

Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.

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