I have a new cuisine to add to my favorites - Vietnamese!
And my favorite Vietnamese food place? Pho Vietz.
There is always a line outside Pho Vietz during lunch and dinner and it's not surprising to see groups of more than 5 turning up at their door. Here's a rundown of their offerings.
Traditional Vietnamese appetizers of rolls and rice crepes adorn the menu.
Though I didn't eat the spring rolls and the rice crepe rolls, there were nods of approval and hums of 'mmmm' across the table.
The Vietnamese Prawn Salad is made of a large prawn cracker imported from Vietnam topped with blanched prawns, pickled vegetable and glass noodles. The sauce accompanying the salad was sweet and sour, an appetizing start to the meal.
For those with a hankering for rice, there are plenty of rice and meat dish combos to pick from. These 3 are just one of many.
The Vietnamese Sour Soup and Caramel Fish Combo with Rice is a value meal made for two, for one big eater or for a greedy person who wants variety! The soup resembled tom yam minus the heat. Filled with vegetables and prawns (it's there though you don't see it), it was almost a meal of it's own when eaten with rice. The waiter cautioned that the mackerel used in the caramel fish dish would have lots of bones but that didn't deter LC from finishing every single bit. That fried fish in that caramelized sauce was absolutely lip-smacking with rice.
I wanted something other than pho that day so I opted for a traditional beef stew with a baguette. The baguette was baked really well that it was crispy on the outside but was soft and fluffy on the inside. Just right for moping up all that beef stew sauce. The beef chunks were nice and tender. I'd recommend this too.
For those who like the Vietnamese baguette, banh mi, Pho Vietz does a decent job whether it's stuffed with grilled pork, pork balls or grilled chicken. I had a grilled pork version (Famous Vietnamese Baguette) once - 3 layered pork was used so you get a bit of juicy fat in every bite. Taste-wise, it was great, just not in the cut of meat I like. Maybe I'll try the pork ball version next time.
The Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup comes with beef balls and juicy slices of beef, a crowd favorite.
I'm more partial to the Hue Style Spicy Beef Noodle Soup where the soup is spicy. I only wished that there was a way to make it spicier!
Vermicelli bowls are also popular here, I've seen friends have them on several occasions. Eaten like a salad, it's something lighter than the soupy pho or the meaty banh mi.
Usually, a Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk is a must to end our dinners. The coffee beans are probably roasted with sugar as the dripped coffee is sweet even without added sugar. I however like it with condensed milk which provides a milky balance to the coffee besides further adding a touch of sweetness. On a separate occasion, I had a Ciku shake which had a coarse texture like the original fruit so you know you're getting the real thing.
On multiple occasions, Pho Vietz has not disappointed in terms of food quality. The food has been consistently delicious and the service prompt. If only they could cater to more patrons and shorten that agonizing waiting time!
Pho Vietz has branches in Sri Petaling and Atria Shopping Centre and in August, they will be opening a branch in Empire Shopping Gallery.