Billiard Hoang

I've been wanting to check out Billiard Hoang for many years now.  However, it just never worked out every time we've been in Seattle.  It wasn't only because we couldn't fit it into our schedule.  Rather, the place gets pretty busy during dinner time.  To combat this, we arrived at 5:00pm on a Sunday.  In turn, we had our pick of seats and also there was plenty of parking.  Our plan was to order lots, and then after our meal, play some pool!

We ordered a few appetizers including the Duck Salad.  With a bed of greens including herbs, cabbage, onion and pickled carrot & daikon, there was no shortage of crunch, tang and aromatics.  On top, there was a chopped duck leg which was super tender with the classic gelatinous texture.  It was well-salted where the meat was flavorful without being too salty.

Next we tried something I don't see very often - Roasted Quails.  These had some passing similarity to roasted squab, but just smaller.  Seasoning was supplied by some five-spice, soy and sugar.  There was a beautiful lacquered appearance where the skin was rendered and flavorful.  We found the meat to be succulent where we picked all of it clean from the bones.  This came with a salt & pepper lime sauce that helped brighten things up.

Those first 2 appies were solid, but we were really here for the Fish Sauce Chicken Wings!  Sporting only the flats, the wings were aggressively fried.  It resulted in fully-rendered skin that was crispy with no flabby portions.  This also meant the rest of the wing was a bit drier than expected.  However, that didn't result in overly dry meat though.  It just wasn't as juicy as other Asian-style wings I've had.  These were tossed in a fish sauce glaze that was sweet, salty and plenty briny.

For me, I have to order a Banh Mi whenever it is available.  Generally, ordering it at a full-service Vietnamese restaurant can be hit or miss though (I like dedicated Banh Mi shops more).  The one here was a hit since they loaded up with meats.  Hence, it was fulfilling and increased the flavor quotient.  That was further elevated by the generous portion of pâté and buttery mayo.  It added moisture and creaminess.  The bread itself was airy and crunchy on the outside.

Off to the bigger plates, we went for the Bò Lúc Lắc or Shaking Beef.  At first glance, this was not any different than most versions of this dish.  However, the smells emanating from the wok fry was pretty fragrant and exhibiting wok hei.  Our noses were correct as one taste of the beef and there was caramelization as well as umami from the fish sauce.  The beef itself was super tender and juicy.  Veggies were still crisp and vibrant.

Onto the requisite Phở Đặc Biệt, we found the broth to be a bit murky-looking, but it was fairly clean to the taste.  Flavors were definitely there with strong star anise and the sweetness of daikon as well as charred onion.  Cinnamon came through too.  With that being said, the broth was not overly salty though.  Noodles were plentiful and al dente.  They didn't skimp with the meats either as there was enough to go around with every bite.

We also got the Bún Riêu and it has to be one of the best we've had in awhile.  The tomato-based broth was rich and silky with moderate tang.  Crab brininess was apparent too and some sweetness a well.  Nice aroma from the soup.  Those meatballs were fluffy and light with plenty of brininess and only limited porkiness (which is a good thing in my mind).  Noodles were slippery and not overdone.

Out last item was the Mì Thập Cẩm or dry noodles with BBQ pork, shrimp, fish ball, imitation crab and squid.  Pretty solid version here with al dente noodles mixed with sweetened soy along with plenty of toppings.  When we were done eating, we sauntered over to the pool tables and played a few games.  Yes, a Vietnamese restaurant in a pool hall seems strange, but Billiard Hoang deserves all of their accolades.  Food is delicious, well-portioned and decently-priced.  The people there were super-friendly too.  Would come back!

The Good:

- Delicious eats

- Large portions

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Can get busy and you might have to wait, parking lot can fill up too