Saigon Drip Cafe

You'd think that heading into Downtown Seattle, in particular Pioneer Square, on the Sunday of the NFC Championship would be a great plan right (yes, they already won the Superbowl...)?  Well, we had a date with Saigon Drip Cafe blocks away from Lumen Field.  But there we were, amongst the sea of Seahawk fans decked out in their blue and green.  But we were about to see it was worth the trouble!  Go Seahawks!

We got to the main event with the Ribeye Hot Pot (or Bún Bò Huế for 2).  This featured a heated hot pot with a rich and savory broth that had brininess and definite spiciness.  We found 2 large beef ribs with tender meat that included 6 ounces of shaved ribeye.  There was a wealth of meat and also some pork's blood.  By having the noodles on the side, it ensured that they stayed al dente with a wonderful elasticity.  The usual compliments such as cabbage, banana blossoms, basil, lime and chilis were there to customize your bowl.  This was a lot of food and could feed more than 2 people if you ordered some other dishes.

Some of those other dishes included their Pho with steak, meatball and brisket.  Again, this was fully-loaded as the picture suggests.   I found the amount of meat to be generous.  There was enough all the way to the last bunch of noodles.  The meat was sliced thin and extremely tender.  Noodles were al dente despite sitting in the hot broth while we took pictures.  About that broth, it was clean and not overly salty.  Therefore, the natural meat flavors were present.  Solid bowl of Pho.

We also got their Vermicelli Bowl with Pork.  Staying with the theme of large portions, this was loaded with tender and charred pieces of marinated pork.  Lots of caramelized sweetness and definitely savoriness.  It came with a crispy spring roll that was stuffed with tender pork that was well-seasoned.  The rice was fluffy while still firm at the same time.  Perfect for accepting the nước chấm.

They have a section of the menu dedicated to Bánh Mì and we chose to try the Bánh Mì Drip featuring a boatload of beef brisket.  There was so much of it that we could barely keep it all in the baguette.  It was tender, saucy and full of umami.  The bread was light and crispy while the side of bone marrow soup could be used as a dip.  However, I didn't do that as there was plenty of moisture already.

Of course we couldn't forget about the drinks too right?  We went for the Cafe Sua Da & Salted Foam as well as the Cafe Sua Da & Durian.  I found the coffee itself to be rich and aromatic as Vietnamese coffee is typically like.  The salted foam added some creaminess and further intensified the flavors.  Absolutely loved the durian as it was definitely funky, but just enough to give the coffee some extra without being overwhelming.  Overall, some solid eats at Saigon Drip Cafe and served in large portions too.  Great place to grab a quite bite on your way to the game!

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Solid eats and drinks

- Large portions

- Reasonable pricing

 

The Bad:

- Limited seating other than 2 large tables

 

Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese

Here were are with another new Vietnamese restaurant taking over a former one.  Pho Extreme Xe Lua on Broadway is no more and now we have Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese.  If you know, the name refers to the dry noodle dish that you might know from Phnom Penh.  I should've guessed there was an incoming restaurant at this location because when I dined at Pho Extreme in the Summer, it looked like a bare-bones operation with half of the dining room open and the food was meh.  Well, we got to try this new place and yes, the dish of its namesake too.

Going for some basics, we had some appies in the form of the Chicken Salad Roll and Spring Roll.  These were pretty typical except the chicken salad roll had cilantro in it, which made it more flavourful.  I'm personally not a fan of cilantro, but I can see how this would really provide more herbaceousness.  Nice crunch with the veggies too.  As for the spring rolls, they were crispy and the filing was not mushy.  Pretty solid.

 

Continuing with another appie, we had the Fried Chicken Wings.  These were all flats (or "mid-wings").  As you can see, they were fried golden brown with a thin coating of starch/flour.  They were rather mild-tasting and could've used just a touch more marinade, but it didn't make or break the dish.  Inside, the meat was juicy and had a silky texture.  There was a bit of lettuce and pickled veggies on the plate as well.

 

Okay, we couldn't make a visit here without trying its namesake right?  Yes, we had the Hủ Tiếu in its dry noodle form (it can be had with soup too).  If you've ever been to Phnom Penh (the restaurant) before, you will recognize this.  Atop rice noodles (can be egg noodles too), we found liver, squid, shrimp and pork slices.  The whole thing was dressed in a sweet soy sauce.  Mixed together, this thing sang with sweet salty brininess, aromatic fried shallots and the meatiness of the liver.

 

Of course we had to get their soup version of Hủ Tiếu which was also called House Special Noodle Soup on the menu.  So we essentially got the same ingredients as the dry version except with the addition of quail's eggs in a hot broth.  About that broth, it was clear and clean with a background meatiness and a touch of brininess.  Nice balance of sweet and savoury.  Beyond the tender slices of lean pork, the liver was not overdone and hence, it was still springy.  Good texture on the prawns too.

 

We also got the Bún Bò Huế and it was more or less decent.  The broth had hits of lemongrass, but could've been somewhat stronger.  But the brininess was definitely there and it helped make the broth bolder.  There was some spice, but it was generally mild.  There was no absence of meat as you can see in the picture, however, there was no pork blood nor pork knuckle.  Not a necessity, since many restaurants do not have it either.

 

Moving onto some rice dishes, we had the Beef Rib with Rice as well as the Lemongrass Pork and Meatloaf with Rice.  Served atop broken rice (which was nicely texture being chewy and somewhat dry), there was ample meat on top.  However, the short ribs were sliced rather thin and hence it was more crispy than meaty.  The pork was really good being tender and well-marinated.  There was sufficient char on them too.  The pork meatloaf was a bit stiff, yet was meaty and full of umami.  Overall, the food at Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese is competent presented in good portions at reasonable prices.  I like how they focus on Hủ Tiếu, which is not usually featured at most Vietnamese restaurants.

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Large portions

- Reasonable prices

- A bit unique with its focus on Hủ Tiếu

 

The Bad:

- I thought the shortrib was sliced too thin

 

Phở Anh Vu

It seems like there are more and more Northern-style Vietnamese restaurants opening up in the GVRD recently.  It all started with Mr. Red, which has sadly closed its doors.  However, they could be reopening at another location.  Crab Hot Lau, Hanoi Old Quarter and Chen Vietnamese are some examples of more well-known Northern Vietnamese restaurants.  Now we have a massive chain from back East setting up shop in Richmond.  Phở Anh Vu occupies the former location of Dragon Group and is now one of the largest Vietnamese restaurants in town.  We made 2 separate visits to try a variety of dishes.

We began with their Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm Với Xôi or Fish Sauce Fried Chicken Wings with sticky rice.  Really good wings with rendered skin and a firmly crispy exterior.  This was still the case even though it was coated with a considerable amount of caramelized fish sauce.  About that sauce, it was richly sweet with the unmistakable funky brininess of fish sauce.  There was also the aromatics of garlic as well.  Within the wing, the meat was juicy and flavourful.  Really enjoyed the sticky rice on the side as it was moist and not dry while not being wet.

For those who don't already know, Northern-style Phở Dặc Biệt is lighter tasting and less rich than its Sourthern counterpart.  Also, it generally isn't served with sprouts and the sort (although since we are used to it here, they offer it).  Rather, there is the traditional pickled garlic condiment you would normally find at your table.  As expected, the Pho was definitely cleaner and less flavourful than the others found in town.  I did find it a bit too fatty for my liking, but it did add plenty of natural beef essence.  Although a bit more pricey than usual, the large portion size was considerable with lots of al dente noodles and tender meats.  Was nice to see they offered saw leaf herb on the side.

There was one dish on the menu that caught our attention, which was the Bún Chả Hà Nội Chả Giò or Ha Noi Style Vermicelli Noodles w/ Grilled Pork & Spring Rolls.  The only other place we have found this dish locally was at Cô Châu in New West.  That is sadly now closed and we were delighted that Phở Anh Vu has it on their menu.  We thought this version was very close to the Cô Châu dish.  The pork was beautifully grilled exhibiting caramelized flavours as well as smokiness.  It was tender and juicy while the fish sauce was mildly sweet with the usual brininess.  It went really well with the vermicelli noodles on the side as well as the variety of herbs.  The spring rolls were made with rice paper, hence, the outside was crispy and shattered upon every bite.  I found the filling to be a bit dense, but tender with some sweetness and slight pepperiness.

On other visit, we had the grilled pork again, since it was so good.  However, we added the Nem Cua Bể Hải Phòng or Square Crab Spring Roll (only available on weekends).  Of course we were going to compare this with the gold standard in the GVRD, Crab Hot Lau!  I thought it was pretty close with a shattering crispy outer shell while the pork filling was looser than the regular spring roll.  It was just as tender and moist.  There was a decent amount of fluffy and briny crab, but they supplemented it with prawns.  The dish came with lettuce (to wrap the spring roll), herbs and a big bowl of Nước Chấm.

We also had the Bún Bò Huế and opted not to have the Dặc Biệt version.  That one would have more of everything including the pork knuckle.  Instead, this one only had beef, sausage and pork blood.  I really enjoyed the broth as it was flavourful with hits of lemongrass, brininess and measured spice.  One of the better ones I've had lately.  Noodles were plentiful and at their chewy slippery best.  The ample amount of thinly sliced beef was super tender.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our 2 visits to Phở Anh Vu.  The food was well-prepared and presented in large portions.  Prices are indeed on the higher side, but the portion sizes made up for it.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Unique dishes (Northern)

- Good flavours (remember the Phở is lighter in the North)

The Bad:

- Prices are on the higher side

Cộng Cà Phê

Upon finishing up at Congee Queen for a quick meal before the Jan Arden concert, we didn't quite rush to Massey Hall.  You see, we stumbled upon Cộng Cà Phê on the way there and just had to stop for some bevvies.  Too bad we were rather full after ordering too much food because we were quite tempted by their selection of Bánh Mì.  We did end up visiting them again later on this trip, but that was once again after a meal, so we only did drinks.  One day we will come back for the Bánh Mì!

So the first time we dropped by, we had the Coconut Coffee.  Yes, this was on the sweeter side, but in a good way.  It was so fragrant and aromatic with the classic creamy coconut milk vibes.  Mixed in, there was the strong Vietnamese coffee that was well-balanced by the sweetness of the condensed milk.  Since this was a blended ice beverage, it had an appealing cold temperature (great for a hot day).  Also, it was smooth and totally drinkable.

For our other drink, we had the Coconut Green Rice, which was also served as a blended ice drink.  This and the previous drink is part of their Signature menu.  I found this one very sweet and not as balanced as the coconut coffee.  Now that is my very subjective opinion as I'm not into very sweet anything.  So for those who like a coconutty sweet drink with the nuttiness of rice, this would be great.  Once again, it was blended well and easy to drink.

As we were walking back to our hotel after eating another meal, we stopped by to grab a few dinks.  I decided on the Fresh Lime Freeze.  It was essentially a lime slushy with real lime zest.  It was refreshing and light with plenty of bright tanginess.  The lime zest added some bitterness and aromatics.  Once again, this was blended well and it was super easy going through the straw.  It was very sweet though, so despite the tanginess, it was a full on sugar rush.

Lastly, we had the Saigon Salted Kumquat.  Naturally, with it being a drink rather than a slush or some sort, this went down very easy.  it was fruity and citrusy without being too sweet.  It had just enough salt for it to be noticeable further enhancing the natural flavours.  Great drink to quench one's thirst.  Really wished we tried the sandwiches too because they looked good.  I'll make sure I do so next time I'm in town.  Otherwise, we were pretty happy with the drinks albeit on the sweeter side.

The Good:

- Love the cute space

- People are super nice

- Refreshing drinks

The Bad:

- On the sweeter side

Viet Time

Whenever we are in the Bay Area, I make it a point to visit my grandparents at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.  Since we were leaving for the airport, it was somewhat nearby.  Afterwards, we were pretty hungry and considered eating at the airport, but you know, it is a ripoff.  Hence, we started Googling some options in the area.  There was the Koi Palace in Daly City, but we hadn't been there in awhile and my aunt said it wasn't very good.  So we settled on something simple in Viet Time in San Bruno.

We weren't expecting too much from the place, but the mom n' pop place was welcoming.  We had both the Phở Bò Viên and Phở Dặc Biệt.  As you can see, the broth was pretty clean and clear.  It was decent with balance sweetness and meatiness.  I think that it could've been a bit more flavorful, but it was definitely acceptable.  As for the meats, the rare beef and brisket were not exactly thin.  However, they were still fairly tender.  I would've liked it thinner personally.

I really wanted the Phở Dặc Biệt but settled on the Bún Riêu instead.  We needed a little variety right?  Yah, my kids ordered the same thing and Viv kinda did the same.  Ugh...  Anyways, this was pretty serviceable with a sweet broth that had some brininess.  Although there were tomatoes present, it wasn't particularly noticeable.  Noodles had a nice bounciness to them and the meats were fair in portion size.  I enjoyed the pork meatballs with egg as they were fluffy and tasty.

So here are the 3 dishes that were almost the same (sigh...) with the first being Grilled Chicken, Pork Chop, Spring Roll and Egg on rice.  The second was the Grilled Chicken with rice.  I had to include the picture of the Grilled Chicken because it featured 2 large pieces and it was only $11.95!  Not only that, the chicken was juicy, well-marinated and beautifully grilled.  The pork chop was also tender and had a nice sear.  Spring roll was a bit average though.  Overall, these 2 plates were more than enough food for one person, if not more.

Lastly, I added a Bánh Mì Dặc Biệt with all the cold cuts.  As you can see, this was heavy on the pickles, especially the carrots.  There was also plenty of meats as well.  I would've liked to see some more pate as that is what make this sandwich in my opinion.  The bread was pretty airy with a soft crunch on the outside.  Overall, the food at Viet Time was respectable and a great value.  The people are super nice and there is lots of parking available.

The Good:

- Serviceable eats

- Well-priced

- Super nice people

The Bad:

- Not the best, but for the price, I would go back if I was in the area

Rice & Spoon Vietnamese

Sometimes, even on vacay, I don't want to be too creative and travel far for food.  Yes, that is right, I get lazy and want to do something convenient, cheap and somewhat healthy.  That is why we ended up at Rice & Spoon Vietnamese in Newark.  Just a few minutes away from our hotel, it required very little effort and for once, very little money.  When we first arrived, we thought we had to order on the tablet at the counter, but in the end, the nice man came to take our order.

Initially, we were suppose to have all 5 of us (including my mom) go eat here but my son wasn't feeling well.  He seemed pretty well when we got come In-N-Out of him...  Suspicious...  Anyways, we started with the Double Decker Spring Rolls.  These were essentially a spring roll wrapped in a salad roll.  I've had something similar before and I feel this is the best way to go.  Normally, one would wrap a spring roll in lettuce anyways, so adding rice paper to hold it altogether made it easier to eat.  This was good where the wheat wrapper was crispy and the rice paper had a nice chew.  Only thing that could've been better was the filling as it ended up being dense.

Viv went for her ol' standby being the Pho Tái Bò Viên.  As its name suggests, there was beef meatballs and rare beef sitting in the hot broth.  The beef was fairly tender while the meatballs were at their bouncy best.  The broth was decently meaty with it bordering on being salty (without it going over).  Could pick out some sweetness as well as some charred onion vibes.  The amount of noodles was modest and cooked perfectly where it was al dente and not clumpy.

For my daughter, she also went for her usual in the Phở Gà.  Personally, this would never be my choice as the Phở Dặc Biệt ticks more boxes.  But I get it, she doesn't like the tendon and tripe...  So this version featured a clean and clear soup.  It was mild and sweet where the addition of fried garlic provided aromatics.  The noodles were just as good as the previous bowl being chewy.  There was a good amount of chicken breast which was not dry, but not juicy either.

For my mom, she had the  Bún Riêu which was loaded with noodles.  Unlike many other versions, the pork and crab meatballs were firm and not loose.  There was the usual tomato, prawns and tofu though.  In terms of the broth, this is where it got somewhat controversial.  She really didn't enjoy it since it was considerably more briny and fishy than usual.  But for me, I love it when it is more briny as that is the point of this dish.  However, I can also see how some people might feel otherwise.

Since my son wasn't with us, I represented him by ordering the Grilled Chicken with rice and fried egg.  Yes, it is his favorite Vietnamese dish but this one was lacking in char.  Despite that, the meat was still juicy and tender with enough marinade so we had some salty, briny sweetness.  Overall, the food at Rice & Spoon was serviceable and inexpensive.  The guy behind the counter was super nice and helpful.  Good option in the area.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Competent food

- Generous portions

The Bad:

- Competent, but there is better

+84 Vietnamese Bistro

Hey, another Vietnamese restaurant! - This is not something that usually gets people excited when it comes to new restaurant openings.  However, I recently visited +84 Vietnamese Bistro and I'm pretty excited about the place.  Now, let me be real here, it isn't fine dining, nor is it like another new Vietnamese spot in Madame Danh.  Rather, it is a family-own operation that puts out quality eats in large portions and with reasonable prices.  All of this located right on Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver no less.

We paid the place a visit recently and we started with the Grilled +84 Platter consisting of Beef Short Ribs, Sugar Cane Shrimp, Minced Pork, Prawns Skewer and Seafood Spring Roll with vermicelli, lettuce and pickled carrots/daikon.  This was quite a bit of food and was a great value at $34.00.  I enjoyed the all of the items including the one that wasn't listed.  It was a crispy triangle with what seemed like diced squid in it.  Short ribs were tender and nicely charred with sweet caramelization.  Sugar cane shrimp was removed from the sugar cane and it was sweet and bouncy.

Beyond the platter, we had a few more appies in the deep fried Soft Shell Crab as well as the deep fried Chicken Wings.  Featuring 2 large soft shell crabs, the dish was also served with a tamarind sauce.  Dipping the crispy battered crab into it really helped bring it alive with sweet tanginess.  As for the wings, they were crispy with rendered skin.  Meat was still juicy and well-marinated.  The outside was coated in a fish sauce caramel that was equal parts briny, salty and sweet.

On the menu, there are featured dishes as Chef's Special.  We ended up with a few of them including the Chicken Curry and the Flushing Fat Chicken.  The coconut curry was fragrant and pure-tasting.  I would've liked to see a bit more salt used in this, but it was great with the accompanying rice.  The dark meat chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender.  As for the other chicken dish, it sported a chicken leg and a half that was fried until golden brown.  The skin was super crispy and seriously rendered.  The chicken was a touch dry, but still tender and flavourful.  It was served with a delicious fried rice on the side. 

Another chef's special dish was the Sizzling Beef Hot Plate or a version of Bo Ne.  I really enjoyed the rich savoury meat flavour of the "gravy" that was great for dipping the toasted baguette.  Of course the sunny side egg didn't hurt either.  The tender morsels of beef were tender and plenty meaty-tasting with garlic and onion notes.  Somewhat of a "regular dish" was the Grilled Prawn Vermicelli Bowl.  Prawns were briny and sweet with heighten impact due to the grilling.  The spring roll was wrapped with rice paper, which meat it was flaky crispy.  Inside, the pork filling was juicy and well-seasoned.

We got a pair of noodle soups including the Bún Bò Huế and Bún Riêu.  The one I enjoyed most was the crab noodles as the briny sweetness was super concentrated with tanginess.  It was also chock full of sliced fish cake, fried tofu and of course the fluffy crab/pork/egg meatballs.  As for the BBH, it was a close second with a fragrant broth that also had balanced spice.  There was plenty of meat in the form of meatballs, Vietnamese ham and brisket.

We also tried some drinks including the Matcha Coconut, Fresh Lime Soda, Salted Cream Vietnamese Coffee and Jackfruit Smoothie.  My favourite of the bunch was the jackfruit as it featured bits of fruit and was refreshing and just sweet enough.  The lime soda was also refreshing and purposefully sweet.  We ended off with the Spicy Beef Sate Bánh Mi.  This had some good heat to go with the aromatics of the tender beef.  This was all served on a crusty baguette with an airy centre.  On this note, they are offering all Bánh Mi and drinks for 50% off this coming weekend (March 22nd and 23rd) with a limit of 2 per person.  If you can make it in by March 20th, they are offering 20% off your entire bill.  I would take advantage of this if I were you!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:
- Limited seating
- Some refinement on a few dishes needed