Category Archives: Vietnamese

Pho-Real

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**** (4 stars)

It’s nice to find an Asian restaurant in this are that isn’t Chinese or sushi. The menu has a limited offering of Vietnamese staples including Pho and Banh Mi sandwiches.

I had the Special, which turned out to not be Pho, but rather a bowl of rice topped with beef chunks and an optional egg. It was good, but my friend’s Pho was better, a generous serving, with all the usual ingredients.

The Banh Mi was good, although at over $6 it’s one of the more expensive versions in town–not that that’s a lot for a sandwich, but for some reason this sandwich is traditionally really cheap most places.

Although it’s counter service, the interior is rather nice. Service is friendly, but the kitchen takes a while at lunch time, so don’t be in a hurry.

Pho Real is quite hard to spot from the street. It’s not on the main sign at the entrance to the strip center, and the combination of the name and logo make it look like a real estate office, so don’t give up.

Pho-Real
2910 Maguire Rd
Ste 1006
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 614-1684
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-real-ocoee-2

Lac Viet

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***** (5 stars)

We had a great meal here, made all the more memorable because the night before we ate at Morimoto Asia. The food a Lac Viet was substantially better, and one third the price.

The interior of the restaurant–which I remember from decades ago, when it was Le Cordon Bleu–is bright and open, divided in to many intimate rooms.

We started with the Tom Yum, which had a thinner and less tomato-based broth than the Thai version I’m used to, but despite it’s clarity, it was the most flavorful Tom Yum I’ve ever tasted, with just the right spice level.

The seafood crepe was also good, although not quite what I was expecting. Fried to a crispy gold, it looked more like a giant taco, filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and other goodies. This is a giant appetizer, so plan ahead.

The Vermicelli bowl is always my favorite at Vietnamese restaurants, and this was no exception, the combination of charred pork, cucumber, sprouts, vermicelli, and greens was delicious, especially with some added fish sauce, hoisin and Sriracha.

The other entree we tried was a massive assortment of pork, beef and chicken. The pork and chicken had each been sautéed with different sauces and vegetables, and were absolutely delicious. This one dish is plenty for sharing, but we were happy to have lots of all three preparations to take home for later. This dish really emphasized the light touch of Lac Viet, because it was similar to Chinese stir fry, and yet there was none of the heavy oiliness that turns me off of Chinese food. Really great stuff.

There is a small but well thought out list of wines and beers. Service is attentive and helpful.

There are quite a few good Vietnamese restaurants in Orlando, particularly in the Mills 50 area, but Lac Viet is the best I’ve been to anywhere.

Lac Viet
2021 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-4000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lac-viet-orlando

Le Colonial

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**** (4 stars)

This popular restaurant serves well prepared and beautifully presented Vietnamese food in a French Colonial setting. Don’t expect French fusion cooking, as there is little French culinary influence, but the setting will definitely transport you to 1950s French Colonial Vietnam.

We put ourselves in our waiter’s hands, and he knocked it out of the park, serving us two appetizers, two salads and two entrees. Nearly all of them were something we would not have ordered, but will definitely order again. We preferred the appetizers and salads to the entrees, and would concentrate on those areas of the menu on our next visit.

We began with a ravioli that was made from amazingly thin and delicate layers, and bursting with flavor. This was probably my favorite dish. We also had the wok seared monkfish, which was slightly spicy, and served with crisp sesame crackers.

Our salad course consisted of a filet mignon and watercress salad (reminiscent of Thai waterfall beef) and a lotus root and crispy tofu salad that was a knockout. Not being a big tofu fan, I would never have ordered this, but it was my other favorite.

Our entrees were a sautéed shrimp dish, and sautéed filet mignon with yams and green beans.  These were both good, but not as good as the previous dishes.

For dessert we had an ice cream and macaroon dish that was fine, but not special.

A nice selection of wines designed to accompany the food is available, with a particularly fine selection of Champagnes by the glass.

In addition to the downstairs space, there is a bar and clubbier upstairs dining room.

Obviously we enjoyed the service, as our waiter created this excellent meal for us!

Le Colonial
937 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-0088
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-colonial-chicago

Huong Viet

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***** (5 stars)

I’ve been looking for great Vietnamese food on the west side of Orlando and at last I’ve found it!

Ignore the decrepit shopping center locale of this place; inside it’s nicely decorated, and the servers are friendly and helpful.

There is an extensive selection of vermicelli bowls, pho, and banh mi sandwiches.

My grilled pork vermicelli bowl was delicious, and it was no problem to substitute the summer roll instead of the included egg roll. The fish sauce served with the vermicelli bowl was particularly tasty, and the summer roll included very flavorful basil leaves.

Pricing is very reasonable, with sandwiches starting at under $4, and all the bowls well under $10.  I’ll definitely be back soon to check out their other offerings.

Huong Viet
5286 W Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 730-9835
http://www.yelp.com/biz/huong-viet-orlando

Pho 88 Noodle

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**** (4 stars)

I like the bright, open, bustling feel of this place, lined with plate glass windows facing onto Mills Ave. The servers and many of the customers are Vietnamese, and I take that as a sign of the authenticity of the food. My favorites are the spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches, and the noodle dishes with mixed vegetables. The crispy noodles are good. They form a nest around the dish, and slowly soften as they sop up the gravy.

Pho 88 Noodle
730 N Mills Ave
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 897-3488
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-88-noodle-orlando

Rice Paper

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***** (5 stars)

I go here every few weeks for lunch, and it’s amazingly consistent. My favorites are the noodle bowls, a tasty mixture of noodles and salad topped with your choice of protein. My favorites are the grilled pork and grilled salmon. They come with a fried spring roll, but I prefer to request the steamed on, which is served chilled with a delicious peanut sauce.

Service is reliable, and the place is pleasant for a strip mall, with pretty cool blue halogen lights and airy woodwork.

Rice Paper
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 352-4700
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rice-paper-orlando