Joy Holton, Guest Writer
Monday night, October 14, I went out to dinner with a friend. When I asked him where we ought to go, he said, “Anywhere with food,” which left me to try and make the decision. Earlier he had suggested Chinese; so, I had decided on Mandarin Express. However, a few days ago I passed a sign that said “Vietnamese Noodle House” which caught my attention. In fact, it intrigued me. So, that is where we ended up going. When we first walked in, the atmosphere was not what I expected. Instead of being slightly rundown or dirty, like I had anticipated, it was clean and organized. It was quiet, yet busy; the coloring and placement of the tables was stylish and polished, and on all of the tables were chopsticks and Chinese spoons.
We were immediately seated and handed menus. After examining the menu for a few minutes, I was skeptical. I had never considered having BBQ pork, brisket or rare steak in a soup. Needless to say, at that point we decided that it might be best to get an appetizer of crispy egg rolls, something we both knew we enjoyed and to get dessert elsewhere. After finally settling on a Hu Tiu Tom Cua Thit for me, which consisted of shrimp, crab and BBQ pork in a noodle soup and a Pho Tai Nam Gau for my friend, which consisted of rare steak, flank and brisket in a noodle soup, we sat back and waited. We were not terribly optimistic. However, the food came very quickly, and the smell was absolutely terrific.
Not only was the food incredible but the service was quite prompt and polite. The servings, although they may seem expensive, were enormous and easily shared between multiple people. We had ordered a small bowl of soup, but even with a small serving a to-go bowl was necessary. To give you an idea of the sizes, a large was about the size of half a basketball. Next time I go, I would love to try some of their beverages or desserts; they sound rather exciting.
Even though it may not be the closest restaurant to SNU, it is definitely worth making the trip out there. Get a group of friends together and make it an evening out. The meal you will receive will be extremely authentic, and the service will be quite pleasant; it is an experience you will not want to pass up.
Want to try something different, something cultural and unusual? Go and try Pho Lien Hoa, a Vietnamese Noodle House on 23rd just off of Western Ave.