Final Thoughts: 4.20/5
Always down for classic Vietnamese food. Honestly, I was a little skeptical of this place as it is in a food court. They usually don't have the best reputation, but I have heard through the grapevine that this place is quite good. I'm also usually willing to try anything once, so my friends and I came here for dinner today.
Food:
Bánh Hỏi Thịt Nướng, Chả Giò, Chạo Tôm (BBQ Pork w/ Rice Vermicelli, Egg roll, Grilled Shrimp on Sugarcane) **Allergy warning: Contains PEANUTS as a garnish** : 4.3/5
This plate has all the items you would find on a typical cơm tấm dish, but they provide bánh hỏi (woven rice vermicelli) instead. Definitely not the typical combination that I eat, because bánh hỏi is better known to be eaten with something like heo quay (crispy roasted pork belly). Quite satisfactory though. The portion size is smaller/less than what I'm used to, but it's a big enough portion to be eaten by two people or divided into multiple meals. The vermicelli was a good texture for me - it was just slightly over al dente. Protein wise hmmm, I will leave it up to your discretion, but what's provided is about ¾ cup of BBQ pork, 1 eggroll, and 2 grilled shrimp on sugarcane pieces. If y'all compare this to a fairly popular and well-known place like Cơm Tấm Thiên Hương, there's a significant and quite noticeable difference. Flavor wise - optimal. The BBQ pork was seasoned well and was my favorite item on the dish. Good charring and smokiness with a lovely balance of sweet and salty. Some pieces were just 90% fat, so that was not the most desirable to see. The grilled shrimp on sugarcane was average. The eggroll was probably my least favorite - It was crispy and it was seasoned well, but I have preferences for other eggrolls that I've tried. Some texture was added in from the peanut garnish, as well.
Cơm Tấm Sườn Bò, Tàu Hủ Ky (BBQ Beef Rib, Fried Shrimp Cake): 4.3/5
Pretty standard plate of broken rice with the proteins, veggies, pickled radish, and fish sauce. If you have a preference for a dryer rice grain, you'll probably enjoy the rice made here. This texture of the rice is just ever so slightly more on the dry side. BBQ pork was very tender, but had some bite/chew to it. Flavor was good - nicely seasoned. Portion sizes hmm given that only 2 pieces are provided, the pieces are quite small compared to other places. The fried shrimp cake has a nice crunch to it. Fish sauce was quite good. The color was nice/deep and consistency was good. There was just the right balance of fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and chili for me - chefs kiss.
Side notes:
- Aesthetic wise for both plates were alright. I feel like they kind of tried, but it just needs some improvements and minor fine tuning with the plating. The plate itself does help because of the green color and texturing on the plate.
- Allergy warnings on the menu were not noticeable, if even provided. Not ideal here.
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Quality: Optimal
Their veggies looked very fresh and green and were very crispy. Herbs also looked fresh, even for something that's growing in this winter air. Lovely aroma and nice flavor. The meats seemed average - They were tender enough to just bite through.
Price: Expensive
Ultimately, I do believe the pricing for this place is quite expensive. We paid about $20 for a plate. Not to say that an average plate isn't this price, but multiple items are being factored in here. Out of all the places that I've been to, I think the serving size for this place most closely represents a plate that I would find in Vietnam. This means that it's smaller and more manageable for someone with an appetite like mine.
Service: Optimal
The two people that helped us were very sweet and patient with us. Knowing me, I probably should've looked at the menu beforehand, but neglected to do so anyways. We stood there trying to choose our plates and the chị that took our order waited there patiently. A question I asked was if they accepted card/apple pay. The answer was "yes", but the person who typically works that system stepped out and was said to be back within x minutes. We had cash, so it wasn't a concern for us, but she allowed us to eat first and pay with our preference of payment type afterwards. The chị that helped process our payment was also very sweet. Overall, very pleasant experience for me.
Ambiance: Optimal
Grand Century was pretty quiet this Friday night. It's quiet in general, but the food court was pretty empty. I observed 3-4 other tables with us included. Not a concern because seating isn't an issue at this time. Nothing too significant to note here.
Location/Parking: Optimal
Again, the location is in the food court of Grand Century. It seems to be right in the middle of the string of food places in the food court. Parking shouldn't be an issue because of the size of this plaza. Unless there's an event going on for the Lunar New Year or night market or something, parking shouldn't be a concern. read more