This was my first time at Huong Vietnamese Restaurant, and what first caught my attention was their…read morehuge selection of dishes. I don't think I've ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant with so many options! The moment I saw the menu, I told my boyfriend, "This is where we're eating today." And I'm so glad I made that decision.
The moment we stepped inside, we already had a feeling we picked the right place. The old-school interior, the '70s and '80s music playing in the background, and the overall vibe just made me think, "Yeah, this place is going to be good."
We ordered the gỏi đu đủ tôm thịt (green papaya salad with shrimp and pork), bánh bột lọc (tapioca dumplings), bánh mì thịt heo (grilled pork bánh mì), phở tái sườn bò (beef noodle soup with rare steak and beef ribs), and phở đặc biệt (beef pho combo). For the drink, we ordered iced vietnames coffee.
The green papaya salad wasn't too fishy from the fish sauce, and I really enjoyed the subtle sweetness and how light and refreshing it tasted.
The bánh bột lọc was a 10/10 for me. The dipping sauce and fried onions made it even better. It just disappeared into my mouth! I could've easily eaten more.
When we ordered the bánh mì, we didn't really read the description or realize how big it would be. When it came out, we were shocked by the size! I also liked that the vegetables were served on the side, so we could add as much or as little as we wanted. It tasted amazing, and we enjoyed every bite.
We actually ordered so many appetizers because we thought the pho portions were going to be small. Based on the reference photos and the price, we weren't expecting the bowls to be that big. But when the pho came out, we were shocked. The bowls were huge! We definitely underestimated the portion sizes here.
One thing I noticed about the pho was that it tasted a little different from what I'm used to. The broth was much more herbal and aromatic, with a gentler taste rather than that strong, pungent hit on the tongue. It made me wonder if this is closer to what traditional Vietnamese pho is supposed to taste like.
Just a heads-up, you pay at the counter when you're done eating rather than waiting for the server to bring the check. On our way out, we also grabbed a steamed rice cake to take home. Definitely try one if you see them because they're so good! I actually think they taste even better at room temperature rather than heated up.
Everything we ordered came in such generous portions, especially for the price. Nothing tasted overly salty or overpowering, which I really appreciated. Everything tasted fresh, and I was genuinely impressed by the quality, portions, and value.
I'm so glad we decided to try this place. With such a huge menu, there are already so many other dishes I want to come back for!