Le Viet is a trendy Vietnamese restaurant located within The ONE shopping mall. From the outside it almost looks like a food court, but the unique food menu and clean dining area make it sufficient even for date night.
The eatery features range of traditional Vietnamese fare as well as fusion items that overlap with Thai cuisine. The glossy menu book is neatly categorized, contains colorful pictures for select items, and is complete with descriptions in English.
We started off with skewers as an appetizer. Being our hungry and thrifty selves, my friend and I got the platter of 6, which is the best deal and allowed us to sample chicken, beef, and pork and is the best deal. The meat was grilled perfectly, juicy and with lots of flavor, charred but not too burnt.
Next we got the appetizer sampler, showcasing their specialty items in a neatly arranged grid. The spring rolls were deliciously crispy, the shrimp cakes were thick and the combination of panko crumbs with shrimp paste reminded me of croquettes, the grilled pork neck was tender, and the fourth item (looked like dumplings with lettuce wrap stuffing and topped with slices of Vietnamese sausage) was complex and memorable.
For the entree, we got the popular and epic-looking coconut seafood fried rice. It was even bigger than it appeared in pictures, and the symmetrical, picture-perfect masterpiece nearly looked like snow ice. (Tip: I approached it cautiously from the edges like eating snow ice / Jenga so as not to collapse the tower of food.) The outside was creamier because it had more sauce, and the inside had hints of coconut and was adorned with various seafood. It was unlike anything I'd ever eaten or seen, but practically I think the best way to eat it would be scoop everything out, including the bits of coconut meat on the side, and mix it well for better consistency.
Other tips:
- With the large portions and the extensive menu options, I would suggest coming as a group so you could try more dishes.
- Service was adequate, though you do have to request your own water refills.
- We were able to sit for a long time without getting kicked out, and we even saw another group holding what looked like a meeting after dinner. Of note, there is free wifi from the mall.
- It does get busy by around 730pm on weekdays, but you may be able to squeeze in the tall communal tables.
- Pricing is reasonable; our bill totaled to just over $300 for two people, but we had a feast with plenty of leftovers.
- The food is on the slightly greasier side, especially for the deep-fried food. It is a bit salty too, at least for my tastes, and I kept scrambling for water afterwards. read more