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Delicious Vietnamese food. When we planned our trip to Anchorage, this was the one place that my husband wanted to go during our trip. Made it over for lunch, and it met all the great reviews and then some. Combination fried rice was incredible. So flavorful and filled with meat. First time having a Banh Xeo, and that was excellent as well. Very quick service. Such a delicious meal. Highly recommend.
Omg... Triple G Mr. Guy recommended this eatery and I got to experience why... the service was quick n on point. The atmosphere was very laid back n chill but the food was delicious n on point... straight scrumptious!!!
We visited Ray's Place after reading about their distinctively Alaskan-Vietnamese fusion dishes, arriving to a completely packed parking lot and restaurant for Friday dinner at 6 PM. There were tons of people picking up takeout orders as well and we joined that line due to my in-laws request. The waitress warned me of a 20-25 minute wait - it took exactly 25 minutes. By that time, the restaurant actually started clearing out, so I guess it's better to visit later in the evening for no wait. Banh Xeo Vietnamese Crepe ($18) - Filled with shredded boiled chicken and halved shrimp, along with cabbage, onion, bean sprouts and other veggies. The crepe is pretty thin and I'm pretty sure was crisp to begin with but unfortunately wilts after steaming in the packaging. There is of course lettuce, basil, and cilantro to wrap around the crepe and increase the ease of eating. Alaskan Halibut, Curry ($21.50) - Good breading on the fish, fried well with a good crunch that stands up to being steamed in the packaging. The sauce is excellent, very concentrated and reduced curry flavor. Rather than being a SE Asian curry, filled with coconut milk, this one seems more like a Chinese-style curry but with the addition of other spices and then reduced until the curry flavor is concentrated into a supreme savory flavor. Now unfortunately other than the flavor, this dish has some issues. Firstly, the rice is undercooked with most grains having a firm, almost hard center. Next, the vegetables seem to have only been blanched a short while and not cooked much afterwards. It's a mix of squash, zucchini, carrot, broccoli, and cabbage. The latter three are still very crunchy, and there's quite a bit of the raw cabbage bite when eating the cabbage. Finally, while the fish has a good crust and the flavor is nice, it's clearly overcooked, becoming quite tough on the inside rather than being flaky. Alaskan Salmon, Vietnamese ($21.50) - The waitress recommended getting this dish with the Vietnamese sauce since it's their specialty. The sauce is indeed very good - it's full of fish sauce umami, is a little sweet and generally very tasty. Again, the fish has a good crisp fried crust, giving texture and pleasing mouthfeel. Plaguing this fish is unfortunately the dryness - clearly overcooked and tough, far more so than the halibut. In addition, for some reason, the rice in this dish is overcooked and approaching mushy. Spicy Chicken with Cashews ($19) - I thought this would be small chunks of chicken in a typical cashew sauce ala cashew chicken at a Chinese American restaurant. This one is totally different - instead of cubed chicken, it's deboned thigh meat filets, then glazed in a reduced sauce while being cooked. While it's labeled as being spicy, it's barely so, causing only the slightest tingle and warmth in the mouth. The sauce is otherwise sweet and savory with possibly a little ginger essence. The typical five veggie combination is adulterated by adding cashew and onion, giving some additional sweetness, nuttiness, and texture. Like the other veggies, the onion trends towards the crunchy raw side, barely cooked enough to reduce the raw onion spiciness. In this dish, the rice is actually perfectly cooked. I am so confused how the texture of the rice is so different between the three dishes - restaurants usually have a single huge rice cooker to serve all dishes out of. Does Ray's Place have multiple rice cookers or something? It's just bizarre... People aren't lying - the flavors here are to die for. It's unfortunately the textures and technique that are a little off. Still, for those seeking excellent flavors, this is probably one of the best spots in Anchorage. Bathrooms - Two unisex rooms
my family & I are always looking for new places to try & we got recommended this place from My Husband Boss, since we skipped the gym today we decided to give this place a try. It was our 1st time here so we ordered what my husband boss recommended & it didn't disappoint. we ordered the tofu Banh mi & the tofu crepes as apps & it was so good. The sauce they use for the crepe is house made & it was freaking delish. I'm definitely buying a couple of bottles next time. You definitely have to get their fried rice it one of the best I had while living here. the bun Bo hue everything so good but I wish they use the right noodles & not the pho noodles. & the Vietnamese iced coffee tastes like Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Coffee & was a bit on the sweet side. I think Gia or Pho 4 still has the best Vietnamese iced coffee. The service was slow but I guess because a lot of people were ordering take out. but overall I would recommend you try this Vietnamese place out, I mean Triple D did come & eat at this place.
This place is great with awesome food,i had the sweet and sour chicken taste so good,if you are looking for some good food you need to try here
Now I know why I rarely go here. Their number wasn't going through when I called.. I had my husband try and that worked (he confirmed they were open). Then I tried again and it worked and placed a to go order. We got the bahn mi, spicy cashew chicken and tofu curry. The bahn mi was severely disappointing. Seemed like maybe pork, and store bought ham.? Would not recommend. The other two dishes were delicious! Their open sign wasn't on when we went, so that, and the phone issue, seemed like they weren't open for business. Just an odd experience. Decent to go food. But more reliable places to go like Gia Dinh.
Guy Fieri got it right this time! I'm a fan of the dude's show but not such a fan of most of his featured spots. However, I'm tempted to agree with Guy's view that Ray's Place is perhaps the best Vietnamese food in North America, In the minimum, I concede that Ray's is absolutely the best Vietnamese fare in Northern North America. Ray's is actively managed by the firecracker matriarch, whose recipes were brought over from the old country and prepared is similar fashion from back home. The entire staff was hospitable, professional and eager to please. This is a family owned and operated business, and even non-family staff served as though the place was their own. We tried about a third of the menu, and the pictures I posted were of the highlights of the highlights. If your version of fine dining consists of exceptionally tasting food served with a mother's TLC in a modest setting, then Ray's will be the place for you as it was for me.
Quick and easy lunch spot with traditional flavors. Egg rolls were hot and fresh tasting. Tofu well seasoned. Noodles a bit on the hard side but the simple dish was exactly what I expected. Nothing special but perfect if you're looking for a simple Vietnamese meal. Fast and friendly service that got us in and out while I was in town for work.
12 years ago
You've got to try the Sautéed beef noodles- it's an awesome flavor bomb (without goopy American-style sauces) that transported me to the Hong Kong noodle houses. Great seared flavor on the thin beef & broccoli + delicious black pepper punch. Very prompt & courteous service for take-out. read more
11 years ago
I've come for a few years and in the beginning the service was hit or miss so I didn't come all that often. More recently I have only had good service and I really like the flavor of the curry so I tend to come here for lunch or dinner when I can; The curry sauce has a slightly smoky curry flavor that is pretty unique. One thing to note is the curry comes with oyster or fish sauce, so if you are vegetarian you have to request no fish sauce in your dish. I don't think much of the fresh rolls; the rolls are mostly filled with cabbage, and although the sauce is made in house I think it's a little boring. All in all, I would recommend. Only gripe is the small parking lot. There is another lot across the way, but if you don't have ice walkers it's a death march to get to the front door. read more
I have given few 5 star reviews. My bf an I were in REI shopping and a staff member highly recommended Rays and gave us a meal recommendation we HAVE to have (pork fried rice). Of course we went - but with hesitation. We are from the Midwest and when on any coast we eat only locally caught seafood but it's been an off day so let's just follow the local suggestions, right? I could not be more surprised or pleased with Rays! I ordered the shrimp curry hot and he ordered the pork fried rice with Vietnamese sausage added. The manager, when he discovered we were on vacation, insisted we try the spring rolls and just brought us some. He recommended a plum wine for me and a Japanese rice beer for him. He then told us Rays is family owned and ran, he personally flys to Vietnam to bring back spices and just returned two weeks ago with 200 lb of spices! I usually don't order fried rice because it is never tasteful to me. I don't eat pork either. When his rice was brought to the table I instantly sought out a non-pork bite and I fell in love. I can see what all the gushing about this fried rice is. The manager says be used four kinds of rice to make it sticky without getting dry. The taste was amazing and perfect with the spices. My curry shrimp was amazing also with a taste I couldn't get enough of. I tried really hard to save some for a late night snack but I ate it all! Great job Rays! You have ruined my ability to eat Vietnamese anywhere else and now I have to come back again soon! read more
5 years ago
16 years ago
I have to say that I've been Ray's loyal customer for over 4 years! I have yet to order anything but Beef Fried Rice! The best fried rice in town hands down. I'm scared to order anything else because they couldn't possibly top that tasty rice with any other dish!! I truly love it. The restaurant was remodeled about 2 years ago and it definitely looks better now. It's a family run business and they are all super friendly. Overall I think they deserve 5 stars for the awesome fried rice they serve! read more
5 years ago
Place is worth coming to for their Bahn Mi sandwich alone. I've gotten addicted to them! They serve theirs with more veggies than any of the other vietnamese places I've come across. Easy 10/10. Everything else I've tried is pretty good but nothing stands out the way the Bahn Mi did. So, while we're still living super close (about to move a a bit further out of the city this summer) I will be stopping by this place very frequently to get my Bahn Mi Fix. Oh, as as far as atmosphere or decor, Ray's Place is very nice inside, something that might surprise you considering its location. I'd recommend dining in if it's not too busy. read more
5 years ago
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8 years ago
This wasn't worth the money at all. I had the chicken Pho and the veggie fresh spring rolls. The Pho was absolutely tasteless and the chicken in it was so over cooked that I didn't eat it at all. The broth had absolutely no flavor. I left the entire bowl and not one server asked me if I wanted something else, how was my food or if I even enjoyed it. A man just came up to my table shoved a payment method at me and collected the money. I will NEVER go back and I don't know how this place got 4 stars. read more
5 years ago
8 years ago
Love rays. I have been going here since they had restaurant on tudor where taco king is now. My favorite is the fried rice and the spicy chicken. They pho is so good also. New favorite, is the Vietnamese tuna salad. Anything you try at rays you won't be disappointed. read more
Very friendly service and really good Vietnamese food. Who'd think a Vietnamese restaurant could be called Ray's? I had their pig's feet pho and it was delicious. Ray was an Alaskan native that adopted a Vietnamese girl a long time ago. This family-run business is one of my favorite Vietnamese places to eat. read more
6 years ago
8 years ago
Service is always excellent here at Ray's. This is a popular place and almost always full especially for lunch. Food is flavorful and options are plenty. I would recommend Ray's for casual dining. read more
9 years ago
9 years ago
My boss and I have gone here for lunch a couple of times before and our favorite thing to order is their fried rice. I like how there's crispness on their vegetables and the rice. To top it off we ordered curry sauce for more flavor. The curry sauce is amazing!! It's not watery and you can taste the coconut milk and bamboo shoots in it. It is a bit spicy but I can handle the spiciness. I do have a very sensitive taste buds when it comes to spicy food but I really like that kick in the curry. I do need to try the other things on their menu. read more
6 years ago
9 years ago
Best combo fried rice in town. Hands down. I crave the chicken sauté noodles with curry sauce. read more
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I walked into the place after not going there for many years and the food was exactly the same, Amazing!!!!! My tummy was so happy after eating the lemon chicken with sautéed vegetables and brown rice. The service was excellent and everyone was very kind to me. Rays is the kind of place that you can take anyone to, to please. read more
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Unless things have recently changed, Ray's is an alcohol free restaurant.
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