Looking for a steaming bowl of either Pho or Ramen on this polar vortex 6' degree Saturday night. Since Lee and I were on 106 south coming down from Bayville, we could either go west to Harmony Fusion on Post Ave. in Westbury for Ramen or go east to the newly opened offshoot of the Farmingdale Rolling Spring Roll in Syosset. East to Jericho Turnpike it was after a give and take discussion and a " let's just decide cause it's getting late".
This is that little strip mall that is just past Wendy's and the bowling alley and once housed " Celebrations" when my kids were tiny....it was there that they could don a chef's hat and apron and bake fabulous butter cookies that went home with them in a crayon decorated box. Also Berger Brothers Camera. Now I recognize the newer, but staying strong Marras.
It is freezing out and we are excited about the prospects of slurping hot soup. Sluuurrrrppppp. Can you hear it. How funny that in some cultures, like mine, making a sound like that would cause my mother to look at me with a stink eye. But here, we can slurp away and at the end of the bowl Lee captured a shot of me actually picking up the bowl and enjoying the last available drops. " My face better not look phat in that picture " I routinely remind him..." Don't worry he says, the bowl hides your entire face...perfect !!!
This sparking new, minimally decorated but inviting location is a good 2x larger than the other.
Many tables, some square 4 tops that have little panels that can turn it into 8 and a huge picnic table for a more " communal" experience. While I love the look of the blond wood and the metal chairs, on this night they reminded me of sitting on the cold bleachers at a football game. Note to self....bring a cushion ..... There is a full bar in the center with a huge tv mounted above. Although we did not get a menu that had drinks or beverages, I did notice on line that they have an small but eclectic selection of South East Asian beer, tea and the obligatory Vietnamese Iced coffee and coconut water. On each table you will find Sriracha and Hoisen Sauce as well as a stainless steel canister filled with napkins and utensils, including the first pair of stainless steel chopsticks that I have ever seen, which I did not care for. They were challenging to eat with, the slippery surface unable to handle the wet smooth food and were reminiscent of medical instruments ( sorry, I'm a nurse). Note to self....next time bring wood chopsticks. Even the take out pair in the red paper would have been a welcomed change. I wonder how others felt about this.
The Pho comes in 3 sizes (S,R,XL) .....and 4 protein choices ( Beef, Chicken, Tofu, Seafood).
We went with the XL Beef at 13 dollars and they happily brought out 2 smaller bowls and a huge ladle. Wanting to keep it light we shared the whole fish, a Branzino which was grilled, although our waitress read off of her iPad that we could also enjoy it seared,steamed, baked or fried. While the fish was delicious and well prepared, I can't help but miss the sight of my all time favorite fish standing upright in a swimming position, fried and smothered in chilies from New Chili and Curry. While not too large, this was more than enough for us to share.
A funny thing happened. You know the saying " you had to be there ?" Well, I will try to give the gist.
The table right next to us was laughing with one of the waiters. They had called him Kevin and he wondered how they could possibly know his name. One of the woman had her phone in her hand and waived it while saying that she saw his picture on Yelp. Ironically, I was reading Dick's review at the same time and said to them, " that's Dick G.....he lives right here in Syosset". This kid Kevin is cute and can possibly become an overnight sensation. The power of Yelp !!!
All in all it is a solid stop for Vietnamese food, which is overwhelmingly scarce on Long Island but is slowly beginning to pop up. We have yet to try Pho Maxia which is across the street from our house. Here at RSRoll, the menu is vast and service is friendly.
Would I run back, probably not. I think that is because every time I have Pho and say that I prefer Ramen, Lee reminds me that is what I always say. But he loves Pho and I love him. So what's the difference ?? Life is a give and take. In the end we were happy and fed and our sinus's were cleared.
But I would recommend The Rolling Spring Roll without hesitation.
And ask for Kevin. read more