Viet Ace, a relatively new restaurant in the Hamemersmith Area, situated opposite Ravenscourt Station. Their restaurant decor is very simple with it's warm red walls against solid wooden tables, taking none of the traditionally or cliche Oriental decor. Quite a large restaurant so suitable for large bookings too. However it was the staff there and their service that gave it the extra charm. They were very friendly and smiley which gave it that extra inviting atmosphere.
Beef wrapped in betel leaves
These were very meaty with a nice herby flavour from the betel leave itself. But it was slightly on the dry side, lacking other non meat ingredients in there to break it up and they may have been grilled too long. Still they were enjoyable with the lettuce leaves and rice noodles that helped add some complexity to the texture. The nuoc nam could have been more acidic but still nice as a dipping to add back some moisture to the beef wrap.
La vong grilled basa fish served with rice paper
Personally I thought this dish sounds much more interesting than it really was.It was incredible thoughtful and clever to have all the rice paper already soaked for you so it's all ready for you to create your own wraps on the disposable plastic boards it came on top of. The whole idea is that you take some fish, dill and onions and top it with some noodles, herbs, greens and peanuts before wrapping it. You can also add some hoisin and chilli sauce if you wish. I did very much appreciated the flavours of the dill and the sweet crunchy onions but sadly the fish let it down being overly dry, It became a distraction to all the lovely fresh textures and didn't offer much on flavour either. But luckily the rest of the ingredients offered enough interesting flavours and textures to make it enjoyable, especially the peanuts and after dipping it in the nuoc nam.
Crispy golden pancake (veg)
I fine example of the classic Vietnamese street food, Banh Xeo but the vegetarian option, using pak choi and tofu as a substitute for the meat and seafood. The pancake itself was fried toa beautiful golden colour, perfectly thin and crisp giving it that lovely light and crunchy texture against the filling. I was genuiely surprised at how well the pak choi worked thinking it's texture might be quite dominating and distracting but as it was so fresh and cooked perfectly soft that it still gave a good crunchy texture but soft enough to blend in with the rest of the ingredients. The tofu were also very fresh, giving it that nice contrasting silky texture against the beansprouts and pak choi. Lovely sides of Vietnamese basil, coriander and lettuce to help reduce the greasiness of the dish.
Sizzling goat with lemongrass and chillies
Sadly this the goat was too tough for me to enjoy thoroughly and although the flavours were nice, it did lacked depth and wok energy. The meat needed to be charred and onions caramelised to give off it's sweet peppery flavours. Seasoning was perfect though. Overall the dish was okay but after a while the toughness of the meat made it very lacklustre to eat and was therefore left unfinished.
Beef rengdan with fresh coconut & the chef's secret spices
A rich and thick take of the Malaysian classic, mildly spiced but definitely not lacking in flavour from the all the lemongrass and spices. It was very aromatic with a lovely strong essence in coconut making it extra creamy too. Sadly the beef was slightly on the dry side again but soft enough to chew through. A little more of the lovely curry would have helped as it barely covered the meat.
Vermicelli Noodle in Spicy Soup (beef brisket)
For me this was a winner and something I would come back for. It could have been spicier if I could change it at all but the soup was indeed flavourful, having that complexity and richness of a long brewing beef bone broth. I love how the noodles were also of the authentic kind, the round kind offering that lovely bouncy texture. The slices of beef were also lovely and tender with good fatty bits to give it that boost of flavour. The portion size was on the smaller side but for £7.50 it was pretty worth it. A good side of Vietnamese herbs and greens to complement it too. Lovely.
Viet Ace does have it's highlights using the correct ingredients and ratio to create their dishes. Their menu is also extensive offering a lot of the traditional Vietnamese dishes but sadly it is their cooking skills in some of their dishes that let it down and the quality of meat. The stir fry dishes were too rushed, not stir fried on a high heated wok to release all the flavours seen by the half cooked onions. Fish and goat was too dry showing over cooking or poor grade. It is a shame as they have so much potential to do better as they got one vital part correct which is the seasoning. All the ingredients they use including the side greens were all authentic and fresh. I would probably stick to their soup noodles for now and order a Banh Xeo on the side. read more