I tried these two Vietnamese newcomers today at lunch. The first is in "Chinatown" on West Colonial. The second is near Mills on East Colonial. They both opened around five months ago.
Mama Lau & Oc - I already forgot what Lau means, but oc means snails (or that's what they said even though both of my different dishes were called oc). Shelled creatures are their specialty. I had the Oc Huang Canada Nuong Tien (Grilled Canada Escargots with Garlic and Peppercorns) for $12 and Oc Mong Tay Canada Xao Me (Stir Fried Razor Clams with Tamarind) for $12. They have Canadian and "other" (American I guess) options. The Canadians are bigger. I'm not sure that made them better. The snails came in the shell. I'd wager they are sea snails kept in a tank (so probably fresh and not really escargot - land snails). The shells were more "grilled" than the meat. It kind of boiled in its own liquid. They were ok. 5 or 6 large suckers. There was not a a lot of surface area for the tamarind to make a difference/attach itself to. The razor clam (singular) was a joke. One clam for $12! It was also tough and had a gritty taste in the middle (maybe its stomach). It also had a fishy taste. Probably frozen at some point. The sauce was ok. They also had clams and fish and I saw another patron with a bowl of red crustacean legs. He said they were a big shrimp. I think he meant spiny lobster or langoustine. I didn't see it on the menu. The menu also had phos and clear broth soups (and other items). I ordered a pho with all their beef options (eye of round steak, well done flank, well done brisket, soft tendon/sinew and meatballs) because the waiter said the broth was made with no additives and flavored by the marrow of the beef bones. I believe his mother is "Mama". It was ok. To be honest, I couldn't really sense much of a difference from all the others I've had. Not salty. The meats were of a good quality and not as well done as advertised. Big bowl. Lots of noodles. It was more reasonable at $11. I usually don't get seafood at Asian places because it just never seems to be fresh enough or cooked properly enough. And all the other options are usually a third of the price. I can't say that this visit did anything to rebalance the weight of evidence. Which is a shame because that is why you will probably be seeking them out. But, give them a try and maybe you will have a different experience or perhaps you won't know how seafood should be prepared so you won't notice anything is amiss. They took over a place that was a pho place and a Chinese place before that. Right against the main road to the left of the big red gate. I don't think they did much to the interior. Maybe they did the murals, but if the last place was a pho place, they could have inherited them. I can't recall. Service was great. The waiter turned me on to the next place. I'll always be grateful for that alone. I was hoping to work in a Mamalooshin (something that Howard Stern used to say and I don't remember what it means but I think it was something people in the sticks used to say) reference. That's not possible mow.
Paris Banh Mu Café Bakery - I thought another older place down the road was the banh mi place we were talking about at Mama Lau, but, this is a brand new store front one block west of Mills. It has a whole, serve yourself bakery area, packaged goods, a fancier pastry area, drinks, banh mi and daily specials (like curry and stew).. I had the special banh mi (the traditional pate, pork roll and pork) for $5 and a taro slushie for $3.50. Both were good. They bake their own baguettes here. It was a thinner sandwich. Not overstuffed. I didn't really see any evidence of a dressing (ie vinegar). So, it didn't get all over my shorts (as usual) as I drove down the road with my big Vietnamese cigar hanging out of my mouth. Boy that's a vivid image. I'd get into the food more if I wasn't so fascinated by these jello cakes and pastries they have. They look like those resin replicas of food at Japanese restaurants. Clear gelatin with fake flowers (eatable and hand created) inside and on top of cakes, etc. So cool. The small ones only cost around $7 too. The big birthday type cakes were $40. I'm getting one on my next visit and may just stare at it until it goes rotten. I've never seen their like. The place is big. Lots of room to sit and eat. Modern. Brand spanking new. The packaged goods also looked really interesting. Things that looked like nuts and corn nuts, but, were obviously something else. And not mass produced. The packaging looked semi-professional/small batch. I say I'm going back because they told me Tori Tori finally opened a week ago. I'm definitely doing that asap and stopping here for sweets after. Just need to find the time and get additional info on Tori. So funny how things work out. This was not on the agenda and cost $36 less and was the better experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment