Henry Banh
Food was good, service was ok. The ambiance was cool. I asked my friends to recommend a spot for me to try in the Heights for lunch. Unknowingly, they both recommended this spot in the same conversation. A quick lookup and I noticed that it's supposed to be Modern Vietnamese cuisine. I was excited to give it a try. I arrived in the middle of the lunch rush, where I had wait about 20 minutes for a table. The hostess kept pointing to the bar, but no seats were available. After sitting down and looking at the menu, I noticed that Bun Rieu is on the menu. This is a common noodle dish that is often overlooked. I grew up with this and, IMHO, it's way better than Beef or chicken Pho or Bun Bo Hue. I was excited to try it. I also ordered the egg rolls and lemongrass banh mi. The egg rolls came, and after snapping a photo, I noticed there was no dipping sauce. The server brought it out after I asked. I ate it like my mom showed me, wrapped in lettuce with carrots and dipped in sauce. It was so good, though the rolls were a bit small. The Bun Rieu came out, without a spoon or vegetables. Asking the server if they normally served it without vegetables, she politely asked if I wanted it. Growing up, I would load this with vegetables with a squeeze of lemon, which only complements the seafood and broth in this dish. The broth was nice, and the shrimp meatballs were really good. But I was missing the crab that I know should be in there. But every family has their own recipes. I just never had it without crab but always with vegetables. The lemongrass pork banh mi came out a couple of minutes later and my order was complete. The banh mi was exactly as I imagined it. Crispy bread, lemongrass pork and pickled and fresh veges to liven it up. A bit more staff training and better attention to detail would really give me a better dining experience. Still, I will be going back if I find myself again in the heights.ok
