Vietnam House Chowdown Report [San Francisco]

[pane]

Eleven of us gathered for a group dinner on April 9th. This is the reporting thread for what we ate and what we thought of what we ate.

We had a dedicated scribe (thank you!) who will list the dishes we consumed, and then each diner will report in with their impressions of the must-have dishes as well as the ones to skip.

[bertabetti]

Thank you for organizing the 'chow down', there aren't enough of them! I love sharing food with others who are passionate about eating and tasting.
I am not very knowledgeable about Vietnamese cuisine, Ill say that up front, so I dont know how 'authentic' the dishes are and this was my first time trying many of the dishes. I agree with most other posters here on the highlights and low-lights.

I loved the Banh Khot (it seems like it was everyone's favorite). I love custard in general and this was warm and eggy. The shrimp added a nice texture and was perfectly cooked. I realized that in order to appreciate it fully, I had to creat teh right ratio of lettuce to wrap it up with. Too much, and the cold, damp leaves took away from the delicate, warm, custard-y goodness. While none at all was interesting, I missed the crunch of the greenery. I think these topped with crab would be really good too. I dont know if that exists, it must.
The chicken dish didnt do anything for me. It was plain and normal.
Unfortunately I only tasted a little of the Banh Cuon Cha Lua, but what I had was really tasty. Id like to have another try. I really tasted the mushroom, which was very nice. I didnt like the cold, processed meat that came with it though--didnt add flavor or texture and the coldness took away from the roll. I had this experience on a few of the dishes, where some of the condiments-like noodles--were too cold and wet and took away from the main ingredient.
Oh the other highlight was the green papaya salad, although I think it could have been a little spicier--but that's what the little pot of chili sauce on the table is for ; ). I dont think I have ever had one with dried beef on it and this was a great addition for its texture and saltiness. It was complex it flavor, with a nice balance of sweet, acid and salty.

Looking forward to more group outings!

[SPO]

I agree with most of the previous posts The two soups were not that exciting and I am usually a big fan of Vietnamese soups.

Highlight for me were the Bahn Khot - sort of a flour/cocnut cupcake or dumpling filled with shrimp and some vegetable.

[pane]

Thanks everyone for joining us! It was great to connect faces to names, and share a meal with you.

For me, the highlights were the papaya salad, banh khot, and banh cuon. Both the banh khot and banh cuon I'd had on my first visit to Vietnam House, and I liked the banh cuon better on the second tasting.

The only big fail for me was the goi cuon. The rice paper wrappers were thick and sticky, almost like dried glue. I like fresh spring rolls as a hand-held salad alternative, but these were not enjoyable though they did have, as someone else mentioned, a certain structural integrity. I would not order them again.

[psb]

Well, I suppose the only necessary and non-superfluous part of this "review" is my thanks to P&W for organizing. Otherwise, my votes tally up along the same lines as the others here.

--I too liked the "shrimp cupcakes" ... new to me.

--I generally dont like Papaya salad, but liked it here ... I thought it was not so much superior execution, but a different -- and better -- concept.

--I didnt like either of the soups much.

--I'm generally not a big fan of fresh spring rolls ... I like fried rolls a bit more, and often my assessment of fresh rolls turns on the sauce. The ones at VN House were just ok ... the wrappers were a little tough, although that did mean the rolls had good structural integrity.

--I didnt know what I was eating when I was told to grab a rice flour roll and pass the plate ... so I didnt really set my tongue to NMR-mode to really assess the individual ingredients ... which was unfortunate, since it was the wood ear mushroom which attracted me to this option.

--I thought the grilled meats were fine ... not hugely far from my regular order at YUMMY YUMMY.

--The chicken and green bean dish wasnt best of breed or unique, anything like that, but it was perfectly acceptable. I'd probably not order it again due it being squeezed out by better options, but if someone else wanted to get it, I'd eat it again.

--The Thai Iced Tea was kinda lame ... esp at $3. given the amount of ice.

I heard on the 3rd Sunday of every month they give a demonstration of their RICE BREAKING MACHINE.

[Martin Strell]

Not much to add myself. Everything goes by in such a blur. Overall, I enjoyed almost all of the food. Though I've been to Vietnam, I'm far from expect on the cuisine. Agree with others that the spring rolls had a thick skin which was hard to chew. Banh Khot were the most memorable part of the meal. Would not describe them as "crisp". Had a nice, soft egg tarty consistency.

[charliemyboy]

Thanks to pane and Windy for discovering Vietnam House and organizing our meal! We had a very tasty and satisfying meal but there were a few misses for me.

The Goi Cuan (shrimp/pork/mint roll) was unexciting. The ingredients in the roll didn’t stand out and the peanut dipping sauce was very plain.

The banh appetizers came with most of the same greens served elsewhere—lettuce for wrapping, mint, cilantro and rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) but unlike Bodega Bistro and Vung Tau there was no perilla. The Bhan Khot (rice cupcakes with shrimp for wrapping in greens) was very good, though the cakes weren’t as crispy and the dipping sauce not as tangy as at Vung Tau. The Bahn Cuon Cha Lua (pork/wood ear mushroom roll) was tasty but the sides varied—the Vietnamese “ham” was not so interesting but the fried prawn fritter was all crispy goodness.

I really enjoyed the Goi Du Du Kho Bo (green papaya salad). The tangy sauce was great and the textures were interesting. I definitely prefer the Vietnamese style papaya salad to the Thai style.

I enjoyed the Com Ga Xao Xa Ot (caramelized chicken) though it was not as complex as most of the other dishes.

The broth of the Bahn Cahn Cua (crab/shrimp/pork soup) was plain and uninteresting. My bowl had no pieces of other ingredients besides noodles so I didn’t get a representative sample.

One my favorite tastes of the meal was the Bun Cha Ha Noi (pork on vermicelli with dipping sauce)—the flavor was delicious and more intense than the other dishes.

While I really enjoyed the meal and appreciated a rare opportunity to have banh khot, I think Vietnam House is a bit below my favorite Vietnamese places. What’s lacking is a really tangy and flavorful dipping sauce. Except for the green papaya salad none of the appetizer sauces had much tang or intensity. Without better dipping sauce I don’t think their banh appetizers can compare with neighboring Bodega Bistro or most other really good Vietnamese places. Vietnam House did better on the broken rice and bun plates and I would return for these, for the green papaya salad, and for the banh khot (though Bodega Bistro’s banh xeo is probably overall more tasty thanks to great dipping sauce).

[dordogne]

I agree that execution at Bodega Bistro is better, esp on the classic dishes. Which are your other favorite Vietnamese places? Are you referring to Vung Tao on Telegraph Hill or the one in San Jose or ?

[drewskiSF]

gotta be the South Bay Vung Tau's. all of them have excellent Banh Khot.

i don't think the Telegraph Hill spot is affiliated or even has it on the menu

[charliemyboy]

Yes, I meant Vung Tau in San Jose. My favorites in SF include Bodega Bistro and Kim Thanh but I still haven't tried a number of the places with good reps.

[ChowFun_derek]

Sounds great! I can't wait to hear what your fellow Chowhounders thought of this meal...share with us .....where exactly is this restaurant?

[Thomas Nash]

Vietnam House
642 Eddy St
Between Larkin and Polk
San Francisco

[Cynsa]

opens early at 10 am. nice for a breakfast of banh khot and cafe sua da -
it's just around the corner from Brenda's French Soul Food.

[Thomas Nash]

Thanks to Pane and Windy for organizing. We will definitely come back to this place as there were several dishes that got my attention. It was sometimes difficult to be quite sure what one was eating as there were numerous dishes and the the Vietnamese names all seemed to run together. So, I hope I have the right dishes in my comments that follow:

Winners:

The star of the evening, and one motivator for the Chowdown was
4. Banh Khot crisp rice flour cupcakes with shrimp served with mixed greens
We ordered a second round. This is a surprising and sophisticated dish with a coconut undertone. As with much Vietnamese food one wraps the little cups in lettuce adding basil,mint, etc. At the end, I cheated and just put a little basil and mint on top and was even more impressed.

Mostly we were ordering dishes not seen elsewhere, but went for the papaya salad nonetheless. It was really outstanding, quite sweet, complex, and not very spicy. Really quite tame compared to the killer Laotian versions. Much less, if any, shrimp paste. I like both versions. This is far more accessible.
6. Goi Du Du Kho Bo shredded green papaya served with dried beef, basil, & special sauce dressing

A definitely will-have-again-dish:
8. Banh Cuon Cha Lua rice flour rolls filled with ground pork, wood ear mushroom, served with vietnamese ham, bean sprouts, mints, & dipping sauce

Easy to like and a favorite:
40. Bun Cha Ha Noi grilled pork & skewered pork mix with dipping sauce. served w/ mix vegetables

Best soup:
28. Bun Bo Hue spicy noodle soup served with chili & lemongrass.
Complex flavors, very interesting.

Losers:

OK, but with all those other delicious items, the chicken was, for me, forgettable:
22. Com Ga Xao Xa Ot chicken caramelized in garlic, lemongrass, & chili served with steamed rice

1. Goi Cuon shrimp, pork, mint & lettuce soft roll
Meh...

16. Com Thit Nuong, Bi, Cha grilled pork, shredded seasoned pork, egg meat pie served with broken rice

32. Banh Canh Cua thick noodle soup with crab meat, shrimp, boiled pork
We had two soups. This one did not do it for me although I anticipated it would when I saw its nice reddish color. Just no depth.

[...tm...]

I had never noticed Vietnam House before, so was glad to hear of it, and have the opportunity to sample a lot of the menu with fellow chowhounds. I'll be back for the banh khot and papaya salad. In fact, I might just order solely appetizers, as they were my favorites, (with the exception of the bland goi cuon) and I'm curious about the banh cu cai chien trung (daikon cake, of which I haven't had a Vietnamese version). I also enjoyed the banh cuon cha lua--this was new to me and liked the earthy rolls, but I may have actually enjoyed the small bit of the shrimp fritter I managed to chip off quite a bit. Does anyone know what it was made of? My guess is chickpea or yellow pea.
The rest was okay, but I've had better versions of those dishes elsewhere. I found the bun bo Hue to be especially disappointing, though that could have been due to getting an odd portion with little broth, but the broth didn't have much flavor at all. Sure, it had noticeable lemongrass and sour components, but not much shrimp paste funk, beefiness, or heat (until I added the hot chili condiment the waiter brought to the table.) Still satisfying as a soup, but not so much as bun bo Hue to me.

[klyeoh]

Banh Canh Cua, if done correctly, tasted absolutely heavenly!! I first had that in one of Paris' Chinatowns and the taste haunted me for years afterwards, until I found it again in Saigon a few years later, where the version at Ben Thanh market actually tasted even better :-)

[Thomas Nash]

Nice Chowdown at Vietnam House tonight. Here is what I believe we ordered. Descriptions are from the menu at

http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/res...

6. Goi Du Du Kho Bo shredded green papaya served with dried beef, basil, & special sauce dressing

16. Com Thit Nuong, Bi, Cha grilled pork, shredded seasoned pork, egg meat pie served with broken rice

22. Com Ga Xao Xa Ot chicken caramelized in garlic, lemongrass, & chili served with steamed rice

29. Bun Rieu noodle soup with crab paste, tomato & tofu

1. Goi Cuon shrimp, pork, mint & lettuce soft rolls

4. Banh Khot crisp rice flour cupcakes with shrimp served with mixed greens

8. Banh Cuon Cha Lua rice flour rolls filled with ground pork, wood ear mushroom, served with vietnamese ham, bean sprouts, mints, & dipping sauce

28. Bun Bo Hue spicy noodle soup served with chili & lemongrass.

32. Banh Canh Cua thick noodle soup with crab meat, shrimp, boiled pork

40. Bun Cha Ha Noi grilled pork & skewered pork mix with dipping sauce. served w/ mix vegetables

[dordogne]

Perfect chowdown (and many thanks to Pane and Windy for organizing and guiding selections from a huge menu) and to recording secretary Thomas): opportunity to order many dishes; everyone gets a good-sized taste of each and opportunity to order more of the favorites (in this case, we ordered more of the 4#. Banh Khot and #6. green papaya salad); major topic of conversation is the great meals we've had, the wonderful meal we were then having, and detailed anticipation of planned future meals.

My favorites were: #6 papaya salad: beautiful shreds of papaya and savory bits of dried beef (sounds strange but so good) in a sweet/funky (in a good way, of course) sauce. I would have liked a bit of heat or more umami-type flavors in this one, but of course that would have made it a different dish. #32 Noodle soup with crab, shrimp, pork. I didn't get any discernible pieces of crab, shrimp or pork in my serving, but the broth and noodles had a rich, complex flavor. #4 Banh khot was an unusual treat, meant to be wrapped in lettuce leaf with cilantro and other greens and drizzled with sauce, but flavors were quite subtle and I realized I probably overdid it with the greens in a feeble effort to take care of my vegetable course for the evening.

Least interesting to me were the #1 fresh shrimp rolls--skimpy on the pork and shrimp and better done at many take-out places, #16 the "egg meat pie" component of the dish had a quiche-like texture (not necessarily a bad thing but portending blandness) and little flavor.

[Thomas Nash]

For those who would like to try the intense Lao papaya salad, the Lao New Year Festival at UN Plaza/Civic Center in SF will be on Saturday April 28, 10-5. Many vendors with papaya salad as well as a papaya salad competition. Website:
http://www.laonewyear.com/