To Vietnam and back in an afternoon .......

Do you have fun when you go out to eat?

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Do you set your inhibitions aside and just enjoy your food with little regard for where you are?

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No? …You should probably try some Vietnamese food then.

          My other half and I were out and about while our youngest was woo’ing the masses during his school interview. We had a few hours to kill and our bellies were empty. We figured we’d consult the list and it led us north to Buford highway right to the doorstep of Nam Phuong Restaurant. The exterior is unassuming and clean. It looks almost like any strip-mall diner you’d pass by on the highway. The inside is wide, clean, and decidedly un-Asian. Most places in America come with stereotypical décor and I’m never quite sure if it’s authentic or marketing genius. This place….you know what you’re getting but it doesn’t slap you across the face with a bunch of stuff you’ve seen from your anime and cartoons.

           We were seated and ordered the obligatory thai teas (that stuff is delicious….) and perused the vast menu. I knew my destination would be the “shaken beef” but I wanted to look around and window shop just in case something else caught my eye. With the prices being as reasonable as they were, I figured I’d be able to try a few thing and fully enjoy my trip. I had no idea the culinary adventure that was about to ensure. I'm usually more prepared for these things ... I feel like Food Network had not properly prepared me thus far.

          We ended up starting off with a couple orders of pork rolls and shrimp rolls. I will be the first to admit, these were not my favorite because of the texture of the rolling material. I’m more used to the crunchy exteriors and this was a more “chewy” pliable exterior. That aside, they were delicious. They came out with an array of sauces to dip them in. The meat was seasoned but not over-seasoned because (I assume) they wanted the sauces to take the spotlight.

       In addition, I ordered a Vietnamese crepe …. Again, having zero idea about what this was going to come out as. I was greeted by what resembles a huge oversized omelet (but drier) and a plate of accompaniments. The plate was overflowing with leafy green lettuce, sprouts, basil, cucumber, carrot, sprouts, and the list goes on and on. I, at first, had zero idea how to tackle this massive plate of food but another patron was kind enough to show me how to tear off the omelet and wrap it in the lettuce (and dunk it in the sauce). She then let me know it was her favorite dish on the menu….and I could see why. All of the food was modestly seasoned, as to let the sauces shine through. We had a thin “fish sauce” that was delicious with the crepe….as well as a peanut sauce.   

           After the first set of plates, we moved on to the main course. Elliott decided on the Pho…and I ordered my shaken beef. Let me tell you …. If the only experience you have with Asian food is in a takeout bag….you need to expand your horizons! The beef was richly flavored and perfectly seasoned. It was savory, sweet, and salty, tender…..just everything good about food ….all in one bite. I mean, damn …. That’s all I can say ….. oh god it was good. Moving small puddles of rice towards the beef…determined to sop up ever delicious molecule of that sauce.  

 
Elliott said his pho was savory and warm. The seasoning was strong on fish sauce and umami ….He barely talked during the rest of the meal, save for a lot of yum-yum sounds as he devoured the mountain of noodles. About a quarter of the way through, he started dipping into his plate of sprouts and vegetation that accompanied the massive bowl….and enjoyed his Pho even more. He was determined to use the chopsticks …..and use them he did. All in all we spent about an hour in a delicious haze of savory, tummy-warming goodness. I had planned to sample some of their desserts, or at least a strawberry milkshake (the selection was very interesting with options like green tea instead of your typical chocolate and vanilla) but I simply couldn’t eat another bite. If I didn’t have such extensive home training, I promise you I would’ve lifted that plate and licked it clean. It really was just that good.

Seriously …. Put down the menu, forgo the Panda express orange chicken ….and get some of this in your mouth. ASAP.