Midtown Lunch

Pho and Cafe Viet Huong has a sit down restaurant (I hear the Pho is good) and a pick up area in the front that is perfect for grabbing some crazy looking Vietnamese snacks and banh mi. Snacks are packaged on shelves but for some items (see, shrimp snacks) you are better off asking if they are available to be made for you fresh. I usually avoid wiggly and neon items as a personal preference, but there are many available if that is your sort of thing. A few little snacks make a great lunch for cheap.

The summer rolls are a must have. I love the Viet alternative to greasy spring rolls and Café Viet Huong’s version was perfect; soft wrapper, mint, chives, lettuce, juicy sliced shrimp, vermicelli noodles, and thin beef pieces with a strong peanut sauce on the side. It tastes like summer. Restaurants often charge $5 and up for 2, that’s whack! Especially when you can get the good stuff here for $3.50.

From the steam table, I chose a fried patty with two whole fried shrimp on top. The crispy cake came with shredded radish and carrot  and a tangy sauce to dump on top. Yea, it was greasy- but less than I thought it would be. I certainly got more than $2 worth of satisfaction from my $2 shrimp cake.

 Another great grab and go item is the sticky rice with sausage- Xoi Lap Xuong. Nothing wrong with filling up on  strong flavored sausage slices, sticky rice, chicken, and scallions.  

Don’t get caught up in the fact that so many of the foods at Cafe Huong look unfamiliar and the staff might not be able to explain what is in them fully (though they really do try). It’s fun to try new things, just be sure to grab a summer roll.

 

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Huge snack selection, including savory lunch items, banh mi, dessert, and tons of candy 
• Perfect summer rolls made fresh at a low price

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• I am scared, what am I even looking at? I can’t identify anything

 

Pho and Cafe Viet Huong, 1110 Washington Ave (@ 11th St), 215 336 5030