Que Viet

Second Review

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The day I stop eating Vietnamese is when my snout is pickled in a jar and displayed at the Royal College of Surgeons. Vietnamese cuisine holds a very dear place in my foodie heart. It’s technically closer to the cuisine of the Southern Chinese than the usual South East Asian stalwarts of Malaysian or Thai. It combines the ying and yang of cooking and serving food perfectly. Three words sum up the food for me, it’s always fresh, fragrant and soul-enhancing. In my books, Vietnamese cooking also belongs to the top five cuisines of the world.

Phở is the iconic dish of Vietnam. I judge all the Vietnamese restaurants I go to on this beef noodle dish alone. If the cook botches the beef stock up then I’m sorry to say that her or his claim as a Vietnamese chef is adamantly suspect. The broth has to be light in appearance but rather contradictorily, the flavour cannot be anything else but intense; one has to be able to appreciate a whiff of the beefiness, the Saigon cinnamon, star anise and cloves. If any of the primary ingredients in the broth goes AWOL, then it’s safe to say that the Phở is vaguely approximate. The raw beef slices should be added in the kitchen at the very last minute, (for the squeamish, be rest assured that the heat of the broth will cook the meat in a matter of minutes). The rice noodles shouldn’t be overcooked and the garnishes should at least include coriander leaves and Thai basil. If the accompanying bean sprouts are off coloured, avoid. Phở is street food but one that has to be prepped and cooked with a degree of passion. Once you encounter a good bowl of the dish, you’ll be hooked.

Que Viet resembles less of a canteen than the other restaurants on The Pho Mile. It’s newer and done up in a tad ‘more with the times’ mentality. The young waiters are kitted out in uniforms that are reminiscent of colonial hotel style. The service is helpful and friendly. Unlike some of the other restaurants like Loong Kee or Song Que, one gets the feeling that you’re not rushed in order to free the table up for those waiting; it’s more relaxed like a proper restaurant ought to be.

Strong and sweet tasting Vietnamese Iced Coffee.
If there ever was a pre-dessert before the mains and starters, this fits the bill by default.

Bánh cuốn
These filled rolled cakes were steamed beautifully. Banh cuon is another dish that determines the authenticity of the kitchen’s prowess. The pork filling was excellent as well as generous. Unfortunately we had to scoff the lot up pretty quickly as our table (avoid number 8) was in the direct vent path of the air conditioner.

Phở bò
Astounding broth, sometimes it pays to have this dish in the evening when the stock has been maximising in the flavour department for hours on end. The only slight let down was the overcooked beef slices, otherwise one of the best pho bos we’ve had.

Bún thịt nướng
This is one of my favourite dishes. This is essentially a cold vermicelli/salad dish served with an accompanying bowl of diluted Nước chấm (fish sauce), the idea is to drown the entire dish with it. I was surprised to find Que Viet offering grilled goat with this dish as an alternative to the usual pork, Vietnamese spring rolls or prawns. I nagged to the young lad that if it came with lamb I wasn’t going to pay for it.

It was indeed goat, stronger and more rustic tasting than lamb. The meat was tender beyond expectations. I found the dish ‘historic’.

Deep-fried chilli and garlic eel

Hardly Vietnamese, but I couldn’t resist eel (smack me wrist by all means, what with the questionable sustainability).
Please ‘let me be faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free’*; the eel was ethereal.

Que Viet is certainly one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in London. It comes with my blessing. Highly recommended.


*Borrowed from Natalie Merchant’s must hear song, Motherland.



102-104 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8DP