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| - My girlfriend and I are most definitely fans of Vietnamese cuisine and have had a considerable amount of experience dining at several different restaurants in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. There are at least five Vietnamese restaurants at the Mekong Plaza and this is the second one we've tried. The experience we've had with the other eateries in the food court has been good thus far so we were optimistic.
We started by sharing an order of Goi Cuon (Summer Rolls, a.k.a. Fresh Springs Rolls) which was followed by an order of Mi Vit Tiem (egg noodle soup with braised duck).
As with many of you who enjoy dining out for Vietnamese cuisine, our initial guage for quality was the first order of fresh spring rolls, which, in this case were delightful. The consistency of the rice wrappers was perfect - not too sticky or chewy, which means they were freshly reconstituted and rolled. The slice of boiled pork was moist, tender, and flavorful, as was the shrimp and the veggies. All of the ingredients were neatly arranged and skillfully rolled in the wrapper, which made for a nice presentation. The dipping sauce was a little on the sweet side but still very yummy and satisfying.
Were we to base our review solely on the spring rolls we would easily award four stars for this meal. However, the egg noodle soup, although good, was noticeably less impressive. The consistency and flavor of the noodles and broth reminded us too much of instant noodle soup. My girlfriend thought the duck was a little dry and the dish consisted of relatively few ingredients.
I spoke with the owner who told me he took over this restaurant and changed the name just two months ago. Taking that into consideration, we'll likely give this restaurant another try after they've been in business a while longer.
Photo design by Billie Z.
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