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| - My husband and i got the tip on this restaurant from a bartender at another restaurant in town. That restaurant was a swanky place where we had stopped for a drink, but the bartender was a student, into the arts/music scene, and free with her recommendations for the newbies in Charlotte (us). We decided to try Ben Thanh on Valentine's Day not as a conscious effort to go out on a date but just becase we were hungry and curious about the place. We couldn't have been more thrilled. Entering the restaurant, you are greeted immediately by the very friendly staff. We were seated in a comfortable booth, and immediately brought water to drink. The wine list was brief, but had better selections than many of the other ethnic restaurants we have tried. The Summer rolls tasted super fresh, with just the right hint of mint and a scrumptious peanut sauce that had tons of chopped peanuts on top. I got one of the dishes on special, which was a Pineapple and Pecan dish. It had tons of veggies, a light garlicky sauce, and wonderfully prepared chicken, all served in a cut out pineapple! My husband got a beef dish. I'm not a big fan of beef, but I tried it and it tasted pretty good. His too had a great ratio of veggies to meat. This is a casual restaurant that has a nicer ambience than many small restaurants, but it's not going to be the swankiest place you'll ever go. It was really good food, presented very nicely, by a very friendly and attentive staff. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the floor could have used a good sweep. It didn't seem like it had been neglected for days, but more like perhaps a kid had been seated at the table next to ours and had left a mess on the floor. Perhaps that's too picky, but I did notice it. I highly recommend Ben Thanh for great, fresh, healthy and flavorful Vietnamese food!
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