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| - I ordered Vietnamese fresh rolls and pho. The pho was okay, it was not the best Pho I've had, and I think it was below par for the midwest as a whole. I'm starting to think though that Madison simply doesn't have the Asian food thing going...so by Madison standards this place might be a little better.
The fresh rolls were not very good. They were just rice noodles, bbq pork, shrimp, and lettuce. There was no cilantro or mint, nor any other fresh herbs--which I think is a key ingredient. Without fresh green herbs, the fresh rolls have little flavor. I also think the noodles used in the rolls were too big, and there was too much meat. And the meat (both the shrimp and pork) had been cooked in a sauce that was too sweet. This made the rolls come across as heavy, starchy, and bland.
The pho was mediocre. I've had worse, but I'd say this is in the lower quartile of pho quality I've encountered. The broth was heavy on the cinnamon, lacked complexity, and tasted too sweet (possibly because of too much cinnamon).
On the side I was given bean sprouts, lime, and hot pepper, but no cilantro and no basil...which in my opinion is essential. Again, the experience was disappointing.
I could be convinced to come back to this place. It is possible that the chefs aren't Vietnamese and just don't know how to make this type of food well. But if I came back, I would order something different. And as it is, this place gets two stars. I'm no culinary genius, but the mistakes / omissions this place made were VERY basic. Just use more fresh herbs--that's why I like Vietnamese food, and without that, I'd rather just eat at home.
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