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April 23, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: Mekong in Morrisville, A Humble Vietnamese Eatery That Shines

Front of Mekong Vietnamese in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Front of Mekong Vietnamese in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

As a huge fan of Vietnamese cuisine, I’m always on the lookout for new restaurants in this category. And thankfully from S. Durham to Raleigh, you’ll find a good assortment of family-run Vietnamese restaurants. Recently a new spot hit my radar screen, Mekong out on TW Alexander Road in Morrisville! In reality, Mekong is so far north it’s virtually in Brier Creek, Raleigh but that shouldn’t stop you from coming in for a visit! Located in a spacious location previously holding a hibachi restaurant, Mekong is doing a lot of things right based on my first lunch visits.

Dining room at Mekong in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Mekong in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

As I stepped into Mekong, my first impressions were new, clean and modern which is the antithesis of what I would expect for a hole in the wall VN restaurant. The floor is nicely polished concrete with a handful of Vietnamese prints and decorations on the walls. For those unfamiliar with geography in Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is part of the southwestern tip of the country where the Mekong river empties into. Ahh, but we’re here for the food, amirite? I seat myself at a small two-top and am handed over a one-page, two-sided paper menu for the place. It has all the requisite categories of Vietnamese eats: appetizers, bun (vermicelli), com (rice), pho (soup), house specialties and banh mi (grinder) along with some specialties. The humble menu is a good sign, I like the fact that even if the place is newer, there’s no pretense or fanciness in the presentation.

Fresh summer rolls at Mekong in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Fresh summer rolls at Mekong in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

A quick scan of Mekong’s menu shows a broad variety of dishes although not quite as deep as some other places with 6 to 8 items under each category. I quickly decide on the goi cuon (fresh spring rolls) or summer rolls in my book alonf with the shaken beef! The summer rolls come out pretty quickly, nicely sized rolls in that translucent rice paper. Mekong does a fantastic job here, they are well stuffed with plenty of shrimp, pork, vermicelli, cilantro and cucumber. The peanut sauce for dipping is a bit different here with a slightly sweeter tang to it. Love these rolls, they are well balanced in flavor and I will be back again for these delicious bad boys, soon!

Shaken beef at Mekong in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Shaken beef at Mekong in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

My shaken beef entree comes out next and I am excited. This dish is officially named bo luc lac and it’s not common around here. The last time I remember trying it was in San Francisco at the famous Slanted Door restaurant and apparently it has French origins. In the case of Mekong, it’s pieces of filet steak marinated in a dark sauce (soy, fish sauce) and served with onions and some jasmine rice, yum! The beef here is tender and flavorful and while there may be a bit too much in the way of onions, it’s delicious. And thankfully I don’t have any face to face meetings when I get back to work for the afternoon…

Combination bun with shrimp, pork and egg roll at Mekong Vietnamese in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Combination bun with shrimp, pork and egg roll at Mekong Vietnamese in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining
Counter at Mekong in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Counter at Mekong in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

Service at Mekong was solid and the place (unfortunately) was nearly empty during my visit. But I can tell you that the food here is quite good and I’m already planning my next visit to work a bit deeper into the menu and see what they’re really about! So if you’re a fan of Vietnamese food, put Mekong on your short list because in the arena of Vietnamese food in the Triangle, they are doing things a bit better and at a great price. Bon appetit!

 

Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant

2135 TW Alexander Drive

Morrisville, NC 27560

919.251.8426

 

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: First Takes, Morrisville, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Vietnamese

December 2, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: Bowl of Pho in RTP Offering Great Soups!

Front of Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

I am a HUGE fan of Vietnamese eats and I’m always on the look-out for good, down-home eateries. So I was really excited to find Pho 9n9 near my office and it immediately went into my lunch rotation. Lo and behold but I find another Vietnamese spot right down the street on Yelp, Bowl of Pho. It was time to spread my wings a bit and check out this newer Vietnamese eatery in RTP.

Counter at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Counter at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Located a bit further north on S. Miami Boulevard, Bowl of Pho sits in a stand-alone pea green building right up the street from Pho 9n9. Inside the space is large and cleanly but humbly decorated in VN cafe-style. Small 2 and 4-tops, bamboo decor and a chalkboard with food and drink specials. It’s clean and bright with natural lighting but very simple. I’ve stopped by a couple of times and there’s always an older Vietnamese couple working the floor, I’m assuming the owners. The menu is pretty basic with a smattering of pho, rice, bun and banh mi offerings. Prices is about the same as Pho 9n9 in the $8 to $12 range with appetizers at $4 to $5.

Summer rolls at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Summer rolls at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

For my two visits to Bowl of Pho, I managed to try out their summer rolls, bun bo hue and a combo pho. The summer rolls here are solid and stuffed with both pork and shrimp, a nice touch. The bun bo hue, was my first taste of this dish but it’s a spicier beef broth with lemongrass. It was served with bean sprouts and cabbage and was loaded up with slightly different proteins. A tasty bowl but I have nothing to compare it to! Just think pho a more spicy, tangy base.

Bun bo hue at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Bun bo hue at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

And finally the combo pho. At $11.50 it wasn’t cheap but Bowl of Pho offers up a sizable bowl with plenty of noodles, lightly spiced broth and decent cuts of meat, balls and other beef parts. I liked it but may still give the nod to Pho 9n9 for their broth.

Combo pho at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Combo pho at Bowl of Pho in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Service at Bowl of Pho is super quick, the owners that run the place are on the ball and get you in and out quickly. You pay at the counter and I’m back off to work in under 45 minutes including the drive over, not bad! Overall I think Bowl of Pho is a VERY solid choice for Vietnamese but I need a bit more time to see how different they are from Pho 9n9. But all I can say is that I am happy to have two solid and authentic Vietnamese eateries so close to me at work. Vietnamese eats just makes me happy and I’m pretty sure Bowl of Pho will too.

 

Bowl of Pho

2806 S Miami Boulevard

Durham, NC 27703

919.734.8664

 

Location on Google maps
Bowl of Pho Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Filed Under: Durham Tagged With: RTP, Vietnamese

November 18, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: Pho 9n9 for Consistently Good Vietnamese Cuisine…

Pho9n9-Front

I’m a HUGE fan of Vietnamese food and when I first moved to Raleigh, I remember immediately searching for the best place around. Pho 9n9 was the first place I tried out 7 years ago and while I enjoyed it, I haven’t been back too often. Its location in the middle of RTP didn’t give me a heckuva lot of excuses to visit. But a recent change at work means I’ll be exploring RTP a lot more so it was finally time for a re-visit!

Casual interior of Pho 9n9, RTP- NC Triangle Dining
Casual interior of Pho 9n9, RTP- NC Triangle Dining

Pho 9n9 sits in an odd, worn strip plaza on the corner of S. Miami and TW Alexander. This plaza holds a bunch of lunch spots like Cheerz Deli and Spicy Green Gourmet along with Jersey Mike’s. With a mirrored plate glass front, Pho 9n9 doesn’t look like much up front and it’s humble on the inside too. Tiled floor, formica tables and what I call the “Asian eatery chair”! I’ve seen these chairs in what seems like EVERY ethnic Asian restaurant I eat at: black metal back and slightly padded seat, super durable!

Pork banh mi at Pho 9n9 in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Pork banh mi at Pho 9n9 in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Phi 9n9 menu is pretty traditional with the usual banh mi, bun, pho and more. They’ve got a banh mi special with two summer rolls but are already sold out, boo! I go with the grilled pork bun (vermicelli noodle bowl) to keep things simple. This place is usually packed during lunchtime but my late visit means it’s really quiet today.  The food comes out pretty quickly and it’s a solid bowl of bun! Lots of vermicelli noodles with well-grilled pork on top, slivers of carrots, bean sprouts, shredded lettuce and some nuoc mam sauce on the side. The pork has a sweet reddish tinge to it, similar to what you might find in Chinese roasted pork, a bit different. And it all works pretty well, especially after you sauce it up!

Grilled pork bun bowl at Pho 9n9, RTP- NC Triangle Dining
Grilled pork bun bowl at Pho 9n9, RTP- NC Triangle Dining

During a second visit, I get to try out their namesake soup, a combination pho! At $10.95 or so, it’s not cheap and comes in a smaller bowl. The broth is well-laced with anise and spices, very light and delicious. Sprinkles of scallions, onion slices and well cooked noodles make for a great soup. There’s a decent amount of meat and tendon (doh!) but it’s on the short side as well as the noodles. Very nicely done but a smaller pho portion size at Pho 9n9

Combo pho at Pho 9n9 in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Combo pho at Pho 9n9 in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Service at Pho 9n9 is typical for casual Vietnamese eateries like this: efficient and a bit indifferent, hah! But for lunch it totally works, I just need fast, eh? Overall I enjoyed the two dishes I tried but they were both on the smaller side. Pho 9n9 is still putting out some solid Vietnamese food as it has done for years and I’m looking forward to exploring the menu a bit more. Especially those banh mi for my Battle Banh Mi post! So thanks for keeping things real, Pho 9n9. You may not be my favorite Vietnamese spot in the Triangle but I’m pretty sure you may become my favorite for a work lunch…

 

Pho 9n9

2945 S Miami Boulevard #102,

Durham, NC 27703

919.544.4496


Location on Google maps
Pho 9n9 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Filed Under: Restaurant & Bar Reviews, Wake Forest Tagged With: Vietnamese

May 28, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- A New Vietnamese Option in Town!

Front of Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining 

In the world of Vietnamese food, I’m a huge fan of Pho Far East.  With all the ethnic food on Capital Boulevard, it’s not a surprise that their main competition is right in the same area, including the newly opened Pho & Crawfish 79!  Located right across the street from Pho Far East, the name had me curious.  And hungry, so it was time for a quick lunch visit.

Cleaned up interior of Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Cleaned up interior of Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Pho & Crawfish 79 sits in the space previously held by Pho Cali and right next to Que Huong Market.  This dusty and beat-up strip mall off of Capital and Starmount is focused on a Vietnamese and Asian clientele so it’s about as ethnic as all get out.  The interior of Pho & Crawfish 79 is actually a step up from most VN eateries.  They’ve spiffed up the carpeting and furniture, waiters in black pants and aprons serve up the food here.  On my first visit the place was pretty empty for a Friday afternoon so hopefully they’re doing ok.

Bowl of pho at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bowl of pho at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

The menu is a small book with about eight phos ten or so buns (vermicelli noodles), some banh mi and rice dishes.  I’d have to say it’s a short menu, not even half the breadth of what Pho Far East dishes out but they do have crawfish on the menu!  An unusual addition.  I go with a bun with spring rolls and grilled pork along with an order of spicy Cajun crawfish.  Oh and some Vietnamese coffee and summer rolls to start things up!  And no, I’m not that much of a pig but had a dining companion for lunch (Lauryn C from Yelp).

Summer rolls at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Summer rolls at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

The cafe sua da comes out first and it’s pre-mixed in a large glass, yum!  Normally I get a stainless steel drip container so it’s sort of nice to get a double-portion already mixed.  Our plate of cold summer rolls is next with a good peanut dipping sauce.  They’re well-wrapped and medium sized so good start there!  Some day I’ll find a Vietnamese spot that does imperial rolls but I have yet to see them on a menu in the Triangle.

Spring rolls and grilled pork bun at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Spring rolls and grilled pork bun at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Moving on to the mains I get a decent looking bowl of bun but what throws me off immediately is the color of the meat. As you can see from the picture, it’s obviously been marinated with a sauce but typically what you get is more of browned, caramelized crust to the pork. Not so much here.  The noodles are also a bit dried out while the rolls are sort of bland.  Overall not an awful bowl of bun but you’re going to have to add some seasonings to perk up the flavor.  Lauryn’s bowl of pho looks solid with plenty of scallions, onions and flecks of oil on top so maybe I just made the wrong choice?  Pho Cali did a good bowl of pho but was weaker on the non-pho options, I wonder if we’re talking about the same owner/chef here.

Spicy crawfish at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Spicy crawfish at Pho & Crawfish 79, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

But thankfully we ordered up their namesake dish, some crawfish!  We get a large, pungent tray of big ol’ mud-bugs in a deep orange sauce.  Spicy, flavorful with butter and lemon, we strap on some plastic bibs to protect ourselves, especially since my dining-mate has a pretty dress on.  We crack open the tails, suck the heads and it is tasty!  Plenty of meat in the tails and I do my best with the rest.  The crawfish here are definitely worth the effort if you’re ready to get your hands dirty and a bit messy!  Some wet-naps at the table would have been nice.  Overall service at Pho & Crawfish 79 was solid but a bit lackadaisical.  Also the prices here are a touch higher than expected, maybe a $1 more per plate and I think that would be ok if the food was really good but for my bun?  Not so cool.  Admittedly I’ll have to get back for another visit and try some more items but for me, the crawfish saved the meal from what would have otherwise been really average eats!  So if you’re up on Capital Boulevard and willing to give Pho & Crawfish 79 a shot, it’s worthwhile.  But sort of a challenge for me given Pho Far East is right across the street.  Until next time, Pho & Crawfish 79 and save a platter of crawfish for me!

 

Pho & Crawfish 79

3310 Capital Boulevard

Raleigh, NC 27604

919.878.7898

 

Location on Google maps

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Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: ethnic, pho, Vietnamese

April 21, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Pho Pho Pho in Raleigh For Fancy Vietnamese Fare

Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

When it comes to Vietnamese food, I’m sort of a pho-natic!  Love the flavors of this cuisine and the variety of forms it comes in.  So I was a wee bit excited to hear about the opening  of Pho Pho Pho Noodle Kitchen + Bar right down the street from me on S. Glenwood!  While I usually prefer my Vietnamese food in grungy environs, there’s nothing wrong with amping up the experience with some nice decor and service, right?  Here’s how my visit to Pho Pho Pho on its official opening day went off…

Dining room at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Located right off S. Glenwood central, Pho Pho Pho sits in the spot that used to house Oryx and a bevy of short-lived businesses.  With an inset doorway and minimal signage (right now) you have to look for Pho Pho Pho at 510 Glenwood.  Inside yoyu’ve got a hostess stand, small side room and then a large open dining room with bar.  High ceilings and casual cafe metal chairs line the space.  There’s a hip and casual feel to Pho Pho Pho reflected in their staff.  I grab a seat at the bar and a beer, I just planned on doing a drive-by to see the new space.

Pho Pho Pho menu, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Pho Pho Pho menu, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

But no surprise, I don’t have much willpower when it comes to Vietnamese foods so the wings will have to wait.  Appetizers at Pho Pho Pho run from $6 to $9 while entrees and sandwiches from from $7 to $14, very reasonable!  I go with my usual: summer rolls and a pork banh mi.  Pho Pho Pho has the menu on chalkboards ringing the perimeter of the dining space, pretty cool!

Summer roll app at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Summer roll app at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

The cold summer rolls come out first and the plate signals to me that Pho Pho Pho is doing things differently!  The rolls are chopped and served in pieces for easy eating.  Tender rice paper wrapper stuffed with noodles, pork, lettuce and served with a spicy sauce.  Very tasty stuff but definitely a spin on the traditional version.

Banh mi at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Banh mi at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

The banh mi shows up next and it’s a lightweight sandwich: thin, cold roast pork with the daikon, carrot, jalapeno, cilantro and home-made mayo.  It’s a tasty bite but not very substantial due to the thin slices of meat.  I love my banh mi and if you can check out my Triangle Banh Mi Challenge post, you can see that the sammiches at Pho Pho Pho are very different and a lot smaller.

Bar area at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bar area at Pho Pho Pho, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Service at Pho Pho Pho was fine as well as it should be given I was customer #2!  So welcome to the neighborhood, Pho Pho Pho. You’ve got the basic taste and flavor profile of delicious Vietnamese food but spun around for more hip and Western tastes.  I’d have to guess that Pho Pho Pho is to Vietnamese food as to Kimbap is to Korean food.  You’ll probably like the eats at Pho Pho Pho even if they are non-traditional.  And certainly a welcome addition to the Glenwood South neighborhood…

 

Pho Pho Pho Noodle Kitchen + Bar

510 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27605

919.322.1837

 

Location on Google maps

Pho Pho Pho Noodle Kitchen + Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Vietnamese

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