New Vietnamese Street Food Menu
Food
has always been consistently delicious at Ăn
Viet! Being an ardent fan of Vietnamese cuisine and also having been on a
foodie trip to Ho Chi Minh City, I always patronized Ăn Viet whenever I am in Mid Valley area since its first outlet
opening. Now with two additional outlets in Sunway Pyramid and another one in
Penang at Gurney Plaza, Vietnamese foodie fans can get their fix at different
locations easily.
Ăn Viet not only serves authentic Vietnamese
cuisine set with a touch of modernity of presentation but also serves as a
platform to minimize global food wastage to encourage everyone to play a part
in reducing food waste. Ăn Viet or ‘Eat Viet’ also contributes to a social
cause by donating RM0.10 to Food Aid Foundation, a Non-Governmental
Organization (NGO) that collects and distributes food to those in need, when
each diner finishes his or her entire meal.
The
Vietnamese restaurant is owned by a passionate dynamic duo husband and wife team, William and Caren, who takes their
food very seriously thus going all out in making sure Ăn Viet is as authentic as can be and cooked with quality and fresh
ingredients. Together with Hanoi Vietnamese Chef Nguyen Kim Tuyen, Ăn Viet’s menu is filled with lots of
scrumptious classic street food from the streets of Vietnam.
We
are back for a taste of their new menu, jazzed up with improved recipes as well
as new additions of Vietnamese delights. At their Sunway Pyramid outlet, Ăn Viet has pots of basil placed on all
tables, allowing diners to pluck and wash their own basil to be added to their
hot bowls of noodles. A plus point again here since diners only consumed what
they need and the rest of the basil is environmentally kept to avoid wastage since
fresh herbs do not keep well once it is harvested.
Besides
the must-have Cả Phệ Sữa - Vietnamese
Drip Coffee with Condensed Milk (RM7.90 | RM8.90) or Cả Phệ Trững - Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Egg
(RM9.90), one simply must try their Xả Gừng Nóng Đá – Lemongrass & Ginger Drink (Hot cup – RM7.90) and Nước Chanh
& Chanh Xả Kem – Lime Juice with
Lemongrass Lime Sorbet (RM10.90).
It
is almost obligatory to start a Vietnamese meal with fresh or fried spring
rolls. Ăn Viet version of Chả Giò – Deep Fried Spring Roll (RM7.90) is
sufficiently satisfying, each mouthful crispy and moreish. Served in a cute
steel basket and Ăn Viet’s house
made nước chấm made from imported premium fish sauce, these rolls are sure crowd
pleasers.
The
Vietnamese gets really creative with their classic rice paper in their dishes.
Rice paper are practically a staple ingredient everywhere in the country. We’re
glad that Ăn Viet is introducing Bánh
Tráng Trộn – Rice Paper Green Mango
Salad (RM13.90) to our palates. Hardly seen in all the Vietnamese
restaurants here, the dish deserves more credit with its burst of sweet,
savory, spicy and sour flavours. Not only is the rice paper salad delicious, it
is colorful as well full of textures.
We
also like the concept of having to pour in as much dressing as we like and give
the whole bottle a good dose of shake to mix it all up. Pour the salad into the
bowl provided for easy consumption. The rice paper softens a little from the
dressing to blend in together with all the other ingredients. Quail eggs are so
yummy in this salad.
The
more familiar Chạo Tôm – Grilled
Sugarcane Prawn (RM11.90) appeared with a side of nước chấm. Batons of
sugarcane wrapped with minced prawn paste makes divine bites of appetizers with
its soft crustacean sweetness.
One
of my most memorable street food in HCMC was a very moreish and simple grilled
rice paper snack. Ăn Viet’s Bánh Tráng Nướng – Grilled Rice Paper with Minced Pork
(RM9.90) really reminded me of how delicious this street snack was. Crispy
grilled rice paper pancake filled with juicy moreish bits of minced pork is a
must-order!
We
like how Ăn Viet takes their
customer feedbacks and improved their version of Phở Bò Đặc Biệt – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (Ala
carte – RM23.90 | Set meal – RM27.90). A glorious bowl of deep golden beefy
broth, aromatically spiced up and filled with slices of beef, beef brisket,
shank, tripe, tendon and beef balls as well as rice noodles.
A
side of crunchy beansprouts, a bowl of yu tiao lime wedge, chili sauce and a
bowl of water to wash your freshly picked basil leaves, one can jazz up their
own bowl of pho to their liking. The broth is beautiful in flavours. Just the
right balance of beefy goodness with subtle hints of spice, I happily slurped
my bowl of pho with much satisfaction.
If
beef is not to your preference, the Bún Sườn – Vietnamese Vermicelli Soup with Pork Rib & Bamboo Shoot (Ala
carte – 19.90 | Set meal – 23.90) is just as delicious if not better. There is
soft nuances of sweetness in the meaty broth along with tender pork ribs and
crispy bamboo shoots along with thin rice noodles that made this bowl so
satisfying.
There’s
also a dry noodle of Bún Gà – Grilled
Lemongrass Chicken with Vermicelli (Ala carte – RM16.90 | Set meal –
RM20.90). Soft thin rice noodles are crowned with smoky chargrilled chicken
marinated with lots of lemongrass, lettuce, fried shallots, crushed peanuts and
a side of classic fish sauce dressing. Expect lots of umami flavours with lots
of textures in this noodle. It’s practically a staple in the streets of Vietnam
with each one having their own version.
If
there is one unique dish to try at Ăn
Viet, its Chả Cá Lã Vọng – Hanoian
Style Fish with Tumeric & Dill (Ala carte – RM23.90 | Set meal – RM27.90)!
This Hanoian style fish is beautifully tinted with fresh turmeric and scented
with lots of fresh dill. Heated on a portable stove, the fish is usually
enjoyed with fresh rice noodles and fish sauce dressing as well.
Enjoy
the fish on a small helping of rice noodles along with some fish sauce dressing
and fresh herbs for the full flavour experience. The fish is nicely firm and
tender with piquant hints and sweet notes from onions. The aniseed aroma of the
dill really brought out freshness in the dish which I enjoyed very much.
If
you still have not tried another Vietnamese classic dish of pork cooked in
coconut juice, you should. Ăn Viet’s Lợn
kho Nước Dừa – Braised Pork Belly in Coconut Juice (Ala carte – RM17.90 | With
rice – RM19.90 |Set meal – RM23.90) epitomized the wondrous pairing of pork
belly with coconut juice. Leaning towards the natural sweetness of coconut, the
melt-in-the-mouth pork belly has just the right amount of sublime savory notes
that goes so well with steamed rice. One also gets a braised egg thrown in for
extra pleasure.
Bánh
Mì– Dậu Phụ Với Pate Nằm (Chay) – Vietnamese
Baguette with Tofu Patty & Mushroom Pate (RM14.90) proves that some
vegetarian dish is so good, one won’t even miss the meat. Very tasty with a
delicate earthy mushroom note, the crispy baguette also has lots of crunch
factor from fresh veggies that made this sandwich a delicious one.
End
your meal at Ăn Viet with their
housemade Caramel Pudding (RM6.90).
If there is one word to sum up this dessert, it would be divine! Rich and
luscious soft egg custard with glorious caramel is so good, sharing is not
recommended!
Ăn Viet has really brought more Vietnamese
dishes to our shores. All dishes are made from scratch and dishes here are
always consistently good. The set meals are value-for-money, especially if
you’re a big eater opting for more variety in your meal. Now if only Ăn Viet opens nearer to my house, I
would be enjoying more yummy Vietnamese dishes daily.
ĂN
VIET @ SUNWAY PYRAMID
LG2 127A, Sunway Pyramid
Shopping Mall,
No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15,
Bandar Sunway,
47500 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 5611 2226
ĂN
VIET @ THE GARDENS MALL, MID VALLEY
LG-203B, The Gardens
Mall
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
Mid Valley City,
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2201 1191
ĂN
VIET @ GURNEY PLAZA, PENANG
B1-32S, Gurney Plaza,
170, Persiaran Gurney,
10250 Penang
Tel: +604 293 3481
Business Hours:
Mondays – Fridays 11am –
10pm (last order at 9.45pm)
Saturdays, Sundays and
Public Holidays 10am – 10pm (last order at 9.45pm)
