Monday, September 17, 2018

Kim Long Vietnamese Restaurant

Kim Long is a local institution, but in all the time I've lived here I have not tried it, so it was time to do so. I've heard good things about the pho but my favorite Vietnamese dishes are banh mi sandwiches and vermicelli bowls.  No banh mi at Kim Long, so I had the grilled pork and spring rolls with vermicelli.  The sauce was unusual--if you haven't had nuoc cham it's hard to describe, but it's made with fish sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and chile peppers.  It's very strong and a little can go a long way.  This sauce was thinner, a bit salty, and actually tasted kind of off.  But it tasted pretty good with the food so I went with it.

The pork had OK flavor but was chewy.  The vermicelli is not the usual rice noodles, but pasta. Spring rolls were OK.  Overall edible but not outstanding.

They have some tasty sounding desserts on the menu, so I tried one.  The crispy pineapple with honey is deep-fried breaded pineapple.  Sort of OK but not something to recommend.

Yelp reviews say most service is friendly but one is rather brusque.  I drew the short straw and got the brusque lady.  For a drink, I ordered a coke in a can, which comes with a glass of ice.  She was efficient and even smiled, but no offers of water when I finished, or any other offers beyond bringing the food.  They do have a fresh lemon soda on the menu that I would probably try next time.

Decor inside is clean but very basic.  Bathrooms are clean and functional.  I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but if you do go you should probably get the pho.

My Yelp Review

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