Delicious Vietnam #10; Hubster's ESP and DaLat Vietnamese Cuisine, Richmond, Va

Delicious Vietnam #10~ Đà Lạt Restaurant; Review in Richmond, VA

Yesterday was my only day off for the week and I had planned to attend a Reptile Show in Richmond, Va. Hubster took the day off and we all drove up to Richmond yesterday.

Hubster kept saying things like, "You are sure this show is on and you know how to get there?"

Check.

Check......

Why was he doubting me? His mistrust was making me unsure of myself, so I got up early and checked the website before we left the house. Hubster also looked at the site out of curiosity.

Well, to my BIG, disappointment, the show was cancelled! The Raceway Stadium that was to hold the event knew nothing about it and told me they were trying to contact the person responsible for the website since they had other people asking where the Reptile Show was! What a total Bummer and the start of a crappy day in a city I know nothing about! Hubster's great ESP (extrasensory perception).. I should have called, but ticket sales were there!.... I had just skipped buying any.

So I may not have Hubster's gift of ESP, but I do have my stomach talking to me, and I was planning a chance of good food after a good show. Early that morning I had read reviews for the local Vietnamese Restaurants in Richmond, Va.

We drove out of the Raceway Stadium and drove by one Vietnamese Restaurant before settling on eating at: DaLat Vietnamese Cuisine.

It is located in a strip mall and does not look like much from the outside. There is a TJ Max in this shopping center, a baby store and a cigar store, just to name a few of the businesses surrounding it. Sales must be good because it was mid afternoon and there were only two parking spots. The physical location is: 9127 West Broad Street; Henrico, Virginia - Tel. (804) 762-9330.

When we entered the restaurant it was one, large, dark room, with a bar in the back, with the restaurant's name in big letters on the wall. It was simply decorated, but was ethnically pleasing with Vietnamese art, decorated, window sized, cut outs in the walls.

Once we sat down and started looking at the menu I was a surprised! I have never been to a Vietnamese restaurant with so many choices of Pho, Noodle dishes, rice pancakes, dumplings, and meat dishes. Hubster even commented on the large menu. My experience in the U.S.A. and Vietnam has been that Vietnamese Restaurants sticks to what they make best.

We ordered an appetizer : Banh Cuon Cha Lua.



It was described on the menu as ravioli filled with pork, dry mushroom ears, and herbs. This was a good size for Hubster, our two girls, and myself.

Then Hubster order Mi Xao Don Thap Cam (Crispy Egg Noodles with Shrimp, Chicken, Pork, and Beef) ,(I was late getting the camera out so the sauces and table salad were added before I snapped the picture.)


I had the Bun Chao Tom Cha Gio (Grilled shrimp paste on sugar cane and crispy egg roll). This was all served in a nice sized bowl with chopped lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, pickled carrot, scallions, over a bed of rice noodles topped with crushed peanuts and fish sauce on the side. It was tasty, fresh, and filling for a January day.











The girls each split an order of the Bun Ga Cha Gio (Grilled Chicken and crispy spring roll). This was served with the same vegetables as my dish and the girls gobbled it down! I was careful with the fish sauce even though it was very mild and saw no chili pepper floating in it. This was something that held me back in knowing I wasn't eating food in Vietnam. The spice level was not there- therefore, Americanized (Lets put a very sad face here).

I don't believe they have a children's menu, but you should expect your children to dine and enjoy whatever you do- minus hot spices. Lately I've been noticing that dining, trying new foods, and practicing good manners is lacking here in the U.S.A.

If I was to rate the restaurant on 1-5 stars, I would give it 4 stars- close to excellent. I was surprised that the cooks were very sparse with ginger and Thai Chile (Actually I think it was left out all together!). We made up for this by adding the heat we enjoy with two selections of chili sauces on the table. This is probably a wise decision on behalf of the cooks, being the majority of their dinners are probably non-traveling Americans.

The reviews online posted good for: speed of order to table. I thought this very slow for a Vietnamese Restaurant, but was tolerable for an American Restaurant. The Pho houses we frequent, (which I would not dare call this a Pho house!), are usually faster than fast food!

Looking back at the bright sides of the day, we were together as family and trying a new Vietnamese Restaurant in a city we were not familiar with. It was a great find, and turned a disappointing outing into a memorable one!

Lastly I want to wish everyone a very Happy Vietnamese New Year!

Chúc mừng năm mới!!

It's my year too, I'm a Cat! (Sadly, and inevitably, it will probably be a pretty hard year for me.)

This post was submitted to a monthly blogging event: Delicious Vietnam, which challenges me to become fluent in cooking Vietnamese food for my dear, Vietnamese/American, always on the run, family. Thank you to the creators: A Food Lover's Journey, and Ravenous Couple and most of all- A Big, Big-Thank You to Mai, of Flavor Boulevard for hosting this month's event!