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Chicken Francaise

Chicken Francais from O'Connor's on West Boylston Street in Worcester, MA

Chicken Francais from O'Connor's on West Boylston Street in Worcester, MA

O’Connor’s sits on Rt 12, almost on the border of West Boylston, at the outskirts of the city. While it’s not part of the downtown scene, it’s well worth the visit for a really good meal and a great selection of beer. The restaurant is very large with a large seating capacity, but it can still fill up easily.

We opened our dinner with the Shillelagh Sticks, which is corned beef rolled in a puff pastry dusted with spices. The corned beef is ground, seasoned and almost creamy while the flaky puff pastry offers a great contrast to the meat filling. Corned beef can be on the salty side, but these little gems are cooked perfectly and delicious. Overall, one of my favorite appetizers anywhere in Worcester.

Next up was a cup of a Creamy Onion Soup, which was a special soup of the day. This was cream based but not too rich and loaded with well cooked onions and croutons. The flavor packed into this little soup was amazing and the flavors quite complex. I found myself wishing I had a full bowl instead of just a cup.

For dinner, I had the O’Connor’s Chicken Francaise. This consists of 3 chicken tenderloins, coated in an egg and parmesan batter and drizzled with a lemon butter sauce. The tenderloins were each fairly good sized and were served with sauteed baby carrots and a mixed vegetable medley. The chicken was cooked to perfection, being both juicy and tender enough to cut with my fork. The batter was pretty light and not overpowering, but was very flavorful and added a really nice layer of flavor with just a hint of lemon. The vegetables were cooked perfectly as well, slightly al dente and seasoned nicely with fresh herbs. Overall a fantastic meal and one I would certainly order again.

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Traditional Pho – Chicken Noodle Soup Style

traditional pho - chicken noodle soup style from Dalat Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

traditional pho - chicken noodle soup style from Dalat Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Over the past few years, Vietnamese has become one of my favorite ethnic foods! I love the complex flavors of each dish, the homemade sauces, and the brightness of the fresh herbs.

I was excited to return to Dalat for August’s Foodies! However, while I enjoy testing my palate, my sense of adventure has been slightly hampered upon finding out that my husband and I are expecting our first child in February. As a result…I played it safe with my order…#24…traditional pho – chicken noodle soup style! Salt, salt, salt, and more salt (oh…and ice cream too) has been an essential part of my pregnancy cravings so pho was the perfect choice to satiate my tummy!

When my soup arrived, it was piping hot with tender pieces of all white meat chicken, a copious amount of noodles and a delightfully salty broth I was in heaven! I added a healthy dose of the chef’s homemade fish sauce and plenty of Sriracha sauce for some heat. Delightful!!! Due to my limitations and pregnancy-induced aversions, I did not add sprouts or basil. My soup was delicious; just what I wanted and more!

Da Lat offers traditional Vietnamese food in a quaint setting at phenomenal prices…oh, and did I mention it’s BYOB…which under normal circumstances puts a gigantic smile on my face?!?!