The Vietnamese community in Worcester has increased significantly in the last 10 years. They are the second largest foreign born population, just shy of Brazilians, averaging around 4,000 residents. With them comes a culture of hard work ethics, academic excellence, and strong support of community, family and of course, great food! This brings us to this month’s Foodies stop, Dalat at 425 Park Ave.
Da-Lat’s owners, husband and wife Kevin and Kim (Kimnu) Nguyen have served up some of the best Vietnamese food to our city’s residents for twenty-two years. The restaurant is directly across the street from the fire station on Park Ave and seats approximately 40 people in an open floor setting that is very basic and clean. We had the opportunity to have Kim as our server. She was extremely friendly, outgoing and knew the menu inside and out, allowing her to make suggestions based on my preferences.
I began with the Spring Rolls. The order arrived with a plate of four oversized handmade rolls packed with rice noodles, shrimp, chicken mint and lettuce. The first word that came to mind was FRESHNESS! Served with a side of homemade peanut sauce, Kim happily told me that their peanut sauce was very popular with their patrons. One bite and I could tell why. The sauce was just right, not too bold and of perfect texture. It complimented the spring rolls nicely without overpowering the mint or fresh shrimp.
For my entrée I chose the Vermicelli (Bun) with pork. Kim mentioned that this was their most popular dish on the menu. Served in a medium sized bowl packed with rice noodles over a bed of lettuce and dressed on top with pieces of pork cooked with lemongrass seasoning, this dish was fantastic.
I was able to speak with Kim for a moment and discovered that her husband Kevin the head chef, works 11-12 hours per day at the restaurant. Knowing the Vietnamese culture embraces a strong work ethic, this came as no surprise to me. And that kind of dedication is exactly why Dalat is a stand out for Vietnamese cuisine in this area.
