Tag: lettuce

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Drunken Noodle from Basil N’ Spice

Drunken Noodle from Basil N' Spice on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Drunken Noodle from Basil N' Spice on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Basil n’ Spice is tucked away in the back of Funky Murphy’s where Surya Indian Cuisine once was. I was very impressed with the remodeling. The low ceilings and old, outdated interior have been replaced with high ceilings, exposed brick, modern lighting and light-colored paint, which created a refreshing change. The bar area was beautiful–a great spot to grab drink.

We sat in the back at a long table where two waiters served us. They were courteous and quick. One of our waiters was actually an owner. She is a truly delightful woman. We could see that she takes pride in the food and enjoys running the restaurant.

It was difficult to decide what to order because there were so many appealing options.

To start, I ordered the Spring Fresh Rolls. These rice-paper wrapped rolls come with shrimp, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, fresh basil leaves and rice vermicelli along with peanut hoisin sauce. They arrived quickly and didn’t skimp on the shrimp, which I appreciated. The serving was enough for an appetizer although I would have enjoyed a bit more dipping sauce.

For dinner, I chose the Drunken Noodle. It’s a stir fried wide rice noodle with red and green bell peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli, and basil ‘n spicy sauce. I requested it extra hot.

It was a large portion–enough for two. I had never had this dish before and I found it delicious. I loved how the vegetables and tofu far outweighed the noodles. All of the vegetables were fresh too. The sauce tasted flavorful as well, but it was not spicy at all, which was disappointing because a hot chili displayed on the menu indicating heat. Plus I asked for it extra spicy. I will order this again and ask for it extra, extra, extra hot.

I can’t wait to return here for more Drunken Noodle and to try new menu items. Two highlights for me included seeing several vegetarian dishes and a responsive, pleasant staff. Plus the modern remodel made it a fun space to be in. I’ll definitely go back!

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Vermicelli with Pork from Dalat Restaurant in Worcester

Vermicelli with Pork from Dalat Restaurant on Park Ave in Worcester, MA

Vermicelli with Pork from Dalat Restaurant on Park Ave in Worcester, MA

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.