Tag: Park Avenue

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Pork Chop with Veggies and Ginger

Pork Chop with Veggies and Ginger from Dalat on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Pork Chop with Veggies and Ginger from Dalat on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA
I love me some Vietnamese food. Mostly because it’s fresh made and in my mind much healthier than some other Asian foods that are typically deep fried. I prefer tasty veggies and fresh protein for me. Dalat definitely scored high on this.

A very unassuming location that one may pass many times without knowing it existed, however for those in the “know” it has a very good reputation and many fans. The atmosphere was minimal. A few tables and many patrons coming in picking up orders.

I had the Pork chop with Veggies and ginger (non menu item).

There’s nothing like a wonderful “chef’s special” to tease my tastebuds. Also, knowing that it is something “special.” It adds a bit of mystery to it.

In this case, my choice was on the mark. The dish is served with the veggies on the bottom and the pork on the top. I LOVE fresh cooked veggies that aren’t over cooked. Nothing worse than smushie veggies. My veggies still had all the flavor and a bit of crispiness to them. The pork was delish! Although sort of a misnomer about pork chop. I was expecting what I think of as a pork chop, sort of a large chop that we all know and love, however I was delightfully surprised when the plate came out and the pork was pre-cut into bite sized pieces! Melt in your mouth sized. Yummy! All that with an easy on the wallet price point.

I’ll definitely be back with friends to share in the tastiness!

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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.