Tag: Vietnamese

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Mi Kho from Dalat Restaurant

Mi Kho from Dalat Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Mi Kho from Dalat Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Mi Kho, if you please….

We have been to DaLat before and have always enjoyed the food. So on this foodies visit I wanted to try something I had not had in prior visits. After a quick chat with our very knowledgeable and lovely waitress, she directed me to a dish called Mi Kho. I love seafood and this meal included shrimp, a wonderful seafood stand by, squid, which was cooked tender and perfect for squid, crab, this was a bummer, this is imitation but its still fish so I like it, sliced pork and this was seasoned perfectly, fish cakes – now if you have not had fish cakes before you should definitely try them, its not really cake, but if you like fish you will definitely get that flavor in a delightful little round ball, and finally shrimp balls, another lovely flavorful little round ball that tastes just like shrimp, Imagine that! All of this goodness was topped on egg noodles and seasoned with a slightly sweet but delicate “brown” sauce. When the order arrived, she placed the very full plate of noodles and seafood treats in front of me, but she also put a small bowl of broth down along side it. I had to ask if I was suppose to mix the two myself and she explained that I was not to mix them but eat the meal, then sip from the broth bowl. The combo of flavors is one that works very well together. So I of course tried it this way and was delighted with the results. It was a very nice combo of sweet and salty. This place always makes the most yummy of foods and you cannot really be disappointed if you have an adventurous side and a willing palette.

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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.