1941

We have noticed this small Vietnamese restaurant on Caine Road for a while but we have never tried, probably because of not-too-convenient location and we are too fond of Nha Trang in Central. Today we finally have the chance to pass-by and decide that we should do a review.

The place has a sleek, contemporary design. At the entrance there's an aquarium with beautiful exotic fishes. Upon entering you can see a bar where customers can enjoy their meal while looking at the staff preparing the drinks. There are around 5 tables neatly arranged in this small place. So during rush hours it's jam-packed and it isn't really very comfy sitting there. Most of their clients are Chinese customers taking a lunch break. They do lunch set there, which is around $40/meal - a very good deal in skirt of Soho / Central in general. No wonder it's so full when we arrive at 1.30pm.

We order a Pho Tai ($38) and a Soft Shell Crab Rice Paper Roll ($48). Unfortunately they come as disappointment. The Pho Tai has very little herb and onion so the soup isn't freshy and sweet at all, hence, the broth tastes like that in a Chan Chaan Teng's fish ball noodles. I could just taste the salt in it. In fact, the pho also looks and tastes like the flat rice noodle you get in a Chan Chaan Teng. It's just not smooth enough. The beef is fresh enough though. Overall, the Pho Tai is quite a failure. In fact, it tastes like a beef noodle in a Chinese canteen. It doesn't taste awful but it's very unauthentic and lack of the sweet herbal favor that a pho should have.

Similiarly, the Soft Shell Crab Rice Paper Roll is just average. The rice paper is thin enough and the lettuce fresh. It could have had more herbs in it. Moreover, the soft shell crab is not crispy enough so it is probably pre-made rather than freshly prepared.

We suppose we are going to happily stick to Nha Trang in Central or Pho 26 in Sheung Wan.