This is a small restaurant that has a clean, modern, attractive design. The lighting was excellent: not the fluorescent glare so often found in Asian restaurants but rather the soft golden light usually found in more upscale restaurants. Service was quick at the beginning, but “mistakes were made.” No notice was taken of some unfolding unhappiness.

We started with the Crispy Spring Rolls, in part because we’d learned to love the crispy New Century’s Shrimp Rolls (Syracuse) that have had us enthralled for years. The spring rolls were crispy as advertised, hot and flavorful. But they still couldn’t touch the lacy crunch or the sublime spicing of the New Century version.

I ordered the Crispy Noodle Tofu, looking for something akin to the crispy noodle dish that used to be served at Syracuse’s Pho Saigon (sadly, it’s gone out of business). The noodles I was served were crispy and mildly flavorful; the vegetables were cooked just right. But the tofu was not special in any way and the sauce left me wondering if anyone in the kitchen knew anything about Vietnamese spicing. It was tasty in the way that Chinese-American food is tastier than McDonalds, but it left me searching for ways to brighten it up. I tossed in some of the dipping sauce left over from the appetizer. I put dots of Sriracha sauce all over it. I tore up mint leaves, again from the appetizer, and tossed them about. Bit by bit, I coaxed some flavor from it. But it wasn’t the exciting dining we’ve come to expect from any Vietnamese restaurant.

Dave ordered the Shrimp Sate Sauce, and his experience was even worse than mine. Dave adores Vietnamese food. He’s usually capable of making vast quantities of food disappear in a short period of time. But I soon realized that, incredibly, he was picking at his food. By the end of the meal, he’d left half the shrimp on the plate – a first! – swimming in an insipid sauce that he said lacked the snap and vitality that he enjoys in Vietnamese food.

Partway through our meal, a very smiling waiter came to let us know that it was “last call” for food as the kitchen was going to close. This was a new one for us, but we feel for chefs and didn’t mind. Still, service basically stopped at that point and no-one noticed that the gentleman at the corner table wasn’t eating his dinner. It wasn’t that it was bad – he would have sent it back – it just wasn’t good.

It was at that point that I looked around.  “Dave,” I said, “What’s missing from this restaurant?” He glanced up.

“Vietnamese,” he replied.

And that was the problem. The Vietnam Cafe seems to be catering to the clientele: Caucasian students.  There was not one Asian person in the place, unlike at Pho Xe Lua in Chinatown, where we had eaten some of the best Vietnamese food we’ve ever had.  Nope, no Vietnamese here, not the people and, sadly, not the food.

So it’s Christmas Eve and we’re hungry. Where to go for a meal? As our Jewish friends know, it’s Chinatown! We were there the other night and happened upon a Vietnamese restaurant that was recommended to us: Pho Xe Lua, also known as Restaurant Viet Thai, at 907 Race Street. I had the “beef and beef balls rice noodle soup” and Dave had the “shredded chicken with rice noodles soup.” The former is very similar to a pho we’ve had often at the New Century Restaurant in Syracuse, but I have to say, it was a shade better and, unbelievably, even less expensive at only $5.50 for a meal that is more than filling. The broth was heavenly and beefy; the beef was just rare enough to still have lots of flavor and it was incredibly plentiful; the Thai basil and bean sprouts were fresh and flavorful. The meatballs were good but a tad grisly. Dave’s chicken pho was equally glorious, with a very chicken-y broth, tender chicken and fresh veggies. A warming and welcome dinner on a blustery night. Dave had a coconut drink and we got out of there for under $15 including tip.

But tonight Pho Xe Lua was closed. So we wandered around a bit, looking at a few of the many Chinese options. One had Zagat ratings and other accolades all over its front door, so we decided to try out Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, also on Race Street. Fortunately, we were seated very near the kitchen so we could easily watch the noodles being made.

Hand-drawn noodles being made

A pot of tea landed on the table almost the second we sat down. Our order was taken quickly and was served within five minutes. We had Seafood Noodle Soup ($5.75) and Roast Duck Noodle Soup ($5.50), both of which were astoundingly good. The seafood included shrimp, fish balls, clams and scallops. The duck was indeed a roast – the flavor was not diluted by the soup. The broth on each was heavenly, the vegetables were an interesting contrast between fresh and pickled. But the starring role was played by the noodles. I generally find noodles to be pretty boring, but these had a flavor and texture that made you think you were eating food, not filler. We were stuffed by the time we left, quite warmed up after a cold walk and thoroughly satisfied with a delicious and interesting experience.

The above photo does not do justice to the work that goes into making the noodles. To get a better idea of how they’re made, just do a search on YouTube for hand drawn Chinese noodles. This video and this one are two particularly good ones for seeing basically what we were watching tonight.

Reliably high quality food in this friendly, small place.  We haven’t been there in awhile, usually opting for New Century instead.  I do remember how funny it was that the loquacious proprietress would instruct us on how to eat Vietnamese food every single time we went there!

1-17-10: Ladies – If you’ve been to New Century before, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Matinee Idol is back!  He was away for awhile (at school, maybe?).

This place is our favorite for Vietnamese.  In fact, it’s close to being our favorite restaurant, period, along with Eva’s.  I adore Vietnamese food, and they do it So Very Well.  You can almost point your finger anywhere on the menu and get a killer dish.  Extremely reasonably priced for this quality.  And try the Vietnamese coffee… awesome!

Bonus – their crispy Shrimp Rolls are a sublime appetizer, one of the best appetizers available in this city!