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2014-02-10
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I'm always complaining about the lack of good Vietnamese restaurants in HK since I'm from SF, but I now may have found my answer with An Nam - possibly the best Vietnamese restaurant in town! Located at Lee Garden, An Nam serves fine dining Vietnamese cuisine with an Indochine touch of luxury.First impression upon stepping into the restaurant was impressive as the decor was surprisingly tasteful and elegant. Most Vietnamese restaurants I've dined at are the no frills type of shop, which is the c
First impression upon stepping into the restaurant was impressive as the decor was surprisingly tasteful and elegant. Most Vietnamese restaurants I've dined at are the no frills type of shop, which is the complete opposite of this place. I felt like I was dining at a high end restaurant with the low lighting ambiance, and I especially love the main color scheme of pastel yellow and blue.
Tasteful and abstract paintings were hung on the walls around the restaurant.
The restaurant was pretty big with dining rooms located in the front of the restaurant as well as in the back. The 3 of us were seated in one of the booths, which provided much privacy and enabled us to enjoy our meal without any disturbance. The menu consisted of a variety of Vietnamese appetizers, salad, soup, seafood, meat, and noodles/rice. The prices were on the higher side, but expected given the dining environment.
Seafood Pomelo Salad ($138) - the pomelo was really fresh and sweet while there was an abundant amount of shrimp and crab meat in the salad. Tossed with a light and tart salad dressing, the salad was refreshing and appetizing to eat as the flavors of the seafood and pomelo complimented each other perfectly.
Soft Shell Crab Rice Paper Rolls ($98) - the soft shell crab were nicely fried as it was crispy and yet not too oily. The crab was fresh and flavorful to eat. The green mangoes wrapped with the crab in the rice paper rolls were sweet, which contrasted with the sour and spicy dipping sauce in a good way.
Barbecued Pork with Bun Vermicelli ($108) - consisted of char-grilled minced pork balls and barbecued pork with a side of noodles. The pork balls were juicy and moist while the barbecued pork was fatty and tender. The pork was simply delicious as it was well marinated and slightly sweet, and I loved dipping the pork and the vermicelli into the fish sauce to eat.
Coconut Curry Duck ($168) - the coconut curry was fragrant and creamy while the duck was tender and smooth to eat. It was pretty decent overall but the best duck curry I've had was when the duck was roasted so the skin was still crispy to eat, which was not the case here. I also prefer my curry to be just a bit spicy as well.
The dish also came with a side of French bread for dipping into the curry. The bread was warm and slightly crunchy on the outside, which was perfect for dipping into the curry to eat.
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup ($98) - of course I had to try the pho here! I'm still searching for a solid bowl of pho in HK which can match the pho I've had in US. The portions of the pho here were a bit small for the price compared to other restaurants like Nha Trang for example.
The beef brisket and thin slices of beef in the pho was soft and tender while the texture of the rice noodles were just right.
No sriracha or sweet sauce was offered but lime and chili peppers were available as well as fresh basil and bean sprouts. I found the broth to be a bit light in flavor and it was not hot enough in temperature. However, after adding a few red chili peppers, the broth was now spicy and sweet at the same time which was delicious to drink! It was still not the same as the ones in the US, but close enough for now.
Conclusion - even though the prices here were higher than other Vietnamese restaurants, the restaurant made up for it in the quality of their ingredients and the exquisite flavors in their dishes. The service was prompt and polite while the staff was knowledgeable in their dishes as we had some questions on the menu. With the private and quiet atmosphere, I was able to enjoy a nice afternoon in the company of friends while eating delicious Vietnamese cuisine at An Nam.
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