If you are going to eat at Deli Viet, you’re about to read something top secret.
That is because the menu is so confusing and cryptic that it’s got to contain the passcode to some highly sensitive information.
How confusing you ask? Well instead of labeling the items in some logical sequential manner, random numbers are assigned to the dishes. The labeling then suddenly switches to letters of the alphabet. Then just as abruptly, this changes yet again to a combination of letters and numbers! To make matters worse, the number labels on the photos do not match those of the written text at all!
It’s almost as if this was a scene out of a ‘Mission Impossible' movie wherein you can only understand the contents of the menu after wearing a special pair decryption glasses!
So when the food finally came, I was shocked that the dishes that ended up on our table were actually what we wanted to order. The first of these was the Crystal Prawn Vietnamese roll, which impressed with its sizable piece of shrimp in each serving. The accompanying greens were fresh and the dipping sauce light, making this a great appetizer.
No Vietnamese meal would be complete without trying their rare beef pho, which in 99.9% of the restaurants in HK, comes way too well done. So surprise, surprise, the beef was overcooked in this case as well. It also did not come with enough accompanying veggies, which is a signature of authentic Viet cuisine. If there was one redeeming quality however, it would be the noodle’s stock, which was sufficiently flavorful in this dish.
Finally, we had the stir fried vermicelli with shrimp, which seemed oddly out of place for a Vietnamese restaurant. Served in a hot pot and peppered with pieces of minced pork, this dish was a bit too oily and heavy for my taste. But it may be a good option if you need something a bit more hearty to complete your meal.
Notwithstanding the confusing menu, Deli Viet is a decent restaurant that keeps on par with most other Vietnamese offerings in HK. However, given that most of these restaurants miss that mark in terms of authenticity, the search for the Viet cuisine that wows my taste buds continues …
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