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2017-02-05
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Located at the end of Lee Tung Avenue, La Bo La is at the hidden corner serving affordable Vietnamese food. This is actually my second visit to this place and I have noticed that they have changed their menu, well, basically shrank their menu to a concise 2-page menu with a range of small bite, noodles, bread, and rice items, while a very wide variety of alcoholic drinks are also available from the bar. The restaurant is really cozy with bar tables and a bit of outdoor sitting area for custome
The restaurant is really cozy with bar tables and a bit of outdoor sitting area for customers to enjoy some casual drinks, while a private section of the restaurant would also be available for a group of customers to dine with a little bit more privacy.
Once we ordered, we were served with a wedge of lime and some chopped chili, so as you can guess it, yes, we have ordered a very classic bowl of pho.
Pho is one of those food that would recall all of my good memory in Springvale, Melbourne, because that place has a few really authentic Vietnamese restaurants serving piping hot fresh giant bowls of pho that would fill you up for a day. Mini U.S. Raw Beef Pho $68
It is a mini version therefore the amount of noodle is just enough to settle your hunger. For us, it's the perfect size because you would want to save some room for other dishes!
The smooth flat rice noodle is topped with a few pieces of raw beef that is flavourful with a beefy taste, complimented with some freshly chopped spring onion to balance with the meaty taste.
The soup has a light brown colour and it has a light herby taste. When comparing to the authentic style, the herb taste can be strong and the soup can be hotter so as to lightly cook the raw beef, so that the beef slices would not remained raw.
After a quick bite of its original taste, I have decided to squeeze in some fresh lime juice as well as putting in some chili, just to give it a little bit more complexity and excitement. Overall, it's still a good bowl of Pho for the price and it would be even better if the soup is hotter.
Seaweed garlic spiced tofu fries $68Then our fries came. Not just any other kind of normal fries, but it's tofu fries! We were kind curious how it would be like so we ordered this. In short, the texture is almost exactly the same as the Hong Kong style "Stinky Tofu" , maybe slightly crunchier because it has a bigger surface area.
The long steel cut tofu fries feels healthy because it's light, airy and dry without being too oily nor overly salted like any other fast food chain style fries. The surprisingly light taste from the tofu is again surprisingly good with the freshly squeezed lime juice on the side. I wonder if I can try to add lime juicy onto my stinky tofu next time when I am roaming around MK?
Tender black pepper ox tongue rice $128To me, good food always come from good memory instead of its taste itself. I had this same dish almost a year ago and I remember I used to be amazed by the tenderness from the ox tongue as well as the flavourful sauce that would help you finishing all the rice.
As the second time having this dish, I do find it different. Is it because I had too much expectation or did they change the recipe? Though the ox tongue is just as succulent, the sauce is not as flavourful and I am kind of hoping to see hotter rice with hotter sauce. I hope our 1 minute photo taking session is not going to affect the texture and taste of the dish?
The ox tongue is really thick cut and has a good balance between meat and fat. Some part of the fattier part would literally melt in your mouth just after a few chews. I truly believe that this dish can go back to its original standard if the restaurant can maintain the temperature of this dish, as we as the mixed flavours of the sauce.
Oxtail basil pot in rich sauce with bread tip $198Lastly, we have also ordered another beef base dish which is an oxtail being cooked to perfection, then served smoking hot with sliced up and toasted Italian bread. After a small disappointment with the previous dish, the restaurant nailed this dish with just right aroma, and at least it is served hot!
Giant pieces of ox tail can be found in the pot and they have all been braised until it is almost falling off the bone. I believe it has been cooked for long hours to make that marination infused into the meat.
You may either choose to dip the bread into the sauce, or you may scrape off those ox tongue meat and eat it on the bread just like an open face sandwich. Shallots are used to provide sweetness to the pot. Vietnam has a strong French influence due to its history, so some fusion dishes can also be found on the menu.
All in all, it's a valuable Vietnamese restaurant with a small menu. They have all kind of traditional Vietnamese signature dishes and we are eager to come back again for their Banh Mi because we have heard that they are pretty good! If you are in Wan Chai looking for Viet food, La Bo La is not a bad choice as causal wine and dine spot for both young generation or mature groups.
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