Pho Da Lat Restaurant

As a naitve Lowellian I've always known that the city has one of the largest populations of southeast asians and is spotted thorughout with restaurants offering authentic cusine from this cultually rich and exotic area of the world. However, It wasn't until recently that i came to the realization that i have yet to really try any of it (save for one time about nine years ago when i went to Vietnamese buffet, tried some hot sauce, and burned my taste buds into blackened specks barely able to feel the gallons off water that washed over them for the subsequesnt three hours). : )

In an effort to rectify this agregious oversight i decided on Pho Da Lat (1575 Middlesex Street). The ambiance is absolutely Vietnam in its feel. Quaint, friendly and more laid back than any chinese restaurant i've tried to date.  We were greeted immediately by waters with lemon slices. I don't know exaclty why, but there is just something about that extra flare that provides a sense of genuine hospitality to me. It just says "welome".  The menu offers a wide variety of dishes, that include vegetarian, beef, chicken, pork and, of course, seafood of all types (lobster anyone?). They have a few "bizarre food" offerings such as stripped duck feet and jellyfish soup. Our tastes being more Bourdain than Zimmerman, my companion and i decided to stick with the more conventional options. They offer Vietnamese and Chinese cusine but the Chinese aspects have a very Vietnamese twist. For example, the wonton soup contains more scallions than any won ton i've had, onions are added which, along with the thinly sliced chicken seems to make it a more hybrid Pho dish than strictly won ton. The spring rolls are not the deepfried grease sticks we're accustomed to but vermicelli and vegetables rolled in a  thin rice wrap, served with a sweet, delicous peanut sauce that has to be tasted to be believed. The entrées are served in moderate portions but priced accordingly. I noticed a lot of onions in these various selections. Me like. You gotta appreciate the French influence on Vietnamese food (after all there would be no Pho without it). The lemon-grass beef was served with a good portion of peppers, onions and an every-so-slightly spicy sauce with an understated sweetness that compliments each other like yin and yang on the saturated pallett. My companion had the chicken and Chinese brocolli with a rather bland sauce in my view, but she liked it. The chinese broccolli looks like spinach on a stem but tastes more like celery in its after taste and is just as crisp.   Both dishes were served with a nice ball of rice that can be broken up easily and eaten with chopsticks. Oh yeah, i can rock those!  Though i did not partake this time out they serve alcohol and have a nice wine selection.

I would definitely recommend this place for first timers to the world of authentic souteast asian food. A nice place to start transiton from typically american chinese food to more genuine asian cusine. I liked it...da lat!