I finally managed to get the newly daytime job free Husband to drive all the way to Polaris with me to go to Ha Long Bay. So far he's only had my soggy leftovers, but has still proclaimed them tasty. There are a few repeats from my previous visits, but I just can't help it - their summer rolls and hot & sour soup are just must-eats for me. I wish Ha Long Bay were closer to me. As a matter of fact, I wish any Vietnamese restaurant was nearby. I hope someone is listening. . .
Try the ginger lemonade - a little on the sweet side, but nicely matched with hot ginger and maybe a little palm sugar. First up, summer rolls - filled with mango and papaya, these are summer rolls with a twist - included in the usual filling of rice noodles and herbs are crunchy bits of fried wontons. They're so addictive:
Next, the aforementioned hot and sour soup. I asked Husband if he was going to order any and he said no - just wait 'til it comes, I said, you'll see how good it is. Totally different than any other hot and sour soup I've seen. It's filled with white fish, pineapple, okra, tomatoes, and bean sprouts, and is a nice rich balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet:
Husband had the Vietnamese street noodles: flat rice noodles tossed with ground pork, beef, tomatoes, eggs, scallions and peanuts. It had this aroma - not unpleasant, mind you - but strange: it smelled exactly like a Whopper. I don't know what it was, but it was a little bizarre. Tasty, though:
I chose the tamarind shrimp after my first choice, twice cooked pork, was sold out. The presentation was beautiful: somen noodles were wrapped around about 5 shrimp tails, and then the whole thing was fried, resulting in a crunchy, rather indulgent experience. The tangy tamarind sauce was spiced to very American levels (read: not as hot as promised), but that was fixed with a little of the ubiquitous garlic chile paste. The shrimp were placed on a bed of soothing preserved daikon radish, cucumbers and lettuce and served with a bowl of rice on the side. Definitely something worth having again:
If you're lucky enough to live or work near Ha Long Bay, you should visit it a lot. The menu is really extensive, and there should be plenty to try before you tire of it.
Info: Info: Ha Long Bay Asian Kitchen 8489 Sancus Blvd Polaris/North Columbus 614.436.4087 Original review
