The Vietnamese Hut - Runcorn

After my Sydney trip, and a longstanding craving for tasty pho, I opted to try The Vietnamese Hut, which is situated at Runcorn Plaza, opposite Warrigal Square, where my usual pho joint, Rice Paper, is situated.

 

The decour was clean and simple and I could see a wide variety of condiments provided as would be expected. We were promptly seated and provided menus. 

 

A flask of Jasmine tea was provided. I appreciated the fact the tea would be kept warm for our enjoyment. 

As is typical of any order of Vietnamese Pho a serving of sprouts, mint leaf and a lemon slice were provided. 

For entrée we ordered Deep Fried Crispy Tofu. Cubes [ ^ __ ^]v ! The presentation was clean and appealing and we all dived in on the dish. I noted however, the batter for the tofu was too thick. Further when I have deep fried foods I prefer them to be very crunchy, in this instance I felt they could have been crunchier. Still, with the lettuce leaves, the dish was light and whetted my appetite for what was to come. 

Our next dish was grilled Lemongrass pork and steamed rice, served with greens and a fried egg. My companions enjoyed the pork and found the well seasoned lemongrass pork refreshing. The greens were fresh and crispy whilst the egg was not overcooked, but still had a crunchy base. The combination of the seasoned pork, greens and rice made for a light refreshing dish for lunch.

But the most important thing one goes to a Vietnamese restaurant for (aside from Vietnamese coffee) is of course the Pho. I particularly enjoy the anticipation of a Vietnamese beef pho and this instance was no exception either. The beef and the ingredients were fresh and the portions were generous. The serving of spring onion and coriander are always welcome and are what give the dish such a strong flavour. An interesting point with the pho though was the lightness of the soup, whilst this brought out the freshness of the ingredients, especially the noodles. For this dish though, I thought that a stronger tasting soup would have made it a whole lot better, having said that, I really do enjoy the tender beef. Still the freshness of the ingredients gave me a comforting feeling and I enjoyed the dish. 

We also had spring rolls. Whilst the presentation was simple, the serving size was smaller than what we would have preferred. However the skin was crispy and the filling well seasoned, making it quite a tasty side.

 For our final dish we had Pork and Prawn Rice paper Rolls. The roll was a generous serving and was filled with rice noodles and fresh greens including onion and cucumber. Whilst the roll was refreshing I felt the flavours were light due to the generous serving of rice noodles in them. 

 Overall I found the fresh ingredients and the generous portions to be very strong positives of the Vietnamese Hut and would consider it a solid choice. But given the close proximity of Warrigal Square, I would still be inclined to go to my usual Rice Paper instead. 

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 6/10