Mark’s Score 8.5
We lived in the Asia- Pacific for a total of 12 years. In that time, we travelled to China, South Korea, Japan, Fiji, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, and Cambodia. My one regret from that period in our lives is that we did not visit Vietnam. During our time in Asia, I came to enjoy all Asian cuisines. Each is distinctive in its own right and generally the further south you go, the more piquant and bold the cuisine. Vietnamese cuisine is the exception to that rule. I view Vietnamese cuisine as being Asia’s answer to French cuisine. I don’t mean that Vietnamese is just Asian French. I mean that Vietnamese cuisine, like French cuisine, is subtle and sophisticated. It relies on textures, flavors, and design. It is not about being bold, it is about a soft caress of flavor and texture on the palette. When I think of Indian, Thai, or Sichuanese food I think of in-your-face curry and chili. Vietnamese cuisine brings to mind the aromatics; lemongrass, ginger, mint, coriander and basil.
Frankly, when we moved to Salisbury, I thought I would not eat Vietnamese cuisine again, unless I made it myself. Like its French cousin, Vietnamese cuisine is not easy to make. So, I thought my days of eating good Vietnamese were over. One of the surprises of living here in the back of the beyond of Maryland is our abundance of Asian cuisine choices. Not only choice, but also the quality of those choices, with the exception of Chinese. I lived in China for years, trust me, there is no such thing as authentic Chinese here on the Delmarva. We get Americanized Chinese, served with dubious sauces and over battered soggy deep-fried glop. But it is possible to get Vietnamese food worthy of the name at Viet Taste.
First the negatives. The restaurant itself is in desperate need of a make-over paint job. I was sitting at a table next to the wall and the walls looked grimy with peeling paint. A word of advice for all restaurateurs, never light your dining area with fluorescent lighting. No food looks appetizing under blue light. Blue lighting makes food look like it has gone off. My last negative, the day I was at Viet Taste was slow, there were only two other diners, even still the service, though cheerful, was on the slow side.
I ordered the mis-named clay pot rice with pork. Their “clay pot” is actually served in a piping hot iron kettle at the end of a wooden handle. The dish was classic Vietnamese. It was a pot full of subtle flavors and textures forming a coherent and delightful sumptuous whole. Unlike some Asian cuisines it did not hit me in the face with powerful flavors, rather it seduces with a welcome medley with each individual flavor creating an orchestral whole. I have had better Vietnamese cuisine, but if you want to enjoy the subtle delights of Vietnamese cuisine, Viet taste is a decent choice.
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