Vien Dong

Had another satisfying meal at Vien Dong last night. I think they do storefront Vietnamese as well any non-Argyle restaurant in the city.

We had two appetizers. The lemongrass beef on skewers (bo lui) were delicious: well-marinated, sprinkled with finely chopped peanuts. Nothing mind-blowing, but a better than average rendition of a standard dish. The Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo) were excellent. Infused with a cocnutty flavor that I find addictive. Served with a bountiful plate of cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, and mint. Both appetizers are served with an excellent fish sauce-based dipping sauce.

For entrees, we shared the hot and sour shrimp soup (lau canh chua tom) which is served in a "fire pot," a large bowl with a little space for three live charcoals in the middle. We loved the soup. The broth was brimming with spiciness. In addition to the shrimp, the soup includes plenty of vegetables, noodles and some pineapple. We also ordered the catfish cooked in a clay pot (Ca kho to), which we've ordered at numerous places around town. Vien Dong's version isn't notably better or worse than any of our other favorite places. Good, rich garlicky sauce, carmelized around the edges of the clay pot.

An excellent meal. The bill for four of us was $48. We couldn't finish all the food. The place was pretty sparsely populated for a Saturday night. They've been there for a while; I'm guessing that their carry-out business keeps them afloat. The room is pleasant enough, but not a special ambience by any measure (they have a clunky TV in the back of the room). Service was attentive and friendly.

Vien Dong
3227 N Clark
773.348.6879
http://www.viendongrestaurant.com
BYOB

I agree that Viet Dong has tasty Vienamese along the lines of what's offered at Argyle and for comparable prices. The biggest plus is it's proximity to me.
I finally went there a few weeks ago and overall, my hubby and I were pleased.

We ordered the spring rolls. While these were very well presented, the taste fell short. This is my all-time favorite Vietnamese appetizer, but I'll have to indulge these cravings elsewhere.

Also ordered a lemongrass chicken appetizer. This was surprisingly tasty. Very nicely flavored.

Our all-time favorite entree is the clay pot catfish entree. The one at this particular place might be my very favorite of all the places where I've had this.

Overall, this is a nice place to go for Vietnamese outside or Argyle. Tasty food. Inexpensive. The place definitely doesn't focus on the decor, so it's not really the type of place you'd take to impress, luxuriate; however, for good Vietnames chow, it does the job.