Vietnamese food is almost as common in Vancouver as sushi, but it tends to be of the more pungent, southern style. The cuisine of northern Vietnam, specifically the area around Hanoi, is lighter, cleaner and more earthy in nature, as is very well-represented in Hong and Rose Nguyen’s new 25-seat café, Mr. Red.
Located in the burgeoning Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood, the café boasts neighbours like Campagnolo Roma, Red Wagon, Schokolade, et al. It’s a small, bright, mom-and-pop shop that this young couple opened less than a year ago. The ingredients are fresh, and the family recipes have been perfected by the grandmothers back home, with little fuss. Almost all the dishes sit under $10, with most ranging around $4.50-$6.50.
Our tea was the first indicator of something special. Made from bay thoy leaf (also called pandan or pineapple leaf), it’s fragrant, almost sweet, and expertly brewed.
“My husband and I drink it every day,” explains Rose, boasting of its restorative powers.
It’s also the perfect pairing to dishes like the chicken wings in honey and butter sauces. One of the few deep-fried dishes, these are lightly spiced and extra-juicy, with slightly crunchy exteriors. Sticky rice is laced with turmeric. It’s glutinous and addictive, and comes tightly wrapped in banana leaves. Try the assorted plate, which comes with different bundles flavoured with mung bean and pork.
Green mango salad is stimulating and top-notch. The fresh, julienned fruit is firm and well-studded with carrots, fried shallots, kaffir leaves, dried mushrooms, peanuts and dried shrimp. It’s large enough for two or three to share, but we were greedy and each ordered our own. Crab rolls with wood ear and mushrooms were so meaty they could have been a main. The phyllo layers were crispy and not overly greasy. Dip them in the chili vinegar for a light kick of heat and sour.
The bun cha (the house specialty) was one of the stars of the menu. This traditional clear, aromatic broth is served with rice vermicelli, small handmade pork balls, wood ear, shredded chicken, and dried mushrooms. A side basket of bean sprouts and fresh mint and cilantro comes with. The large bowl can serve four, but I saw plenty of people making a meal out solo orders.
Make sure to leave room for dessert. The sticky green rice pudding with coconut cream might sound – and look – odd, but as soon as you try some, you’re hooked. Forget the almost neon hue and just dig in. It’s the perfect balance of salt and sweet, with the cream adding necessary richness to cut the salt.
Service, provided by Rose, is friendly, warm, and welcoming, but when it gets busy, things slow down quite a bit. She’s the only one on the floor most days (hubbie runs the kitchen), and another body would probably go a long way to smoothing out the one small wrinkle in an otherwise stellar operation.
Banh mi are another unique and happy find. More of the fried shallots top some truly excellent pork pâté. Slightly gamey, but silky smooth, it’s served on a toasted bun, which is a pleasant change. A few to go as you head out the door only makes sense, right?
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★★★1/2
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Value: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday. FoodGirlFriday.com
