Hale Vietnam

I haven't visited this "hale" on 12th Ave for many years. A couple we were meeting suggested it and pho sounded great. The ambiance was unchanged, although it did seem a bit more colorful. On a rainy Wednesday night, it was busy with people constantly at the door waiting for tables. That explains why the moment we sat down the waitress asked for our order and then two minutes later and then again two minutes later. We finally made our selections, Garden Delight Roll, Large Beef/Flank/Brisket/Tripe Pho, Lemongrass Chicken; our friends ordered Peanut Curry and Vegetarian Crispy Noodles.

We shared an appetizer, the Garden Delight. It was pretty tasty and it LOOKS like there's meat inside! It was filled with lettuce, basil and some sort of garlicky filling. Pretty tasty.













I got the pho and it was pretty good, although not the best. One of the best I've had is from Cuu Long 2 and Han likes Pho Baci (both in Chinatown).













According to Han, the Lemongrass Chicken was pretty good especially with the tasty bits of fried garlic. It had really subtle lemongrass flavor; he was hoping for a stronger lemongrass taste.













Our friend who ordered the Peanut Curry said it was "awesome" and really enjoyed it. It reminded him of a Thai penang curry.













Vegetarian Crispy Noodles, not a hit with our friend who ordered it. She liked that the noodles were fluffy but the sauce was also too subtle, not enough flavor.













Overall, I remember Hale Vietnam being better in the past, but it's still a Vietnamese restaurant that you can enjoy more than a bowl of pho. It's a neighborhood establishment with a lively ambiance, the perfect place to gather with friends.

Indian Food Cravings

On our amazing honeymoon to Europe, we were lucky enough to visit London and partake of the fabulous Indian food there. We like Cafe Maharani in Honolulu, but the Indian food we had in London took the cuisine to another level for us. We visited the fabled Brick Lane and were actually a little turned off by the salesmen luring us into their restaurant with free drinks or 15% discounts. It was dizzying choosing from "Best Curry of 2007" or "Best Chef 2008," every restaurant had a claim to fame. Nonetheless, we had an amazing meal there. Our personal favorite, though, was a chain restaurant just a few steps from our hotel in the Earl's Court area, Masala Zone. It was very warm, trendy and had such wonderful food! We filled out our comment card and asked if they could please open up a restaurant in Hawaii!!

I've had a sort of love affair with things Indian, stemming from a few Indian movies I've seen. Han too has begun to appreciate Indian food and culture more too since we've been together. So, he recently created a wonderful Indian meal for me. We enjoyed Indian Ginger Chicken, Tomato Dal Soup, Cucumber Raita, Vegetable Biryani with Naan from Maharani. Hope you enjoy the pictures and get to grab some Indian food soon.













Vegetable Biryani













Tomato Dal Soup













Indian Ginger Chicken













Our Spread!!