Present Cuisine

So Duke, Dana and I hooked up with big brother Hai for lunch at Present Cuisine. Here goes another Asian restaurant with a waterfall fountain. Nevertheless, the sound of the trickling water and the garden-like design gives the restaurant a cool, relaxing vibe.

Looking at the extensive menu, I get a kick out of the fancy names even though I wouldn’t know what the heck they were if I didn’t look at the actual Vietnamese items. For instance, “Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll” is “Cha Gio Re” or “Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli” is “Banh Canh Tom Cua Gio Heo” or “Rick Folks Golden Crepes” is “Banh Xeo.” Didn’t know that Banh Xeo is a rich folks dish until you look at the price: $10.95 for one. We make Banh Xeo all the time at home and we ain’t rich.

Brother Hai ordered Banh Xeo and it sounded pretty crispy when he bit it. He cleaned up the entire plate so it must be good. I have to invite brother Hai to my sister-in-law’s house next time. She makes some killer Banh Xeo. I had at least five with hot sake the other day and it was heaven.

I tried Cha Ca La Vong and it was pretty good. The fish had a tangy flavor and the shrimp paste was not so strong that non-Vietnamese could give it a try. Dana was not satisfied with her Pig at the Seaside Vermicelli though. She thought the broth had a weird sour taste to it. She hasn’t ran to the bathroom yet, so it’s ok.

Although the prices are a bit higher than most Vietnamese restaurants around the area (including Eden), I was impressed enough to come back to check out some more dishes.

As for the services, I was a bit disappointed with the accommodation. I didn’t have a problem that they don’t have baby changing station in the bathroom; however, they couldn’t even provide me a private area to change Duke. I had to go out to the car.