Hoa Vien Quan

The nice thing about a grand-opening restaurant is that the people are very passionate. Hoa Vien Quan opened three weeks ago in Eden Center across from Hai Ky Mi Gia. From the server to the owner, they treated us with careful attention like finding a good spot for Cu Dao’s stroller and asking us if we liked the food.

We started off with the server’s recommendation: stuffed escargot (oc nhoi). Buried inside the meat, the escargot was hardly distinguishable from the plain stuffing. I had shaky beef with steamed rice (com bo luc lac) and it was not so bad although I prefer a simpler version with just beef and watercress dipped with salt, pepper and lemon instead of soy bean. My rice dish comes automatically with a bowl of soup, something I have to ask for at other places and even get charge for it. My mother-in-law had grilled pork with vermicelli (banh hoi thit nuong) and she liked it. Dana had Hoa Vien noodle soup (hu tieu Hoa Vien). The soup looked clear and tasted a bit plain, but she also liked it.

The common dishes don’t stand out, but they aren’t horrible either. So if I crave for a Vietnamese dish at one in the morning, I can still get it at Hoa Vien Quan since it opens from 9am-2am. The space is small, clean with simple decorations. The red and peach painting makes the place a bit “sen.” There was also a karaoke machine and it was a good thing that it didn’t turn on while we were eating.