The number of Vietnamese restaurants in the Salt Lake area has caused "overselection anxiety" among gastronomes who continue to search for the "best" specialties of this colorful cuisine. Whether it is crab and asparagus soup or heaping bowls of rice noodles in an aromatic broth, discussions can be heated as well as enlightened.
Such was the case at the recent March of Dimes Gourmet Gala, which I had the pleasure to help judge. One of the prominent chefs on the panel was singing the praises of the Vietnamese dishes served at China's Delight Restaurant (formerly Gene Fullmer's celebrity restaurant adjacent to a motel on 500 South). Inspired by an Oriental dish submitted by the wonderfully wacky Saliva Sisters, our fellow judge sang this restaurant's praises as another favorite among the current offerings of Southeast Asian restaurants about town.China's Delight is brightly lit and squeaky clean. (When we came in for our weekend dinner, a crew member was vacuuming from a party that had just exited. As he looked up with some embarrassment, we assured him we appreciated his fastidiousness.)
An extensive selection of both Vietnamese and Chinese dishes overflows from the menu, though some of the condiments that usually accompany Vietnamese food, such as chili and fish sauces, were absent from the table. This absence was also apparent with some of the noodle and rice dishes we sampled, served without the fresh lime, peppers, cilantro and sprouts we had become accustomed to at other Vietnamese restaurants.
But the two soup dishes we sampled were large, steaming and very good. The recommended mi vi tiem ($4.70), salted duck and black mushrooms with egg noodles, was not as salty as expected and the smoked duck was falling off the bone. The bun bo hue was considerably spicier, loaded with rice vermicelli noodles, braised beef pieces, sliced char sil pork, and chicken meat cake. It was also a generous serving but could have used the cooling effect of either the fresh mint or sprouts.
While the crab asparagus soup was understated, the other appetizers were more appealing. The Vietnamese egg rolls ($3.20) had slivered jicama inside and the cold pork and shrimp roll ($2.80) had all the necessary ingredients to meet our expectations. Our favorite for both flavor and novelty was banh beo ($3.50), small silver dollar-size rice cakes, just slightly chewy, topped with a golden ground bean paste, pieces of cold pork, and dried shrimp. When drizzled with the piquant dipping sauce it was both a colorful and tasty treat.
The simple yet generous serving of the egg foo yung ($4.60), topped with green peas and carrots, was also nicely presented. The same wonderful fried egg rolls appeared with the bun cha gio-thit nuong ($4.45) along with barbecued pork on rice vermicelli noodles that were served atop sliced napa cabbage. This dish is without the broths of some of the soups but with the same characteristic ingredients. It needed just a bit of the condiments absent from the table, though a dash or two of soy sauce livened it up.
Other Chinese or Vietnamese specialties on the extensive menu include hot and sour soup, fish or beef ball soup, beef noodle soups with tripe, shrimp, sauteed shrimp with tomato paste and pork with broken rice, chicken with deep fried noodles, Peking spareribs, kung pao chicken, beef with black bean sauce, shrimp with lobster sauce, and several versions of chop suey or chow mein. Entree prices range between $4 and $6. Dinner comes with steamed rice. (During our visit, the large serving of rice was slightly dry and clumped together.) A long list of Vietnamese drinks and desserts caps the menu, including ice soya milk and lychee with ice.
The longevity of China's Delight Restaurant, open for about two years, proves that there is always room for one more Oriental restaurant, even if there appears to be plenty of competition.
Rating: * * *
China's Delight Restaurant, 60 W. 500 South, 322-3113. Open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Accepts major credit cards and check with guarantee card. Take out available.- NOTE: Reliable sources indicate that the Thai restaurant Bua Thai in North Salt Lake closed several months ago when the original owners wanted to concentrate on their sister restaurant. Bangkok Thai in Foothill Village has reopened with comparable quality. Also, congratulations to Baci Trattoria, whose menu won third place in the Best Design category in the National Restaurant Association's Great Menu Contest. More than 600 entries from around the world were submitted.