We have threads for bbq, burgers and Mexican food. This being Houston, we need a thread about Vietnamese food.
There are several dishes I’ve been wanting to explore lately - Bo Luc Lac, or Shaking Beef, for one. I had it recently for only the second time at Hughie’s. Then there’s Banh Xeo, the Vietnamese Rice Crepes. I’ve had only once, at Thien An in Midtown. Lots of people say that’s the best one in town but I didn’t understand how to eat it so I need to return and practice. Then there are a few other places around town that have versions. And also Com Tam dishes. I’ve had only once, also, at Thuan Kieu Com Tam on Bellaire. I like Indian Thalis and Tex-Mex Combo Platters - plates with a good variety of dishes on them, and that seems to be what Com Tam is - Vietnamese combo plates with a unifying element of Com Tam or Broken Rice. There are several places in Chinatown specializing in Com Tam.
So yesterday I was going to get started on this but I was running late for lunch and didn’t want to get stuck in afternoon drive time traffic on the way home so I checked the box that said ‘None of the Above.’ I went to Tau Bay, on Beechnut at 59/69, very close by to me. It identifies as a ‘Vietnamese Noodle House.’
I’ve been there many times before; it’s convenient, clean, friendly, and the food is good if not exceptional. I always get food to go because the portions are so huge and the restaurant seating is more oriented toward large groups.
First thing I noticed was the shopping center exterior has been spiffed up (the restaurant occupies part of a former K-Mart). The interior also seemed to have been spiffed up and there seemed to be fewer of the big round tables and more smaller eating arrangements. I wasn’t sure if I recognized any of the staff but they were all very friendly, as they always have been.
I tried the grilled pork rolls, Gui Cuon Thit Nuong. This is the first time I’ve ever tried these anywhere; I always get the shrimp versions. This was just grilled pork, ‘vegetables,’ - all I got was lettuce, I think- and rice vermicelli. Hmm. Okay but nothing special. The peanut sauce, however, was excellent, perhaps the best I’ve ever had, and a very generous portion, close to half a cup. I will have plenty for all four rolls versus usually running out after only 2.
And a dish I’ve had before, Hu Tieu Mi Dai, clear rice and egg noodles soup with chicken, rice and shrimp. The presentation, for take-out, was different. Before I just got the ingredients in a clam-shell box and produce bag of the sprouts and cilantro and had to provide my own bowl; this time the ingredients were in a disposable bowl. Neato. And the broth this time was almost too hot to handle whereas it’s been just lukewarm before. The lid of the broth container was distorted by the heat; I wonder how much melted plastic I got???
After the picture I ladled 2.5 C of the broth into the bowl, added the garnishes, and dug in. The broth is fantastic, much better than I remember. The egg noodles, very thin, were matted together and underneath them the rice noodles were practically melded together in a solid sheet. Next time, I’ll take everything out of the bowl and divide up for at least two portions and do some separating of the noodles.
But this was excellent. I’ve never had this dish at any other place so I can’t make any comparisons except to my previous sampling here.
I’m thinking, with all the changes I noticed, there has been a change in ownership, management or in the kitchen. And that’s good news.
It wasn’t until I’d slurped about half of the bowl and put the leftovers away and went in to the computer to upload my pretty pictures that I realized I had not take a picture of the bowl with broth and condiments. take my word for it, it was gorgeous. 
.
Half the leftovers made a great breakfast today, too.
so I was a little disappointed.
