Nhatrang Restaurant
Fri., July 25, 1997
Nhatrang is an unobtrusive place swallowed up in a strip mall along Research Boulevard. But if the tidy little restaurant's location doesn't stand out, its food certainly does. Visit Nhatrang at dinnertime; lunch is a rather ordinary buffet. And instead of opting for the standard Vietnamese bowl of Pho (noodles and soup), go to the plant-filled, family-run eatery -- Nhatrang, incidentally, is named for the family's native village -- to experience "fajitas" Vietnamese style.
Lovers of Tex-Mex's favorite finger food, as well as those who've jumped on the burgeoning wrap bandwagon, will find Nhatrang's self-described "fun" Fire Pots and Fire Plates divine. Here's the deal: Order, say, the Bo, Tom, Muc Nhung Dam -- #176 ($13.95). What arrives atop your pink-clothed table is a steaming pot brimming with an aromatic wine- and vinegar-based broth. Floating in the mixture are tomatoes, chunks of fresh pineapple, and transparent slices of white onion. Next comes a plate piled high with cilantro, sprouts, cut rice noodle, cucumber, and carrot, followed by a platter loaded with delicately seasoned butterflied shrimp, vivid white strips of squid, and carpaccio-thin slices of beef. From here on out, dinner becomes a do-it-yourself affair with initial guidance from Nhatrang's solicitous staff.
Bits of shrimp, squid, or beef are dropped into the fragrant pot where they are left to cook. Meanwhile, you're left to load large rounds of moist rice paper with the vegetables, vermicelli, and condiments before layering on the cooked meat and/or seafood. The tough part is gracefully rolling the delicate rice paper, but once everything is well-enveloped, it's eagerly downed with delight following a dunk in the dipping sauce. One fire pot order proved an ample meal for two, especially when paired with Nhatrang's toasted scallop and shrimp appetizer ($3.95), six hot little crustaceans characterized by golden breading. Nhatrang's fire plates follow the same routine, the only variation is that the seasoned beef or seafood is roasted atop a sizzling tabletop platter. -- Rebecca Chastenet de Géry
