It was New Year’s Day and I was getting a late start on lunch. The Hong Kong Supermarket Plaza, located along Jimmy Carter liked like the day after New Year’s Eve party, or like a bomb had gone off. The grocery store, retail shops sand especially the restaurants in this plaza are always busy on weekends, but coming later in the afternoon makes it possible to easily get a table, though it will need to be cleared of dishes. Yany is located between the better known Nam Phuong and Hong Kong Supermarket.
Yany Express’ menu features typical categories: Khai Vi (appetizers); Pho (noodle soup); Bun (rice vermicelli); Bo Kho (beef stew); Com Tam (broken rice) and Do Xao (stir fried) dishes. Noodles being good luck in the New Year, I chose Bun Thit Nuong Nem Nuong (Charbroiled pork, pork sausage, rice vermicelli, $7.50). To wake up, I order Café Sua Da (iced French-style coffee with condensed milk, $3). I find this to be more reliable--and tasty--than those 5-hour energy drinks.
The mature, Vietnamese waitress took pains to make me welcome and pronounce items. She brought the iced coffee readymade, which probably is only done for pasty-white, round eyes. It was thick, sweet and as potent as rocket fuel. The entre came quickly and showed the Vietnamese attention to color. The bottom salad of fresh greens, sprouts, cucumber, and red veined Thai basil was just peaking out beneath the white rice noodles mixed with bright orange shredded carrots, topped with crushed peanuts and green onion. The lightly charred, tender pork was hot and tasted perfectly of charcoal. Vietnamese pork sausage is surprisingly sweet and fatty, an exception in this naturally low fat, low sugar cuisine.
Bonus: My lack of dexterity with chopsticks isn’t such a problem in a Vietnamese restaurant. Everyone slurps their noodles and holds their face directly over the bowl. I love fish sauce and find it a perfect light dressing to the salad at the bottom of the bowl, though it’s meant to be a dipping sauce.
For the price, I’m not sure where you’d get a better, healthy meal than in almost any metro Atlanta Vietnamese restaurant. Yany is good, inexpensive and frequented by new and first generation immigrants.
Yany Express
54 Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Norcross, GA 30093
770-368-0094
Hours
Mon – Sat, 9a – 9:45p
Sunday, 9a – 9p
Closed Tuesday
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