Restaurant review: Nam Viet

Soup at Nam Viet

Joy of joys, another Monday is upon us. It's hard enough to get out of bed at 7:30 am on a Monday morning, but pile on top of that the blustery weather we've been having. It's currently 33 degrees outside, but according to weather.com it feels like 21 degrees. Lovely.

Walking to work this morning felt like being stung by a disgruntled swarm of bees or being pelted with dry ice. I don't think I looked up more than 3 times-- I kept my face nuzzled in my scarf and pulled my hat down to shield my cheeks from the wind. It's a wonder I didn't walk into a trash can or collide with someone. Although I almost walked into the homeless man who has stationed himself outside the CVS...

But thank goodness for small blessings, there's a Pho restaurant in Cleveland Park called Nam Viet. Nothing hits the spot better on a cold day than a steaming bowl of noodle soup. I met up with an old a cappella buddy around noon, and I took solace in my bowl of wonton soup.

Nam-Viet Wonton Soup (Sup Hoanh Thanh) $3.95 small - $7.95 large
Homemade Vietnamese wontons filled with grounded shrimp and pork served with barbequed pork garnished with green onions, cilantro, chives, and parsley.

I ordered the small bowl; experience has taught me that the large is just too much for one person. At least a person of my size, anyway. At $3.95, it was a steal.

I'm also a fan of their Nam-Viet Fresh Garden Rolls, which consist of shredded lettuce, clear vermicelli noodles and shrimp all wrapped tightly in thin rice paper and served with homemade peanut sauce.

Their extended menu also includes standard Vietnamese fare; my dining companion ordered the Nam-Viet Sautéed Chicken with Mixed Vegetables, which basically amounted to chicken and vegetables in a brown sauce. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. And for $11.95, it seemed a bit pricey compared to my soup.

I highly recommend you book it over to Nam Viet and get yourself a hot bowl of soup, especially if this weather keeps up.

Rating:

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
Service: B+
Value: A-

Read more about my adventures at Plight of the Pumpernickel.