Ăn Viet @ The Gardens Mall

- April 14, 2018

EAT WHAT LEH?

I love Vietnamese food. There, I said it. Ever since I first tried Vietnamese food last year, I just had been obsessed with them. I even crave for them from time to time and that is how much I love Vietnamese food.

If you've seen my latest "Eat What Leh?" episode on my channel [click here to watch], you would know that I went to An Viet and tried a variety of their dishes. They were all really good and is now one of my favourite place for Vietnamese food. Now that I'm plant-based, I thought I would try their vegetarian options dishes. I was really impressed actually.

I love the warm and dark ambience (It is actually slightly darker irl). We went there around 2:30pm and it was still quite pack despite being almost after lunch hours.

For starters, we had Goi Cuon Chay [RM9.90] (fresh spring rolls) and it comes with a special blend of sauce made from all plant ingredients. This is definitely a nice and light dish to start off with. The ingredients used for this spring roll are indeed very fresh and definitely tastes even better when paired with the sauce!

Iced Lime and Mint Tea (left) , Lemon Grass and Ginger [RM10.90 for jug] (right)

I had the iced lime and mint tea while my mum had the lemon grass and ginger drink. I'm not a fan of the ginger one because I personally don't really like ginger but my drink was really refreshing!

Bun Cha Gio Chay [Rm14.90]

Let me introduce you to my favourite Vietnamese dish, Bun Cha! Bun Cha is a bowl of rice vermicelli and is usually topped with grilled pork, vegetables, fresh mints and dressed with nuoc mam and it is a really popular dish in Vietnam. The vegetarian option here at An Viet, called Bun Cha Gio Chay (Chay means vegetarian) is topped with shredded carrots, cucumbers, fresh greens, peanuts and crispy spring roll filled with scrambled tofus and some mushroom bits.

How to eat Bun Cha? There really is not right or wrong to this. Normally, I would pour in the sauce first and mix everything else together. Take a bit of the fresh greens, rice vermicelli and a piece of the spring roll. Basically a bit of everything! In order to make a decent bowl of bun cha, the vermicelli has to be thin, chewy and soft and An Viet definitely did well on that part. If you're a herb lover like me, do not be shy to ask for more basil leafs!

I LOVED THIS! This dish was an easy 10/10 from me! Who says vegetarian can only have lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers in their sandwich? This vegetarian version of Banh Mi at An Viet comprises of bits of fungus, tofu-mushroom pate, carrot, homemade sauce that is made from scratch. The tofu-mushroom pate definitely brought this dish to a whole new level! Totally not over-exaggerating here haha I tried the one with grilled chicken before and I personally think the meat-less one tasted better!

The tip here is to eat it while it's hot! When the dish arrives, quickly take pictures for your Insta-stories or Snapchats and quickly dig in. The baguette is one of the most crispiest bread I've had and the price is also very affordable.

OVERALL VERDICT:

Food: I loved it and would definitely return! If your group of friends have both vegetarians and non vegetarians, come here for some good food that everyone will surely enjoy!

Price: The noodles (overall) are quite pricey for a student but I think the Banh Mi's (overall) are alright! Overall, it is quite affordable for everyone.

Service: 10/10! Everyone is very welcoming, friendly and always ready to serve you! Would even come back just because of the good vibe there.

Would I Return?: Yes!

(disclaimer: all opinions are my own and may differ from others)