Lien Phat Vietnamese Bread House @ Kepong

We were in the area to pick up some IT-related stuff and planned to have an early dinner there.  I googled the street address (of the IT shop) to see what I could find to eat in the vicinity as it's an area I don't frequently visit.

A few came up and I clicked on one of them, Lien Phat Vietnamese Bread House @ Kepong, and guess what?  I chanced upon two reviews by bloggers that are already on my blogroll....eatdrinkkl and a more recent one from mimi's dining room.  So, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me! ;)

One of the most popular Vietnamese appetisers has got to their spring rolls, fresh or fried.  We obviously preferred the Fried Spring Roll @ RM8 (for 5 pcs) served with a Vietnamese dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, minced fresh chillies and garlic.   It had nuances of salty and spicy but more sweet and sour, all in one dip that paired perfectly with the Vietnamese rolls.

I find that these rice paper rolls taste a lot better than our local popiah (spring rolls) as the rolls are made with super thin rice paper wrappers.  But, even better is if they use the netted rice paper.  It looks like a net and the technique of making it is rather similar to the way our roti jala is made.

I like these netted rice paper rolls, with a filling of pork and vegetables, as the wrappings are super thin and super crispy when fried....yum, yum! ;)

Of course I'm not going to come here and not order the banh mi thit (a Vietnamese pork sandwich) which is obviously their speciality from what is shown on their signboard.  As soon as you walk in, the sight of rows of freshly baked banh mi (that resemble baguettes) greets you at the front of the shop.

Our order of Pork Chop Sandwich (Banh Mi Thit Nuong) @ RM9 arrived with a nice crispy crust and a soft pillowy bread on the inside.  Eat it freshly served on site as the bread tends to harden up a bit if you pack it to be eaten later.

The sandwich was filled with slices of marinated pork and shredded vegetables of carrot, cucumber and onions all doused in their house-made sauce.  The flavours were satisfying.

Our other main was the Pork Chop Rice @ RM10.50 that came with slices of thin pork chops and some kind of a pate of minced meat and vegetables wrapped in a bean curd sheet.

The pork chop slices (there were two) were deliciously marinated and tender.

We enjoyed the pork chop and so ordered a serving of Vietnamese Pork Chop @ RM10 to go.

I also wanted to try one of their soup noodle dishes and I noticed three on the menu.  Unfortunately, the names of those dishes were written in Vietnamese (Bun Heo Hue, Banh Canh Gio Heo & Mi Hoanh Thanh) with no English description and since I don't speak/read the language obviously, I had no choice but to ask the Vietnamese staff.  They looked like beef noodles to me.  I asked what kind of ingredients....she said they're all pork.  I asked what kind of soup....she said they're all soup! >.<  She wasn't very forthcoming with her explanation and she seemed disinterested to explain to me.  She gives me the vibe that if I don't know their food, I shouldn't be eating here.

In the end, I simply pointed to one...Bun Heo Hue @ RM11 which I had no idea what it would be like.  When it arrived, it was a bowl of rice vermicelli with a few fresh pork slices, pork ham (like our luncheon meat), a pork knuckle (yikes!), some sliced onions, fried garlic, chopped spring onions and garnished with Vietnamese basil.

If you have young children and thinking you'd be ordering some kind of soup noodles for them, you'll be in for a shock.  The soup base was spicy but quite nice (for an adult palate).  Since I don't eat pork knuckles, I left it untouched but I don't think it was nice as it wasn't tender when I poked it.

Condiments for the soup noodles

Our drinks of Orange Juice @ RM5 and Iced Vietnamese Coffee with Milk @ RM5.  And no, we didn't take a sip before taking the pic, it was served to us like that...three-quarters of the way up only.  Maybe because the Vietnamese Coffee is really "kao" (thick) and you'll need the ice to dilute it a bit.  I usually wouldn't order this but, hey, I was in a Vietnamese cafe, so Vietnamese coffee it is then.  I had Vietnamese drip coffee once and didn't like it but this one (surprisingly) was alright for me.

You can also find imported Vietnamese instant noodles, fermented bean curd, fish sauce and other sauces for sale here.  I suppose you can get some authentic Vietnamese bottled sauces here.

My Personal Opinion

The kitchen is run by Vietnamese staff and I noticed the place is patronised by many Vietnamese clients as well, so I think you can get a pretty authentic Vietnamese meal here.

After all, there's isn't much to complain about when you can get a wholesome and fulfilling meal for around RM10.  Our favourites were the fried spring rolls and pork chop.  Do drop by if you find yourself in the area looking for a wallet-friendly Vietnamese meal.

Lien Phat Vietnamese Bread House
23 Jalan Metro Perdana 7
Taman Usahawan Kepong
52100 Kuala Lumpur