We frequent Vietnam Kitchen @ Cheras Leisure Mall quite a bit because of its location (not too far from where we live) and the affordably priced set menus.
They have a few choices (can't remember how many) of value sets (that cater to the no. of pax). The last time we were here, we opted for Set C (4 - 5 pax). This time round, we selected Value Set A @ RM34.90 (for 2 - 3 pax) featuring 3 dishes so that we could add on some other dishes that we wanted. Actually, the value set should be quite sufficient for a family-of-3 if you're small-eaters (but, we're not....plus my mother-in-law was with us).
The first dish in Value Set A was the Sweet & Sour Chicken and you'd be surprised that a Vietnamese restaurant does justice to this common dish (though more common with pork) found in most Chinese "tai chow" places. The chicken pieces were well seasoned and crisp in a sauce that's more tangy than sweet which I liked. I especially loved the way the vegetables of pineapple and tomatoes were cut into more chunky pieces. Many sweet and sour pork dishes in "tai chow" places don't even come with pineapples which I think is so important to lend a tangy, subtle sweetness to the dish. I'd usually rank a sweet and sour dish with pork no. 1, followed by fish and chicken last....but, I must say, I'm quite a fan of this sweet and sour chicken! :)
The next dish in our set featured Stewed Ribs with Caramel Sauce. Whenever I see the words "caramel sauce", I'm on the defence straightaway for fear it might be too sweet...but this wasn't. My spouse liked the sauce so much he lapped it all up with his rice....plus the ribs were downright tender.
Our final dish from the set was the simple Stir-Fried Yau Mak (Romaine Lettuce) with Garlic. Quickly stir-fried to retain its crunchiness and topped with garlic...certainly one of our favourite vegetables. Now, would you consider these 3 dishes real value for RM34.90 in a comfortable, air-conditioned environment? I would.
Unfortunately, the set menu does not come with rice, so you'll need to pay RM2.35 for a bowl.
Since there were four of us and we aren't exactly petite eaters, I added on an extra dish of Fish Fillet with Pineapple Sauce @ RM23.30 which ended up to be my favourite dish of the night. What can I say....the soft, battered pieces of fish coupled with the zesty pineapple sauce and fresh pineapples opened up my appetite like no other.
The other dish we ordered was one we had before, the Peppered Prawns @ RM23.85, coz it's my son's favourite. This time, the battered prawns were even better, nicely crisp and those little bits of crunchy batter (that have fallen off the prawns) were the best parts...hehe! :D The dish came with a fair amount of decently sized prawns and the taste wasn't as salty as the last time....bravo!
Drinks of Mango Milk Shake @ RM10.50, Watermelon Juice @ RM8.35 & Fresh Lemon Honey @ RM8.35
My Personal Opinion
It's a place my family frequents because of its location, good value sets and affordably priced meals with decent enough flavours....especially so when we're looking for a rice meal with dishes.
Vietnam Kitchen
L2-26-01 Cheras Leisure Mall
Jalan Manis 6 Taman Segar
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9130 9530
I need to know if they have killer pho!
ReplyDeleteThey do have pho....but it ain't a killer pho! ;D
DeleteIt's been a while since I visited Vietnam Kitchen. I have been to the one at 1-Utama and I have only tried their beef noodles. I must make it a point to go back and this time give their set menu a try.
ReplyDeleteI think their dishes fared better than their beef noodles :)
DeleteI don't see how this place is Vietnamese if just judging by this set of pictures hahaha! But then, if it is a place you frequent, as long as the food is good then ok lah...
ReplyDeleteYou're right, the dishes I had this round isn't quite Vietnamese (compared to what I had in my previous blog post). I frequent because of the good value sets.
DeleteThe set is good value I agree. From the food above like RG I wouldn't be able to tell that this is a Vietnamese eatery but who cares as long as the food and price is good. My favourite is the fish fillet with pineapple. So nice to have this place near you to make it a regular haunt.
ReplyDeleteSo, you like the fish fillet with pineapple too. I agree this place isn't quite the authentic Vietnamese eatery but if you're looking for some affordable dishes with rice, this can fit the bill.
DeleteI still have not visited this restaurant but I've heard it mentioned positively a number of times.
ReplyDeleteThe positive is definitely the good value...and if you're ok with Vietnamese food tweaked with local flavours, it should be alright ;)
Deletethere used to be a vietnam kitchen near my place at plaza oug, but i think it's closed now. i'm tempted by the stewed ribs :D
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by the stewed ribs too....and I think the Plaza OUG one is still in business.
DeleteThe dishes not exactly look like Vietnamese, do they? That's not important as I saw the sincere of the restaurateur by using good ingredients and offers decent portion to diners.
ReplyDeletePS: I like pineapple in sweet and sour pork too which is normally will polished off by me alone :P
This round I chose dishes that turned out to be less Vietnamese ;) Yeah, for lovers of pineapple, we don't see it often enough in sweet-sour dishes at tai chow places.
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