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| Picture taken from the web because I forgot to take one. |
Restaurant Name: Le Colonial
Location: 149 E 57th St, New York, NY
Price Range: 40$ a person
JCL Rating: 7.5/10
JCL's Choice: Cha Gio Vit (roasted duck roll); Vit Quay (lacquered roast duck w/ tamarind ginger sauce)
This is the first time that I have heard of a Vietnamese French restaurant, so I had to try it. This restaurant has two floors. Dining area is on the first floor and bar/lounge on the second floor. The interior decor is very traditional with the black and white paintings. The dining room is very evenly spaced. The menu is traditional Vietnamese food but with a touch of French influence.
The host was extremely welcoming and professional. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:30, so it was a bit empty. He gave us the option of which table we want to settle down on and asked if we would like to leave our coats at the coat check. The front servers and back servers were extremely attentive. Our water glasses were never empty. This quality service is fine dining service for sure, but at a much cheaper price.
I had the Cha Gio Vit, which is the crispy 5 spice roast duck roll with taro, shiitake mushroom, and scallions. It is served with fresh lettuce leaves, cilantro and mint. You roll the spring roll with a piece of mint/cilantro on the lettuce leave and dip it in a sweet sour sauce. The freshness from the lettuce and herbs takes away the grease from the fried spring roll. What a perfect balance.
Rigo had the Pho Soup which consists of oxtail broth, rice noodles, beef tenderloin, bean sprout and fresh herbs. The broth needed a bit more seasoning. But it was really flavorful. The rice noodles were al dente. It also comes with a spicy and savory dipping sauce for the beef.
For entrees, I had the Bun So Diep. It is grilled lemongrass scallop and shrimp on top of a vermicelli salad, mint, lettuce and toasted peanuts in a ginger dressing. The scallops and shrimps were seasoned really well and cooked to the perfect tenderness. The ginger dressing that is on the cold vermicelli salad was a bit sweet with a hint of spiciness. I wasn't too crazy about this entree though.
Rigo had the Vit Quay which is the lacquered duck with a tamarind ginger sauce. What does it mean by lacquered? Lacquer means the food is glazed with a condensed sauce that will give it a nice shine. Balsamic vinegar, sugar or honey is usually used as food lacquers. This duck was oven roasted. Honey was probably used to glaze the skin. The skin was so crispy. Underneath the crispy skin was a thin layer of fat. Ducks are usually very fatty, but it isn’t the case here. The sweet and sour ginger sauce takes away all the greasiness from the duck. Another combo that demonstrates the power of sweet and sour sauces!
This visit was definitely worth it. Great ambiance, very professional staff, excellent food. The plating is much more elegant than regular Vietnamese food. Oh, this restaurant was also rated two stars by New York Times. If you happen to be by 57th street, and you happen to be hungry, give this place a go! There aren't that many Vietnamese French fusion restaurants around!
