Dining Out on Buford Highway: Dai Loi
If you're like me, the sheer number of restaurants on Buford Highway makes eating out seem overwhelming.
EVERY place feels like a dive.
Many are huge so they usually seem to be slightly abandoned (never a good sign).
Plus, the names of the dishes are largely unfamiliar.
This is not a good combination.
As a result, when I get a bead on a good place or even a good dish, I usually ping an adventure-eating friend to meet me for lunch. This past week Susanne was game and off we went to the Vietnamese spot, Dai Loi #2 (there are three locations).We started with an order of steamed shredded pork rolls & steamed spring rolls (with shrimp). Both were solid, but the rice wine vinaigrette was definitely the preferred sauce (comes with the spring rolls).Susanne ordered the lemongrass chicken. This dish is delicious, but the lemongrass flavor is so subtle, you can barely taste it. I also wonder what makes the chicken orange. For me, the main attraction was the Pho (pronounced FA), which many say is the best in town. This noodle soup dish is served in a broth with meat and assorted toppings. I was encouraged by the fresh toppings of lime, sprouts, basil, green onions, and cilantro.I ordered the beef Pho. The soup arrived and I was a little thrown off by the broth's pale appearance. Fortunately, the flavor wasn't tepid, but full-bodied and very beefy.While I would definitely recommend Dai Loi, I would still put the version at Nam Phuong on top!
What's your favorite Vietnamese place in town?