THE Vietnamese-Style Braised Beef at An Viet at Petaling Jaya’s Paradigm Mall wowed us with chunks of beef and brisket suffused with a braising sauce cooked with tomatoes, spices and fish sauce.

Radish and carrot complete this hot and spicy stew with tender, almost creamy, beef. It is easily the star dish here.

The beefy goodness continued with the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special, or Pho Bo Dac Biet (RM19.90).

It has raw Australian beef, beef brisket, shank, tripe, tendon and beef balls with noodles sitting in a delish broth, the result of simmering beef bones with 18 secret ingredients. The beef balls burst with flavour – I could have just these in the broth and be replete.

The tartness of tamarind hits the palate first when tucking into the Vietnamese Seafood Sour Soup, or Canh Chua Hai San (RM16.90), before mellowing to a round, sweet note from pineapple, cherry tomatoes, squid, prawns and clams.

We relished the soup’s fine balance of flavours.

The Crispy Rice Paper Pancake, or Banh Trang Nuong, is a popular street food in Vietnam.

Rice paper is filled with minced pork and grilled slowly over a low charcoal fire till crispy and fragrant. It crackles at the bite, revealing the tasty pork beneath. This is one of my favourite “snacks” at An Viet.

We started lunch with the Appetiser Platter of Fresh and Fried Spring Rolls with Tiger Prawn and Sugarcane Prawn (RM14.90).

The last has pure prawn paste wrapped around a piece of sugarcane and deep-fried. The springy paste’s aroma and sweetness are a delight.

Paired with a light dip of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic and chilli, the spring rolls offer a burst of freshness from vegetables, vermicelli and prawns.

What’s not to like about the Rice Paper and Green Mango Salad?

In it are quail’s eggs, cherry tomatoes, carrot and roasted peanuts. Tossed together with a sweet and zesty dressing, the rice paper turns noodle-like and smooth.

The Hanoi-Style Grilled Pork with Vermicelli, or Bun Cha (RM18.90), comes with a bowl of sliced pork belly, pork patties, radish and carrot pickles in a light and tangy sauce. The well-seasoned patties are the standout here.

The vermicelli goes into the sauce, and together with the meat, pickles and fresh lettuce, make for mouthfuls of freshness with delicate nuances.

This dish became famous when former US president Barack Obama had it with the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain during a visit to Vietnam.

We couldn’t leave without trying the Vietnamese Baguette with Grilled Lemongrass Chicken, or Banh Mi (RM14.90), which An Viet does very well.

The baguette has a crispy crust, and overflows with its filling of lemongrass chicken, pate, pickles, lettuce, coriander and Sriracha sauce.

A striking feature of the An Viet outlet at Paradigm Mall is its big pillar with shelves of greenery. The bottom level has pots of fresh Thai basil, which diners are encouraged to snip off and wash in a bowl of water before garnishing their dishes. They can also help themselves to a variety of condiments – chilli, beansprouts, fresh coriander, lime, and chilli and satay sauces.

This is in line with the eatery’s philosophy of not letting food go to waste. Too often, the unused basil, coriander and beansprouts served with pho are thrown away.

Then, it was coffee time. I’ve noticed that at good Vietnamese restaurants like An Viet, the coffee is often a blend of several varieties, improving its aroma and taste. It is coffee you can drink neat, without condensed milk.

I loved the balanced sweet and bitter notes of the Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Egg (RM9.90), not to mention its heavenly smell. The Viet-Ffogato with Coconut Ice Cream blew me away because of the coffee in it.

We shared a pot of healthy Vietnamese Artichoke Tea (RM11.90) and sipped on the Ice-Blended Avocado (RM10.90).

For dessert, we ordered the Creme Caramel. It turned out slightly overdone, and not as smooth as expected.

An Viet is located at LG02-3A, Paradigm Mall, No. 1, Jalan SS7/26A, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya. It can be reached at 03-7661-2844.

There are also outlets at The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya and Gurney Plaza in George Town. – October 5, 2019.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.