If you’ve grabbed food from the street vendors of, say, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, then you know how tasteful – albeit simple – Vietnamese cuisine is. So, yeah, it is always good to keep your eyes peeled so you won’t miss what may be good Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.
@outragemag Curious about #Vietnam food? #LGBT checking #vietnamesecuisine via #HiddenVietnam in #Cavite ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
But that’s also why we decided to check Hidden Vietnam, a restaurant chain that may have originated from Tanza, Cavite but now has a handful of branches captivating pho-hunting diners.
So… how was Hidden Vietnam for us?
Una, the original store – the branch we tried – is, yes, truly hidden. It’s inside some village, so accessing it isn’t easy for those without private vehicles. There’s also no big signage in front of the residential-looking venue, so you could even miss it if you don’t look hard enough.
Ikalawa, the actual venue is… homey. There are two “sections”, so to speak, in the restaurant: one is where you order, and the other is where the bigger tables with more seating are. Yep, malinis naman siya… even if there were flies here and there during our visit.
Ikatlo, this is not just a Vietnamese restaurant as they now also offer Thai food (via Keri Thai).
Ika-apat, the people working there were friendly while elaborating about the business and its offerings (e.g. how many branches, where these are, the differences in seemingly similar offerings, and so on).
Ikalima, how was the food?
- The Fresh Rolls (₱180) weren’t dry, so were fresh and malasa (tasty). You don’t get a lot of dip, though, so… stretch whatever is given to you.
- The Banh Mi BBQ (₱185) was tolerable… if not for that mayo/ketchup combo auto-slapped on what you get even if: it’s not to your liking, and whatever was used isn’t of okay quality for you.
- The Beef Pho (₱205) was… refreshing, the soup base actually flavorful to properly complement the more-than-enough beef slices, veggies and noodles. Alas, not enough pho condiments here, so if you want to PROPERLY season your pho, well then, sorry to you.
- The Shrimp Pad Thai (₱175), sadly, didn’t taste like Pad Thai at all. It’s supposedly because they use a “special sauce”. Though for us, if Pad Thai no longer tastes like Pad Thai it shouldn’t be sold as such… sorry.
In a gist, if you’re in the area (or at least nearby), yes… drop by this place. The offerings are not bad at all, particularly considering their prices. But is it worth to dayo, to seek out? Not when there are already branches in cities, malls, and so on. Plus the availability of numerous Vietnamese restaurants now.
But that’s why we continue heading out in search of more lafang venues…
Hidden Vietnam is located at Sta. Cecilia 1 No. 91, Irish St., Mulawin, Tanza, Cavite. For more information, contact +967 2 679 690, or email hiddenvietnamph@gmail.com.
