Tag: banh mi

Food Review: Linhs Vietnamese Cuisine in Russellville

I first heard of Linhs Vietnamese Cuisine from a fellow food blogger who said they had wonderful banh mi sandwiches, so I made a pit stop there on my way out of town and got a couple of the “original” banh mis to go. Honestly, I was not impressed. The original includes sliced steam pork roll, Chinese bbq pork, and pork ear ham (whatever that is) and it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Granted, I ate it about an hour and a half after picking it up.

While I had never planned on going back, we were in the area, starving, and this was the only place that had some options that sounded good. Even a so-so banh mi is better than fast food.  So, I gave it another shot and I am so glad I did! Here’s the breakdown.

ENVIRONMENT

Like many unexpected gems, there’s no glitz nor glam to this place. It is a large, open old restaurant building with clutter pretty much everywhere. There’s even a small grocery section where you can buy some Asian products.

MENU

https://www.facebook.com/LinhsCuisine/menu/

Their menu can be found above, on their Facebook page. It is full of 3 appetizers (2 of which I talk about below), many varieties of pho, many rice dishes, many vermicelli dishes, and a few “specialty” dishes including a hot pot, a couple varieties of fried chicken, and the banh xeo I got. Finally, there are a few options for boba tea and other unique items like fresh lemonade, Thai tea, and Vietnamese coffee.

FOOD

FREE Egg Drop Soup

I was starving when we arrived, so I was very happy to see a small cup of egg drop soup dropped off as a starter after we ordered our meals. It wasn’t amazing. It was a little bland and very thick. The green onion was the star of this show. But nevertheless, I ate it very quickly.

Spring Rolls with Pork Patty, $3.50
Description: Handmade fresh everyday with cermicelli, cabbage, and mint.

This was the most unexpected spring roll I’ve ever tried, or heard of, and it was delicious! It had a cut and seared hot-dog like “pork patty” in it as well as a very crispy fried dough. So, each bite was crunchy and porky and divine! I’d eat this every day if I could.

Banh Xeo, $10.95
Description: Traditional Vietnamese rice battered crepe stuffed with shrimp, pork, onions, and beansprouts, served with fish sauce.

I had never had this dish before, and it sounded like nothing I’d ever tried. The waiter suggested it, so I gave it a shot. The texture of this “rice crepe” was very different from anything I’ve tried before. It was crispy on the outside, but soft in the middle and full of bean sprouts and onions. There were only two shrimp, but plenty of pork bites. I loved it! The side salad that came with it was a nice addition as well, and all of it together, dipped in the side sauce, was very tasty! Also, it was HUGE.

Banh Mi with Grilled Pork, $4.50
Description: 6″ oven baked white hoagie with choice of meat and chicken liver patte, picked carrots, cilantro, and jalapeño.

Side note: even though this is listed as an appetizer, it is a full meal, especially after that huge spring roll.
The main reason I didn’t like the original banh mi I tried before was because of the meat in it. So, since it was so cheap and I can’t say no to a banh mi, I gave them another shot. Though, this time I just got the grilled pork. And we got a winner! This time it was perfection. The bread was perfectly toasted and soft in the middle. The pork was so juicy and tender. There was a lot more sauce on this sandwich than there was on the previous one, so it was not dry in the least. In fact, it dripped juices and sauces and was a little messy, but oh so darn good! Looks like I’ll be dropping by here again for this sandwich.

 

OVERALL

While one bad take-out experience did occur, they shined when we dined in. Maybe the key is to eat your food immediately rather than waiting an hour and a half?  Also, pretty much everyone else in the restaurant ordered pho and when I saw a bowl of it, I regretted my menu choices immediately. These were the biggest bowls of pho I have ever seen, with deep colored broths and tempting aromas. I HAVE to get pho (and a banh mi) next time we go!

Food Review: Food Geek Taco in Heber Springs

Food Geek Taco is one restaurant in Heber Springs that is getting pretty great Yelp reviews online, so I had to check it out. Here’s the breakdown:
ENVIRONMENT
Tucked into a small shopping center, next to my favorite Chester’s in the Road Runner gas station, on Hwy 25, there is a newly opened Food Geek Taco Company. The outside is nothing special, but the inside is modern and clean.
Food Geek Taco was originally a food truck in Mississippi. In 2016, they moved to Memphis with a new food truck and made the Best Food Truck list that year! All over the restaurant, you can see pics of their old food truck(s) and Memphis, as well.
You go to the front to order and pay for your food before finding a place to sit.  A large television displays the menu at the counter, but there are also paper menus at the entrance. Plus, a special’s board on the counter (and one outside) let you know what the daily special taco is.
 Today’s special was the curry chicken taco!
While I didn’t order a soda, the only options are those from the Stubborn Soda Co, such as Agave Vanilla Cream Soda, Black Cherry with Tarragon, Classic Root Beer, Lemon Berry Acai, and Orange Hibiscus. While I was tempted to break down and actually drink something besides water, I couldn’t do it, knowing I was about to eat the mess out of a hoagie sandwich and tacos. Maybe next time…
Once we sat down, we noticed that all tables came with five different hot sauces to do what you will with. Some included a pineapple sweet heat, a sriracha hot sauce, a 901 Memphis original hot sauce, and so forth. I am not a huge hot sauce person, but I tried them all but the ghost pepper one. I was scared….hey, I’ve eaten hot sauce that hot once and couldn’t taste anything for days, besides the fact is was PAINFUL!
MENU
The menu is great, there are so many options I want to try! I narrowed it down to the Banh Mi Torta/ Sandwich (duh, my fav!) and the special of the day for only $3, the Curry Chicken Taco, the Smoked Salmon taco, and the Chimichurri Steak taco, all for Drew and I to share.
However, the sides sound amazing: coconut curry rice, roasted corn salad, chipotle ranch potato salad, hand crafted coleslaw, and black beans all are on my “must try” list.
They also have salad OR rice (your choice) bowls that sound great, like the grilled blackened shrimp with cabbage, roasted corn salsa, avocado, diced tomato, queso fresco, and crispy onions. Yep, I have to come back to try these.
THE FOOD

Banh Mi Sandwich ($8.45 with no side)
Description: Pulled pork, pickled onions, carrots, and daikon radishes, cilantro, and garlic wasabi aioli on a hoagie.

I am starting off with what went wrong here. I have never had a banh mi sandwich I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed. They are always moist and porky, with a vinegar-y zing and a sweetness from a sauce. But this was the first version I did not enjoy.
The bread was too much, too thick, and that helped dry the sandwich out. What also helped dry it out was how dry the smoked pork was. Plus, there was hardly any sauce. Supposedly, there was a garlic wasabi aioli, but I couldn’t taste it. The veggies were crisp and flavored well, though.
Don’t get this one. In fact, I’m not sure if I’d ever trust a sandwich here….especially when their tacos are so good!
P.S. This is not a $9 sandwich with no side included, even if it did taste better.

Curry Chicken Taco- the middle taco ($3 special of the day price)
Description: Smoked chicken with curry yogurt sauce, golden raisins, cilantro, green onions, and slivered almonds.

 This taco was good, but was my least favorite of the three. It was not as full as the other two, though it was cheaper since its $3 price was the daily special. The chicken was tender and smokey and the sauce made it moist. However, I didn’t get any curry flavor from it. And I am not a fan of raisins, so naturally, I didn’t love it. Drew did, though!

Smoked Salmon Taco- the left taco ($4.45)
Description: Smoked salmon with spinach, lemon dill aiolio and fresh pico de gallo.

While I am picky about salmon- meaning I usually hate it, unless it REALLY doesn’t taste fishy and it is absolutely not dry AT ALL, Drew likes it and this taco sounded incredible. And it definitely was good for being packed full of salmon. The bites where there was more dill available were delicious. Others were a little fishy and dry, but I was still very impressed! It was very unique and very tasty! I would get this taco again.

Chimichurri Steak Taco- the right taco ($4.25)
Description: smoked brisket, cilantro chimichurri, crispy onions, queso fresco, and roasted corn relish.

I saved the best for last- and this taco was definitely in the top three best tacos I’ve ever had! There was so much sliced brisket, it was well worth the price. Plus, the brisket was tender and juicy! It can be a challenge to find brisket that isn’t dried out, but they delivered!
The chimichurri was so flavorful and delicious, it gave a great herby kick to the taco. Though, there wasn’t too much to overpower it.
The corn relish was fresh and pulled together everything so well. Oh yea, I ordered mine without queso, I don’t eat cheese.
This taco was SO good. I loved it and will order it every time.

 

OVERALL
Besides the banh mi, everything else I had was very impressive. The tacos are unique and bold, there are so many other items I want to try on the menu, that I’ll probably have to come back a few times.
The service was great as well. Even though you order at a counter, the man that brought us our food kept checking in, refilling our waters, and then cleaned up after us. So, yea, I like this place. I may even have to give up my favorite chicken livers next door a few times to come get take out from here instead.