Food Review: Tantalise Your Tastebuds At Little Vietnam

Indulge in some delectable Vietnamese cuisine in a setting with tranquil ambience.

By KIB

Located in Chuba Chu, at the back of the Royal Textile Academy, Little Vietnam is opened daily except on Tuesdays.

With long opening hours from 10 am till 11pm, this restaurant has an extensive array of Vietnamese food which will whet your appetite.

What we tried at the restaurant

We tried Pho, which is a classic Vietnamese dish, two different kinds of spring rolls, fried tofu, grilled beef, ginger chicken and fried fish with tomato sauce. Also available on the menu were soups, salads, vegetables, various meat dishes and a hotpot.

Source: KIB

The most expensive dish we tried was the fried fish with tomato sauce at Nu.950. However, we did not mind the high price as fish is generally quite pricey in Bhutan.

The fish tasted sweet because of the tomato-based sauce, with plenty of onions, garlic, chives and other fragrant spices. The meat was also quite tender. As this is a river fish, it is bonier than salt water fishes but it definitely tastes fresher than the frozen imported fish you typically find in restaurants.  

Some classic Vietnamese delights you must try

The classic Pho noodles come in chicken and beef varieties (Nu.200). Both were good, and the cut of the beef was thin and not too fatty. The soup, although flavourful, has been adapted to the Bhutanese palate so it was less sweet and much spicier than expected. The texture of the noodles is smooth and not too oily.

Source: KIB

If you come to Little Vietnam, give the spring rolls a try (Nu.300). With both vegetarian and pork options available, there is something for everyone!

A thin, crispy skin encases a mix of vermicelli, onions, carrots and other vegetables. If you are not vegetarian, you can order the pork option which has a filling similar to the vegetable spring roll but with minced pork. The spring rolls come with a light onion, lime, chilli and vinegar dressing which really zests up the flavours of the filling.

Source: KIB

The fried tofu (Nu.200) was good, but being tofu, it would be tasteless without the spicy dressing it was served with.

More about the meat dishes

One of our favourite dishes is the grilled beef (Nu.450) which was served with a delicious gravy which comes with a strong hint of garlic, onions, parsley and spring onions.

Source: KIB

The beef which was medium-cooked, had not been tenderised so it was tough to chew on with large bites, but if you cut the meat into smaller portions, it solves the problem. The meat would have tasted fantastic if it had been seared, however it was not.

The ginger chicken (Nu.350) although tender, had a kick to it due to the added chili flakes in the minced ginger gravy. The cut of meat we got had lots of bones, but because the meat was tender it was easy to remove them from the bones.

Final thoughts about the food and ambience of Little Vietnam

The food is tasty, and seems consistent. Expect the food to be a little bit spicy and peppery in general. The food was not too salty overall, which was nice.

Source: KIB

The restaurant is quiet, so it is an ideal place to meet friends or co-workers. The pricing of the dishes is mid-range so it is generally affordable. There are also clean bathrooms in the restaurant. Parking lots are also available on site.