Vietnamese Food and Cooking

Vietnamese Restaurant Mi Linh Opens in Rock Hill

Gut Check first learned in March that a Vietnamese restaurant called Mi Linh would open at 9737 Manchester Road in Rock Hill. After a soft opening over this past weekend, Mi Linh is now officially open for business. The restaurant's regular hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 ... More >>

Tidbits: Sultan Palace, Hong An Open; Chopstix Asian Kitchen Closed

- Last month Gut Check heard from readers -- and saw for ourselves -- that the relatively new Middle-Eastern restaurant Sultan Palace Bakery and Cafe (4144 South Grand Boulevard; 314-875-9653). Calls to the restaurant led to a full voice-mailbox. Now we've heard from at least one reader that the re ... More >>

Qui Tran Lives the American Dream and Continues His Mother's Legacy at Mai Lee

This is part one of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Qui Tran of Mai Lee. Part two, a Q & A with Tran, will appear tomorrow. Part three, a recipe from Tran, will be available on Friday. Qui Tran can't discuss his childhood without mentioning Mai Lee (8396 Music Memorial Drive, Brentwood; 314-64 ... More >>

St. Louis Pho to Become Kim Ngan, from Former Owner of Phuc Loi

So here is a classic bad news-good news scenario. First, the bad: We told you last week that St. Louis Pho (3863 South Grand Boulevard; 314-664-4041) had closed temporarily and would reopen under new management. Today, I can confirm that the restaurant will not reopen as St. Louis Pho. This is a s ... More >>

South Grand Tidbits: St. Louis Pho Temporarily Closed, Hong An Coming Soon

St. Louis Pho (3863 South Grand Boulevard; 314-664-4041) is closed temporarily, according to a sign on its front door. The sign indicates that the Vietnamese restaurant will reopen on Monday, April 15, under new management. St. Louis Pho's phone number remains connected but went unanswered when I ca ... More >>

Olive Boulevard Asian Eateries & Much More: An Updated Guide to Restaurants Along Olive, Westward From University City

St. Louis' neighborhoods are gems in their own right: full of history, great people and, as far as Gut Check is concerned, fantastic food. Each week we'll take you into a specific neighborhood and point you in the direction of the best places to grab some bites. View Olive Boulevard Asian Eateries ... More >>

South Grand: An Updated Guide to Restaurants on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis

St. Louis' neighborhoods are gems in their own right: full of history, great people and, as far as Gut Check is concerned, fantastic food. Each week we'll take you into a specific neighborhood and point you in the direction of the best places to grab some bites. One could easily argue that aside fr ... More >>

Taste Test: Lay's New Sriracha, Chicken and Waffles and Cheesy Garlic Bread Chips

We got to the Schnucks (6600 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights; 314-644-0510) in Richmond Heights just in time yesterday evening. Our mission was simple: beeline to the snacks aisle in search of Lay's three new, limited-release potato chip flavors in Sriracha, Chicken and Waffles and Cheesy Garlic Brea ... More >>

Noodle House on South Grand Already Closed

Looks like a very short life for Noodle House (3924 South Grand Boulevard; 314-771-5197). The Vietnamese restaurant opened in late June of last year in a former Arby's restaurant along South Grand in Dutchtown. Driving past it this week, I spotted a For Lease sign posted outside the restaurant. Peer ... More >>

Chew on This: Ian Froeb's Ten Best St. Louis Dishes of 2112

Top Ten Dishes 2012 #7: Pho at St. Louis Pho

I'm counting down the top ten dishes from the new restaurants that I reviewed in 2012. Read the complete series to date. #7: Pho at St. Louis Pho (3863 South Grand Boulevard; 314-664-4041)

Feed Me Banh Mi Truck Calls It Quits

Feed Me Banh Mi (@FeedMeTruck), the food truck that specialized in Vietnamese-style sandwiches, announced via Twitter last week that it is quitting the business.

New Ownership for Phuc Loi in South St. Louis

A reader tipped me off to an ownership change at Phuc Loi (3723 Gravois Avenue; 314-772-7742), the tiny Vietnamese restaurant just west of the Gravois Avenue-South Grand Boulevard intersection. Phuc Loi became a favorite spot of mine after I reviewed it three years ago. I included its banh mi dac ... More >>

St. Louis Pho transforms former Burger King into a deliciously noisy affair

Review Preview: St. Louis Pho

This week I visit St. Louis Pho (3863 South Grand Boulevard; 314-664-4041), a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in the Dutchtown neighborhood at the very end of last year. (Hence the leafless tree in the background of the photo I shot then.) Page through for a sneak preview of my review.

Food Truck Fever, Part 3: Gyro worship with a side(car) of bánh mì

Nuoc Charm: Dao Tien is a peach of a Vietnamese bistro, and a slice of home-style heaven

Soup Countdown #10: Pho at Mai Lee

January is National Soup Month, which makes sense, considering the first month of the year is typically marked with below-freezing temperatures, snow and slush. What's better than a delicious, hot bowl of soup on a chilly day? A delicious, hot bowl of soup that you don't have to make -- that's what. ... More >>

The Five Best Vietnamese Restaurants in St. Louis

Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we are chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists a ... More >>

Lynne Truong of Banh Mi So #1 Saigon Gourmet: Recipe for Bun Ga Xao

This is part three of Antonio Pacheco's Chef's Choice profile of chef Lynne Truong of Banh Mi So #1. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Truong, is published here. Antonio Pacheco​While chef Lynne Truong prepares myriad Vietnamese dishes, a highlight of Banh Mi So #1 -- Saigon Go ... More >>

The Veggielante Puts Bobo Noodle House to the Test

​The Veggielante has had it up to here with people bitching that St. Louis restaurants are vegetarian unfriendly. Sure, we'd like to see more restaurants offering more meatless dishes, but there are excellent choices out there if you take the trouble to look for them. We're not here to prosely ... More >>

Kraken Wise: Squid Rocks

​No question about it: Squid and octopus are in. On a whirlwind visit to New York late last year, Gut Check partook of octopus dishes at four different restaurants on four consecutive nights. Last week, right here in blogland, our featured chef of the week Grace Dinsmoor of Modesto shared her ... More >>

Ian Froeb's 100 Favorite St. Louis Dishes, #80: Banh Mi Dac Biet at Phuc Loi

Ian FroebThe banh mi dac biet at Phuc Loi​I'm counting down -- in no particular order -- 100 of my favorite dishes in St. Louis. Some are well-known, others obscure. Some are expensive, others dirt cheap. All of them, I guarantee, are delicious.Please do not hesitate to share your own favorites v ... More >>

Mai Lee moves to bigger digs, continues to pack 'em in

Hankering for the comforts of pho? Come to Mama!

Whole Hog: Looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine without the Americanized trimmings? Phuc Loi is the real deal.

Review Preview: Phuc Loi

This week I visit Phuc Loi, a small Vietnamese restaurant at 3723 Gravois Avenue in Tower Grove South. (It's the tiny storefront with the blue awning and what looks like two men right outside the entrance in the photo above.) When the guy behind the counter at Phuc Loi asks if you're sure you want p ... More >>

Around the Horn: Ian covers all the bases to find you the best All-Star Game chow

Feet First: Midland Wok brings the essence of pork to Overland

Review Preview: Midland Wok

This week I visit Midland Wok, a Vietnamese (mainly) restaurant in Overland. At the Vietnamese restaurant Midland Wok, the #26 soup -- banh canh gio heo -- is described in English as "big clear noodles and pork." This leaves out some crucial information, as I discovered when I ordered a bowl for lun ... More >>

FoodWire: Ba Le Closed; Now Galaxy Bar & Grill

The Vietnamese restaurant and bakery Ba Le (3515 South Kingshighway Boulevard) has closed. The space is now a restaurant called the Galaxy Bar & Grill. That's all I know at the moment. Thanks to a regular reader for the tip.Ba Le was far from the best Vietnamese joint in town, but they turned o ... More >>

Want Boba with That?: Fast and good Vietnamese food at BBC Banh Mi, Boba Tea & Crêperie

Asia, Lumiere Place's Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese/Japanese chow parlor/sushi bar, is all over the map

Vietnam Star Turn

What do you get when a new Vietnamese restaurant replaces an old Vietnamese restaurant?

Review Preview: Ba Le and Cheeburger Cheeburger

Pho Real

Pho might well be the ideal fast food.

Moveable Feast

At the Emperor's Palace, you could dip chicken feet in a chocolate fountain.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

Four Seasons

A Real Dish

Miss Saigon moves its delightful Vietnamese dishes to spiffier digs

Grand New

Another Vietnamese restaurant on South Grand? Yes, and the food is superb.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

Mai Lee

Service

Pho Grand

Vietnamese Cuisine

Pho Grand

Value

Pho Grand

A Grand Time

Pho Saigon delivers delicious, authentic food in a forgotten corner of the South Grand strip

Best Cold Remedy

Mai Lee

Euclidean Math

The numbers may be a little higher than you'd expect for Vietnamese food in St. Louis, but Little Saigon Café's offerings add up to an enjoyable meal

On with the Show

A local Vietnamese eatery's second act draws a rousing ovation

Pho Nouveau

A move to larger quarters brings Pho Grand nigh unto perfection

Good Evening, Vietnam