Vietnamese Food and Cooking

Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips Win Lay's "Do Us A Flavor" Contest

Is it too late to demand a recount? In February, Frito-Lay launched "Do Us A Flavor," a social-media contest pitting three fan-submitted, limited-time potato-chip flavors against one another. The contenders included Chicken and Waffles, Sriracha and Cheesy Garlic Bread. Through Facebook, fans could ... More >>

Loving Las Vegas and MSG: A Q & A with Qui Tran of Mai Lee

This is part two of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Qui Tran of Mai Lee. Read part one, a profile of Tran, here. Part three, a recipe from Tran, will be available on Friday. Mai Lee (8396 Music Memorial Drive, Brentwood; 314-645-2835) isn't simply a job for chef Qui Tran. It's his legacy. His ... More >>

Local Harvest Cafe & Catering's "Organic Banh Mi": One of 100 St. Louis Dishes You Must Eat Right Now

The Gut Check One Hundred is our accounting of the 100 dishes in St. Louis that you must eat right now. These are the best dishes at the newest restaurants and the newest dishes at the best restaurants. These are the 100 dishes that define St. Louis dining in 2013. Our list culminates this fall when ... More >>

Win A Snack Pack of Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" Potato Chips! [CONTEST]

Yesterday we shared our quest to locate Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" chips in the St. Louis area. According to reps from Schnucks and Shop 'n Save, those local grocery-store chains will restock the chips by mid-month. But if you're like Gut Check and not content to wait a few weeks, we have you covered - ... More >>

Tidbits: New Vietnamese Restaurant for Rock Hill; Barrister's Moving

- A regular reader tipped me off to a new Vietnamese restaurant. Permanent signage is up at the former China Inn at 9737 Manchester Road in Rock Hill announcing Mi Linh. You can't see it very well in the photo above, but the sign includes noodles being lifted from a bowl -- of pho, perhaps? -- with ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 02.25-03.03

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. A Veggie Venture: Alanna made slow-cooker vegetarian lentil sloppy joes. Sounding My Barbaric Gulp: Kelly shared pho ga, Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. A Periodic Table: Shannon made chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate-honey glaze. Cupcak ... More >>

Tidbits: More Crushed Red, No More Pazzo's, Buy the Feed Me Truck

- Crushed Red (8007 Maryland Avenue, Clayton; 314-725-8007), the wildly popular fast-casual restaurant that opened last February, is set to add new locations. George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine reports that the pizza-and-salad restaurant will open this spring at 140 South Kirkwood Road in downtown Ki ... More >>

The Ten Best New Restaurants in St. Louis 2012

Selecting the Riverfront Times Best of St. Louis 2012 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we're chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists ... More >>

Flying Pig at Guerrilla Street Food and The Bourne Legacy

Originally a trilogy starring Matt Damon as government-created super spy Jason Bourne, The Bourne Legacy appears to have been the brainchild of producers with dollar signs in their eyes. Other than a few pictures to provide some context for the film's back story, Damon's Bourne character is nowhere ... More >>

Artopian Society

St. Louis Pho: Review Slideshow

It isn't the prettiest restaurant in town, but the flavors at St. Louis Pho (3863 South Grand Boulevard; 314-664-4041) pack quite a punch. My review of St. Louis Pho is now available online. Page through for a preview of Jennifer Silverberg's slideshow of St. Louis Pho.

Noodle House Opens on South Grand

Gut Check told you in early April about Noodle House, a Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant opening in the former Arby's building at 3924 South Grand Boulevard, just south of Chippewa Street -- and not far at all from another new Vietnamese joint, St. Louis Pho Restaurant (3863 South Grand Boulevard; ... More >>

St. Louis Pho Now Open on South Grand

I'm a few weeks late with this, so mea culpa: St. Louis Pho, which Gut Check first noticed last fall, is now open at 3863 South Grand Boulevard, which is just south of the intersection with Chippewa Street. I snagged a to-go menu. There's pho, of course, but there's also more -- much more, in fact ... More >>

New Vietnamese Restaurant for South Grand

​I reported on Monday that a new restaurant called Wut a Steak is slated for the former Mama Pho Vietnamese Restaurant space at 3737 South Grand Boulevard. In the comments section of that post, a couple of readers informed me that a sign is up at the former Burger King space at 3863 South Grand an ... More >>

More on Dao Tien Vietnamese Bistro

​Gut Check reported earlier this month that Dao Tien Vietnamese Bistro would open at 8600 Olive Boulevard in University City. Driving by the address yesterday, I saw that it looks almost ready to go. I haven't had any luck contacting its owner, but it does have a website.According to the website, ... More >>

New Vietnamese Restaurant for University City

Ian FroebDao Tien Vietnamese Restaurant, coming soon to University City​Work is under way to turn the restaurant space at 8600 Olive Boulevard in University City into Dao Tien Vietnamese Bistro. The address, which is set back from quite a bit from Olive where it intersects with McKnight Road, was ... More >>

Lynne Truong of Banh Mi So #1 -- Saigon Gourmet

This is part one of Antonio Pacheco's Chef's Choice profile of chef Lynne Truong of Banh Mi So #1 -- Saigon Gourmet. Part two, a Q&A, will be published tomorrow. Part three, a recipe from Truong, will be posted on Thursday. Dewey Truong​Since opening in 1994, Bahn Mi So #1 -- Saigon Gourmet ( ... More >>

Pho, Watermelon and Kebabs You Can't Afford

House of AnThis pho costs more than your first car.​Food costs continue to rise, and they're not coming down. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development issued a grim report that predicts a 30 percent rise in food costs over the next decade. Oh, screw it! Let's buy crazy expe ... More >>

#90: Banh Mi Sandwich from Sweet Art

Bryan Peters​ At Sweet Art (2203 South 39th Street; 314-771-4278), you'll find that the people are among the finest you'll meet, the atmosphere is welcoming and full of good energy, and the food... well, the food is bangin'. Reine Bayoc's genius is noticeable in every aspect of the cafe, and w ... More >>

Pho Long Moves...Though Not Very Far

Ian FroebA bowl of pho at Pho Long​Just got the word from one of my trusted operatives that as of today Pho Long has relocated from its former digs at 8613 Olive Boulevard to a larger space in the same strip mall, Jeffrey Plaza. The new address, 8629 Olive, used to be home to the dearly departed I ... More >>

Ginger Bistro takes "Asian fusion" to the next level: Down

Ginger Bistro: Review Slideshow

Jennifer SilverbergGinger Bistro's dining room​Honey ham in my banh mi, a bee in my bonnet. My review of Ginger Bistro in the Delmar Loop is now available online. Check out Jennifer Silverberg's slideshow of Ginger Bistro for a look at the restaurant and its food.

Wang Gang Asian Eats brings fast-casual Chinese and Thai to St. Charles

Miss Saigon Closed After Ten Years

Ian FroebMiss Saigon says goodbye.​Thanks to reader Jim, who left this tip as a comment on the April Restaurant Roll Call: The Vietnamese restaurant Miss Saigon (6101 Delmar Boulevard) has closed after ten years split between two locations.Though it wasn't my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in town ... More >>

Chef's Choice, Part 2: Marc Baltes of Pi Pizzerias

This is part two of Robin Wheeler's Chef's Choice interview with Marc Baltes of Pi Pizzerias; to read part one, click here. Part three will be published later today. Robin Wheeler​Favorite local ingredient? Greenwood Farms bacon. Five words to describe your food. Fresh. Simple. Generous. Bal ... More >>

Review Preview: Mama Pho Vietnamese Restaurant

This week I visit Mama Pho Vietnamese Restaurant, which opened last November in the former McDonald's at 3737 South Grand Boulevard.Jennifer Silverberg​Follow me after the jump for a sneak preview of my review.

The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #7: Banh mi dac biet at Phuc Loi

​Banh mi are delicious and shockingly cheap. At Phuc Loi $3.50 scores you the banh mi dac biet, which layers ham, headcheese and pâté on a crusty baguette with cucumber, pickled daikon, carrot and a bracing quantity of raw jalapeño. Phuc Loi then adds a masterstroke: one whole fried egg, the wh ... More >>

Five Good Restaurants in Old Fast-Food Buildings

View Larger MapAs I posted a few days ago, a new Vietnamese restaurant is opening at 3737 South Grand Boulevard, inside a former McDonald's. I'll admit that whenever I see a locally owned business taking over a chain restaurant's location, I smile. After the jump, in no particular order, five of my ... More >>

Udon Know Bobo

Bobo Noodle House takes an ingenious concept and executes it nearly as well.

FoodWire: Four Seasons Vietnamese Restaurant Closed

A reader tipped me off to this news: Four Seasons, the Vietnamese restaurant at 3348 South Grand Boulevard, has closed. The windows are covered with newspapers, and the phone has been disconnected.- Ian Froeb

In This Week's Issue: BBC Banh Mi, Boba Tea & Crêperie; Budweiser at Booches; Jellied Whitefish

Review Preview: BBC Banh Mi, Boba Tea & Crêperie

Review Preview: Asia

Red Moon Closes

Review Preview: Indian Food

Best Coffeehouse

The Grind

Best Spring Rolls

Miss Saigon

Restaurant

Tony's

Low-fat Menu

Crazy Bowls & Wraps

Appetizers

T.G.I. Friday's

Hot and Spicy Food

King & I

Soups

St. Louis Bread Company

Vegetarian Cuisine

Tangerine

Vietnamese Cuisine

Mai Lee

Best Beef Jerky

Banh Mi So (Number One Sandwich)

Nipponese, If You Please