Cuu Long Nine Dragons River Vietnamese Restaurant

Noodle pie's blog has long been tempting me with lots of tasty looking dishes from Vietnam.  If you'd like, you can visit his weblog by clicking here.  Most of all, though, I've been drooling over the countless noodle dishes and soups that are available there.  His posts on pho have been informative enough that I've recently started on my own trek to find the best pho in Hawaii.

Before deciding on last weekend's dinner at Champa Thai, I spotted Cuu Long a few doors down, and made a note to visit in the upcoming week.

Well, last night, I decided to make the trip back and try out the food here.  Specializing in pho and Vietnamese fondue (hotpot) the menu stated...I decided to start off with an appetizer, the summer rolls (US$3.95).

Filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, mint and rice vermicelli (among other things), these were pretty standard.  In other words, they were fine.  Instead of being served with the usual peanut sauce, though, these were served with something called "bean" sauce.  Don't know what kind of bean it was made up of, but the sauce was quite tasty.

There are about 10 different types of pho being offered here.  I settled on a medium bowl of number 10 on the menu, pho tai bo vien (US$5.50, large US$6.00).

This was described as "noodle soup with eye round steak and meat balls" on the menu.  The bowl arrived steaming hot and garnished with slices of white onions and lots of chopped green onions.  The beef was lean, though it arrived at the table a bit pink.  I took care of that by shoving it to the bottom of the bowl and under the noodles for a couple of minutes.  It came served with all of the usual garnishings...

...sawleaf herb, basil, beansprouts and lemon.  After making all of the necessary additions to the bowl, I was ready to eat.  The soup was bursting with beefy flavor.  The subtle flavor of the herbs further enhanced the rich broth.  The beef was lean and tender.  The beef balls were firm and fresh tasting.  These were also quite lean, lacking the gristle that I've experienced at other places. 

The pho here is outstanding and that definitely puts it ahead of most of the pack.  The soup is delicious, the beef is lean and tender...and well, the price is definitely right.  It's somewhere that I will definitely come to again and won't hesitate to recommend to my friends.

Cuu Long Nine Dragons River Vietnamese Restaurant
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Highway Space B7
Telephone:  808.488.6041

Comments

[pieman]

Great to see your on a pho hunt. Look forward to more and comparing notes.

Currently on the road all over the place and not a noodle in sight... A break is good. but I know when I get back to Saigon in a Sept, I'll be gagging on a decent pho.

[Reid]

Hey Pieman,

Thanks for stopping by. Although I don't think I'll encounter pho half as good as what you get in Vietnam, I'll certainly try to find the best here. I'm only envious that we don't have the range of Vietnamese noodle dishes here. Maybe I need to learn how to cook them and open up my own restaurant.

[Kristina]

Glad you decided to go to Cuu Long!!! I've been going there for the past two years and I am absolutely addicted!! You need to try the spring rolls. I tell you Cuu Long spring rolls are the best I've ever tasted! Better than my moms and thats saying alot.

**Very Satisfied**

[Reid]

Hi Kristina,

The pho here is some of the best that I've had. I haven't been here in a while, as I don't get out this way much, but the next time I'm in the area, I'll be sure to eat at Cuu Long and try the spring rolls. Thanks for the tip. I appreciate hearing from you! =)

[Lclgrindz]

I'm surprised at the positive comment about this restaurant. We tried that restaurant at Pearl Kai and we were very disappointed.
At the time,we thought the Pho tasted like dishwater with cigarette ash. I'm not kidding! We just took a couple of taste, paid our bill, and we never went back to that place. We just go to Cuu Long II in chinatown all the time. We think they have the best Pho. Maybe the one at Pearl Kai has a new chef now.

[Reid]

Hi Lclgrindz,

Welcome to the blog.

I'm surprised you were disappointed with the food at Cuu Long. Most of the diners there that night were eating the pho and to be honest, it was quite crowded. It very well could be that they have a different chef. I wouldn't know since this post coincided with my first visit here.

[S Hao]

Eh Wow,
Went there with two freinds whom are familiar with Vietnamese dishes, but when I saw the Combination Bowl, they needed no additional coaxing to try any other item on the menu. I was very satisfied with the size, taste, and flavor of the many different asst. garnishes that made this lunch awsome. Will sure to return. Soon.......

[Reid]

Hi S Hao,

Thanks for dropping by the blog.

It's been a while since I've been to Cuu Long, but it's one of the better pho places that I know of. If you like pho dac biet, and you come to town, try to have it at either Pho 97 or at Bac Nam. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks again for stopping by!