Quang Restaurant
2719 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls.; (612) 870-4739
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 10 a.m-8:30 p.m. (closed Tuesdays); Friday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Where do I eat when I'm not reviewing restaurants? It's a question I get asked a lot, at parties, by strangers. Usually I just deflect the question ("well, what are you looking for?") because it seems to miss the point: Even if what you do is inherently recreational, once you're doing it constantly, with an eye toward rent, it ceases to be all that entertaining. What sort of basketball do basketball players play when they're not playing basketball?
 Photo By Rich Ryan |
But there is--or was, until recently--one secret retreat. A place where I would throw down a newspaper, order, and never look up again. No need to observe the service (which I knew to be a good-faith effort), evaluate the décor (best described as utilitarian closet), time how long other people took to get a table (nits to them, I'm off the clock).
So it was with a mixture of joy and snarky annoyance that I received news of Quang's move from the tiny Nicollet Avenue spot it has occupied for the past ten years to a snazzy new space across the street. Joy because no one deserves to succeed more than the hard-working, good-cooking Truong family. Annoyance because, well, what the hell? Now I've got to tell everybody about it, and the hordes formerly frightened off by the decrepit environs will zoom in. I called it first! Go find your own restaurant! Mom! They're bugging me!
All right, all right, sharing. I was supposed to have mastered this one by now. Sharing. Sniffle.
So let me (sigh) introduce you to the Quang Restaurant, which on July 31 hauled itself to light-and-bright, hospital-fresh 2719 Nicollet, more than doubled its number of tables, expanded its menu, and is doing a land-office business. Customers are stacking up in pursuit of fresh, simple Vietnamese food made with an emphasis on clean flavors and bright herbs, delivered quickly, and priced reasonably.
For starters, don't miss the spring rolls ($2.75), made with Thai or purple basil and sprigs of fresh mint. Goi cuon chay rolls (bland to my taste) are filled with fried tofu, bi cuon with ground pork (though the menu calls it "shredded") and goi cuon--the best--are made with sweet, red-edged, spice-rubbed barbecued pork and a few boiled shrimp.
Next, keep an eye out for the banh tom chien ($3.50), big, deep-fried patties of grated sweet potatoes and shell-on shrimp; I don't remember them being served at the old location, but manager Daniel Truong assures me they've long been available as specials. The crunchy, addictive bundles--something of a cross between tempura and those ultracrunchy potato sticks that come in pop-top canisters--are served with a dipping cup of dressing made with rice wine vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce, shot through with a tiny bit of chile, and decorated with floating shredded carrots. If you're not familiar with Vietnamese food, pay particular attention to this dressing: It's used frequently to unify disparate flavors, binding the alternating notes of rich and bright with their comforting, starchy counterpoints.
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About Dara Moskowitz
From the Archive
- Freedom and the Sugar Doughnut (Eaters' Digest - Sep 22, 1999)
- Dosai, Do (Eaters' Digest - Sep 15, 1999)
- The Price Is Right (Eaters' Digest - Sep 8, 1999)
- Eat Rich (Eaters' Digest - Sep 1, 1999)
- It Takes a Villager (Eaters' Digest - Aug 25, 1999)
- Daydream Believer (Eaters' Digest - Aug 18, 1999)
- It's All Your Fault (Eaters' Digest - Aug 11, 1999)
- Farewell, Kabul (Eaters' Digest - Jul 28, 1999)
- More articles from the Dara Moskowitz Archive...
