Dong Phuong
Backstory
De and Huong Tran--who came to New Orleans from Vietnam in 1980--opened Dong Phuong in 1981. (The name means simply "east.") It was the first major restaurant in the Vietnamese enclave on Chef Menteur Highway past Michoud, in New Orleans East. From the outset the place became as distinguished for its baked goods as the food served at its table. When banh mi became popular Dong Phuong's bakery grew to be the definitive source of the French-style bread used to make it. Like the rest of New Orleans East, it was inundated by the Katrina flood. Dong Phuong and its neighbors came back startlingly quickly, giving us new respect for the tenacity and hard work of these people.
Dining Room
The bakery is near the entrance, giving customers an immediate aroma and visual appetizer. Here also is the take-out bahn mi counter, the busiest part of the restaurant. The dining room stretches back from there, a touch fancier than it was before the storm, but still on the utilitarian side.
Why It's Essential
The leading restaurant in the New Orleans East Vietnamese community, Dong Phuong does it all: pho, a long menu of other Vietnamese dishes, and--most famously--banh mi, the Vietnamese poor boy sandwiches. They bake their own bread for that, even. And it's almost laughably inexpensive.
Why It's Good
The menu covers all the essentials of Vietnamese cooking, from the offbeat, soupy breakfasts enjoyed mostly by Vietnamese people to an array of entrees so large you'd better be hungry. It is possible to eat light here, however. The distinctive Vietnamese sandwiches called bahn mi look like poor boys but have a flavor all their own, full of fresh herbs, unusual meats, and sharp dressings. They have been called the best of their kind in America, and it's hard to argue with that.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> Egg rolls<br /> »Spring rolls<br /> »Vietnamese crepes with shrimp and pork<br /> »Soft rice noodle crepes with assorted meats<br /> <em>Soups </em><br /> »Bamboo shoots and duck noodle soup<br /> »Spicy hue-style beef noodle soup<br /> Shrimp paste fish cakes noodle soup<br /> Shrimp paste fish cakes and periwinkle noodle soup<br /> Tapioca noodle soup with ham hocks<br /> Asparagus crab meat soup<br /> Glass-noodle soup with meat and seafood <br /> Glass- and/or egg-noodle soup with meat and seafood<br /> Egg noodle with Mandarin duck soup<br /> »Egg noodle soup with braised duck<br /> Egg noodle soup with wonton, meat and seafood<br /> Wonton soup<br /> »Big flat rice noodle soup with spicy beef<br /> <em><strong>Pho: Beef Broth with Noodles And. . . </strong></em><br /> »Assorted beef combination<br /> Well-done lean beef<br /> Meatballs<br /> »Eye of round steak and beef tripe<br /> Steak and beef tendon<br /> Eye-round steak and well-done flank steak<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> <em>Rice and noodle dishes topped with. . . </em><br /> »Grilled pork<br /> »Grilled pork and egg rolls<br /> Egg rolls<br /> Grilled chicken<br /> Grilled chicken and egg rolls<br /> Grilled beef <br /> »Lemon grass beef<br /> Grilled shrimp<br /> »Shrimp wrapped with sugarcane and grilled pork<br /> »Roasted pork sausage and grape leaf beef<br /> Roasted pork sausage and shrimp wrapped with sugarcane<br /> Grilled shrimp and pork<br /> Fried or steamed egg noodles with meat and seafood<br /> Stir-fry rice noodle with meat and seafood<br /> Stir-fry big flat rice noodle with meat and seafood<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Grilled pork<br /> Grilled pork chops<br /> Grilled chicken<br /> Grilled beef<br /> »Korean barbecue short ribs<br /> »Grilled pork chops and shredded pork with broken rice<br /> Grilled chicken and shredded pork with broken rice<br /> »Grilled beef and shredded pork with broken rice<br /> Mandarin duck<br /> Shaken beef<br /> Combination fried rice<br /> Shrimp fried rice<br /> House special fried rice<br /> <em><strong>Chinese entrees</strong></em><br /> Szechuan style shrimp or beef<br /> Stir-fry shrimp or beef with broccoli<br /> Crispy, salted shrimp<br /> Shrimp stir-fried with tofu, bean sprouts, and chives<br /> Beef with assorted vegetables<br /> Stir-fry beef with tofu<br /> Chicken with ginger<br /> Chicken with chili and lemon grass<br /> Kung-pao chicken<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em> The bakery creates a wide array of pastries, cakes and other desserts daily
Deficiencies
The dish descriptions on the menu are daunting for first-timers.
For Best Results
The restaurant closes at 6 p.m. (earlier some days), so don't figure on your normal dinner time. The breakfast/lunch crowd is enormous, and starts at 8 a.m.
Bonus Ratings
1
Hipness
1
Local Color
3
Value