Viet Huong is a Vietnamese restaurant located a short drive from Calhoun’s Huntsville Campus (2.3 miles). The restaurant looks closed from the outside but is guaranteed to be busy on the inside. If you arrive between 11:30 and 12:30, expect to wait a while for a table. The restaurant is generally busy all day so it is best to arrive as close to 11:00 as possible.
Pricing
The pricing at Viet Huong varies a lot. You could easily get a meal for as low as $9.00. Their specialty dishes will typically cost between $12.00 and $16.00.
Appetizers
Charbroiled Pork Spring Rolls: Viet Huong has several spring roll options but the charbroiled pork has, by far, the most flavor. The charbroiled pork is very tender with rich and bold flavors. The vegetables in the roll tone down the flavors of the pork which balances the dish. The rolls are wrapped in rice paper intended to hold the ingredients together. The rolls are served with a peanut sauce that gives a sweet and nutty flavor to the dish. The crushed peanuts in the sauce also add to the texture.
Fried Chicken Wings: The wings are very unique. They are fried and tossed in a sauce that is difficult to properly describe. The flavor is excellent as is the texture. The wings are served with grilled onions that are tossed in the wing sauce which fully brings the dish together.
Entrees
Pho: There are several different phos with a variety of different meats. The pho has a light and salty taste with lots of flavor. The rice noodles have little flavor since they are meant to soak up the broth and absorb those flavors. The pho is served with a plate of vegetables that you can add to the soup including bean spouts, cilantro, lime, and jalapenos. The best overall pho is P1 which comes with medium rare steak, well-done brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef meatballs. The rare steak and brisket are standard quality for Vietnamese restaurants. The tendon has great flavor and the gelatinous texture melts in your mouth. The meatballs are exceptional and add a meatiness to the dish. The tripe is not for everyone since it has a unique texture and flavor. P2 offers the same meats as P1 but without the tendon and tripe.
Rice Plate: The rice plate is an excellent dish if you want variety. The rice plate includes pork chop, broken rice, shredded pork skin, and baked eggs. The pork chop is well-seasoned and very tender. Most people do not like the shredded pork skin, but the flavor and texture are excellent. The baked eggs are more like a Vietnamese meatloaf and has more subtle flavors. The broken rice has a good texture and is garnished with scallions and oil. The dish is garnished with pickled vegetables which breaks up the dense flavors of the pork chop.
What Not to Order
Shrimp Tempura: The tempura shrimp are prepared in a very strange manner. They are fried in a batter that you would expect in a more American-style restaurant. The flavor is lacking, and the texture does not live up to the standard of properly prepared tempura.
Crabmeat Rangoon: The crabmeat rangoon is the most disappointing dish at Viet Huong. The crab and cream cheese filling is overly sweet and lacks actual crab flavor. They are fried well which is the only good aspect of the dish. The sweet chili sauce adds to the already overly sweet filling making the dish very unbalanced.
Score: 5/5