People often ask me how I find out about some of Lincoln’s hidden gems.
In the case of Vung Tau, the Vietnamese restaurant at 27th and Y streets, it came in the form of two e-mails.
The first was from a co-worker, who raved about Vung Tau’s spring rolls.
Vung Tau owner Truyen Pham sent me the second note, telling me about his other menu items such as his Pho, grilled pork hoagies, authentic Vietnamese egg rolls and bubble tea.
I was glad to hear from both parties, especially after I dined at the restaurant. My companion and I agreed with our co-worker about the spring rolls — and the Pho, a beef noodle soup, was some of the best I’ve had in town.
Pham and his wife, Anne Nguyen, have been in Lincoln since the early 1990s.
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They’ve operated the jewelry store next to Vung Tau since 1995 and took over the restaurant after family members left to open O Asian Garden at 25th and O streets.
Pham also works nights in the Journal Star press building, and his co-workers often ask him to bring his delicious hoagie sandwiches.
Vung Tau has more than 40 menu items, which primarily cost between $5 and $8. There are 11 kinds of Pho, available in three different sizes.
Pho is one of my favorite dishes to enjoy on a cold, blustery day. At Vung Tau, I had a large combination ($6.49), which featured eye round steak, beef flank, well-done brisket, soft tendon, tripe and meatball with the rice noodles.
The soup is served with fresh basil, bean sprouts, lime and jalapeno pepper slices. I like to top it off with hoisin and hot sauces.
Vung Tau also has several rice platters — grilled pork or beef in Nguyen’s homemade sauce served over steamed rice. Nguyen let me sample some of the thin-sliced pork and beef. Her sweet sauce was yummy, reminding me a bit of brown sugar.
My companion ordered one of the six Bun vermicelli noodle dishes, ranging from $5.99 to $6.99. A grilled and/or fried meat — in this case fried shrimp — is served over soft rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, cucumber and mint in a bowl.
We also tried the highly recommended spring rolls ($2.99 for two) — shrimp, pork, vermicelli, lettuce and mint rolled in rice paper and served with a peanut sauce — fried egg rolls (69 cents) and bubble tea.
The Bubble Tea is a must-try. Nguyen said she went to Taiwan to learn how to make the flavored beverages and is Lincoln’s “official” bubble tea distributor. There are nearly 50 varieties, ranging from strawberry to mocha to tapioca. They are available either hot or cold and range from $2.50 to $3.50.
My companion at first bristled at the bubble tea and then couldn’t put down her peach-flavored drink. I had a strong mocha. It, too, was quite tasty.
There’s not much to Vung Tau. It’s small (seats about 40) and is a tad barren inside. But the draw is the food, not the ambiance. It truly is one of Lincoln’s hidden gems.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
Dining out
Vung Tau
2708 Y St.
Atmosphere: Casual
Specialty: Vietnamese
