Q: positive

A: Have always been a fan. My go-to whenever I go to eat dinner with a family member or friend, and now my go-to whenever I come back to visit. I like the one by Hilldale Mall a lot better than the one on the Capitol Square because there's a lot more space. Comfort food is what you'll find here...and comfort in general - you'll get more comfortable with the more beers you try. :) My favorite dishes are the meat loaf and the smothered and covered chicken. (both fairly salty by the way - but the good salty...the kind of salty that makes sense). And if I'm feeling ambitious, the beer sampler. Sometimes it's a hit or miss with the meat loaf - most of the times I've ordered it it's been perfect and juicy. A few times it was a little dry, but just let them know and they fix it for you - how they fix it I do not know....

Q: positive

A: My best advice to you is to get yourself down to Vietnam House now, immediately, before word gets out, it gets busy, prices go up and it moves to a larger premises, which would diminish it's perfect, bijoux charm. Upon arrival at Vietnam House, we were greeted by the genuine, ebullient welcome of the owner, Jodie. The interior is small, but bright and perfectly formed, with a window booth for seating larger parties and five other tables which seat up to four people, albeit somewhat snugly. As we pored over the menu, struggling to decide which tempting treats to indulge in, Jodie kindly invited us to put our wine in the fridge beside us to stop it getting warm. It was almost like being in a good friend's house and told to make yourself at home! Eventually we decided on fresh spring rolls, followed by Pho Chay (tofu noodle soup) and Com Ca Kho (braised fish with steamed rice). Our lollipop-style starter arrived perched on skewers, a quirky twist which was in juxtaposition to the quirkless simplicity of the dish itself. The overwhelming freshness of the ingredients sang through, soft rice pancakes wrapped around rice noodles, the pork and shrimp harmonising perfectly with the Vietnamese special peanut sauce - my only criticism being that there was not enough of the sauce, leaving the overall dish lacking punch ever so slightly. Our light starter was followed without too much delay by our fragrant mains. My companion had been advised that the large soup was quite substantial - no exaggeration by anyone's standards! A sizeable bowl arrived, accompanied by coriander, bean sprouts and other accompaniments, to be added to the hearty soup, according to taste. After some experimentation, it was decided that the (once again) outstandingly fresh tasting soup, which spoke simply yet eloquently of the balanced blend of ingredients used, was best enjoyed with a smattering of sprouts and a clutch of coriander on top. The braised fish dish arrived in a bowl, accompanied by a smaller bowl of fluffy steamed rice. The large chunk of white fish swam in the snug comfort of the rich red sauce, inviting, fragrant and full of eastern promise. My initial confusion as to how to manage the fluid dish (do I put the rice in the bowl with the fish, if so, how do I eat it with chop sticks?!) gave way to sheer joy at the lightly spiced, full flavour of the dish. The fish was delicate and perfectly cooked, lightly flavoured by the cooking process and excellently accompanied by the sauce. The sole criticism of the simply served dish, is that the unpretentious presentation of the fish on the bone, inevitably involved bones... If you're here on a first date, don't have this dish - picking bones out of your mouth isn't a good look! Due to pre-wedding diet and time constraints, we decided to forego desserts, so this commentator cannot guide as to the quality of the finish. Next time, I will complete the task! Our bill arrived and I can honestly say that I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised by the inverse proportion of price to quality. The bill for two came in at about 24 including corkage - phenomenal, given that the meal was tasty, fresh, excellently executed and served with the homeliest, warmest and most genuine service I have experienced in Edinburgh for years. In summary, I repeat - this secret will not be kept for long, so get yourself down to the Vietnam House now, before word gets out.

Q: negative

A: I thought that this store was going to be better than the stores I have been to in California.

Q: positive

A:
Solid 4.5 great lunch spot and amazing gyro.