Wednesday 22 April 2015

A Dinner Date at Du Viet (CLOSED)


Last Saturday, my partner took me to a very cosy Vietnamese restaurant. I have walked past Du Viet countless times and once in a while I would study their menu which they placed at the ground floor entrance. It never occurred to me to give this place a try on my own as this restaurant is located on the first floor and I am too scared to venture up there by myself. Yeah, I am a big fat coward.

The restaurant is brightly lit and I love the cosy ambiance. As you make your way upstairs, you see this nice decoration on the wall.


I thought it was rather vibrant and fetching. And I love the hanging lights. What was I afraid of? Silly me :D

At the entrance, I was already convinced that Du Viet was going to make it into my very short list of favourites. Nice!


The dining area is divided into two sections. This is the outer section. We made our way into the inner section.


There were nice pictures on the wall but I did not snap more pics. We were the first customers for the evening.


Right after we took our seats, a group of young people came in and sat at the table next to ours. I got busy checking out the menu. At every table, an order chit and pencil are placed on top of the menu. Every item on the menu has a code and once you make your selections, just write it on the chit and give it to the server. I quite like this style of ordering.



For starters, I simply had to have the rice paper rolls. There were 12 pieces all together and I suspect I ate 80% of it muahahaha! Notice that only 3 are deep fried? I wonder why. It would have been nice if half of these Spring and Summer Combo Rolls Delite were deep fried.


It was served with two dipping sauces. I am familiar with the clear sauce with chillies but the creamy one is something new to me. It has a subtle peanut taste and upon checking the menu again, it turns out that this is a peanut sauce. I preferred the more familiar chilli dip.



My partner has been here before and he highly recommended the beef noodles because he knows I love beef. I opted for the special with extras. This is how the Special Mixed Beef Noodles looked like.

A lot of liew in this soup.

It was one huge bowl of beef noodles! The portion size is very generous even by my standards. My partner's remark was "This size very ngam for you". hah...hah...hah... There were beef slices, beef balls, tripe and tendon with flat rice noodles.


The noodles were accompanied by a platter of beansprouts, mint, basil and a wedge of lime. The chilli sauce was pretty good and packed a very spicy kick. I had double dose as my partner gave me his. Whoa! I digged in with gusto but was struggling to finish the whole lot as it was indeed a big portion. So, small eaters beware. It is best to share if you want to eat this.

My partner does not eat beef, so he opted for the seafood noodles. But his serving was not as big as mine. 


I don't know how it tasted because I was too preoccupied with my beef noodles to bother tasting his. I suppose it was alright as my partner did not complain. The only thing he said was that the portion was small. And he enjoyed the side serving of beansprouts and mint/basil as he finds it very refreshing.

For drinks, my partner recommended the Lemongrass and Ginger Tea and asked me to give it  a try. I opted for cold while he had it hot. I like cold drinks and I even take my coffee cold in the morning.


This I think is strictly for lemongrass and ginger lovers. The flavours were quite strong and I liked it. I found it very refreshing and this is a drink which I won't mind having again.

At the end of the meal, our dessert arrived. Durian Pancakes!


Even with my stomach at bursting point, I could not say no to this. How could any durian lover resist creamy durian and whipped cream encased in crepes? My partner ate only one and let me have the rest. How sweet of him. Frankly, if I had not had such a huge bowl of noodles, I could easily eat two portions of this yummy creamy dessert.

So was I happy with dinner? Absolutely! Though I enjoyed the beef noodles, I thought that the soup was a bit lacking in flavour. I don't know. I would have expected a more beefy and aromatic stock but then it has been while since I had Vietnamese Beef Noodles. I can't remember what it should taste like. I would have to sample another one, perhaps at Vietnam Kitchen before I can draw a proper conclusion.

What I know for sure is that I will return to Du Viet again. As a matter of fact I did return just yesterday! This time with the brother for lunch. We ordered two appetizers.



The Imperial Prawn Spring Rolls came first. Don't worry. There were actually 3 on the platter. As I was chewing away, I realised I had forgotten to take a photo. So here is the solitary prawn roll, which my brother split into two to share with me. I took the tail end. It was very good, crispy and tasty. It was served piping hot as it should be. But 3 were just too few hee..hee...



Next came the Deep Fried Dilled Prawn Fritters. It looked rather impressive.



But sadly, the fritters were not crispy. It was cold and soggy. It appeared to me that it was not served immediately after it was fried. Maybe it was sitting on the counter for too long waiting for the garnishing.



Tastewise, it was alright but a disappointment in terms of the lack of crispy factor. Fritters should be crispy and served hot, right? Never mind, I was prepared to let this one go. Mistakes do happen.


This time I managed to snap some photos of the nice pictures on the wall.

For mains, my brother was very keen on the beef noodles. I did warn him that it was huge but it was no big deal. My brother had no trouble finishing his beefy noodles. So I asked him what he thought of the soup. Just like me, he felt that the flavours were not strong enough. I took a sip and it was just like how it tasted on Saturday evening.

And what did I have? I decided to try the Special Mixed Grill Noodle Salad. It was 3 skewers of lemongrass chicken, lamb and beef served on top of rice vermicelli (meehoon) and greens. It came with peanut and fish dipping sauce (it serves as the salad dressing here), just like the ones served with the Spring and Summer Combo Rolls Delite which I had on Saturday evening.


This was halfway through the meal. I keep forgetting to snap before I eat!

It was very tasty tossed with both the dressings and I enjoyed this dish very much. The lamb in particular was exceptionally good. Very tender and well seasoned. I forsee myself ordering this again. And to finish, how could I not order the Durian Pancake sagain? My brother was delighted with the dessert as he also loves durian. My only complaint is that the crepe was a bit on the dry side but the rich creamy durian filling more than made up for that.



So that was it. My two visits to Du Viet and there will be many more to come. By the way, if you are interested, Du Viet is in Damansara Utama. Same row as 99 Speedmart.

48 comments:

  1. I'm laughing la Phong Hong, you said big fat coward.. Oh dear, you ahh !! Eh, me also la.. I'm sure most people also.. If venture by ourselves, maybe no.. But I can eat alone at fastfood restaurants la.. Ooohh, Vietnam food, I think of rice paper rolls and beef noodles already.. Eh, very funny la, out of 12 rolls, 3 are deep fried.. Kam kei guai geh? Ooooo la la, the bowl of beef noodles looks big, enough for me, I like.. Maybe I call another bowl of liew only, I wonder do they do that.. Oohh yummmzzz, the food must be very nice coz you went back there again with your brother.. This time, no desserts? Hehehe..

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    1. Hi Louiz! hah..hah...if the restaurant is on the ground floor then I don't feel so scared lah. The beef noodles size is also very ngam for you. It is really a lot, better don't kar liew anymore. For the rolls, I prefer deep fried because the fresh ones contain mihun and it is a bit hard.

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  2. Vietnamese? Count me in! Interesting way of presenting - the Vietnamese rolls. I love those! Still have some of the skin left in the fridge. Next time I go KL, you belanja me here, can? Wink! Wink!

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    1. Come, come! My partner and I would be most happy to play host. If you like Vietnamese food, then you will like this place. Only thing is that, will it meet your standards hee..hee...

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  3. side track a bit.. as I read on the name of this restaurant, it becomes duvet, haha, but what does Du Viet actually mean in Vietnamese?? at first I thot it is the one in MV bcos that one also need to climb up the stairs but then I look closer, the photo is taken from outdoor.. :)

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    1. Hmmm...since you asked, I google but cannot find the meaning wor...

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  4. eih, I would say it's a very nice and cosy place!!! brightly lit and the decor memang got taste also, it's between retro and contemporary to me, and I actually like the theme color.. something turquoise if I can see from the photos..

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    1. Yes, the decor is good especially the outside section. The colour is very soothing. Both times I went, only few tables occupied so it was quite and pleasant.

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  5. ah, the must-order stuffs in a Vietnamese restaurant.. the spring roll and phô (ie the beef noodles, or does it just mean beef or noodles?? hahahaha!!).. so you mention a huge bowl served, was it just the huge bowl or huge bowl with a huge portion?? hahahaha, you know kan, eateries always like to use big bowls or plates to impress the customers.. but can't really see from the photo since there's nothing in comparison.. next time place a 20sen there, haha!!

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    1. It was huge portions, really a lot even by my big stomach standards hah..hah... Must eat this when you are very, very hungry.

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  6. eih.. the one you had during your second visit, I had something similar before.. mine was lemongrass grilled pork chop with Vietnamese vermicelli tossed in some special sauce.. oh it was nice, but I had it when I was in HK, just the street behind my flat back then..

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    1. It is probably the same dish that you had only thing is mine got addition of lamb and beef. I enjoyed it a lot.

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  7. lemongrass and ginger tea, that looks more like lemongrass and ginger "juice" to me, hahaha!! well I am okay to give this a try, I actually like things gingery and I don't hate a whiff of lemongrass.. but then, I would skip the durian crepe, hahahaha!! and please wash your hands clean, rinse your mouth thoroughly after you had that before you come closer to me, muahahaha!!! xD

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    1. Oh, now I remember you don't like durian. Worst thing is when someone burp after eating durian. That one can really faint I tell you!

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  8. Those rolls look so good to me, and those sauces!!

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    1. They were good but I prefer the deep fried ones.

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  9. Me not into Vietnamese foods, but the foods looks really good... Anything with durians, i loves, hehe...

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    1. In that case you only eat the durian pancakes hee..hee...

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  10. I don't like the fresh spring rolls either...yeah, why isn't it 6 pcs each? Strange! I would definitely love the lemongrass and ginger drink tea...I love my drinks cold too (even in the mornings). You should try the sugarcane prawns next, it's a very popular appetiser. ;)

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    1. I saw that on the menu and will surely try the sugarcane prawns next! Ah, so many things to eat hee..hee...

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  11. I would probably not go to this Du Viet too if there is no one bringing me there. In fact, any restaurant that is not in a mall and not on ground floor, the chances of me giving it a try is reduced by at least 50%. Why? Because I am a big fat AND LAZY coward. Too lazy to climb the stairs lah! XD

    I've never had pho in Malaysia, but the ones I had in the US was quite flavorful. And that Viet restaurant is operated by an old Vietnamese migrant couple so it had to be somewhat authentic I guess..

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    1. hah..hah...I guess that's why ground floor fetches premium rental. I have a phobia for going upstairs to unfamiliar territory. The pho could have been better. I suspect that the stock is a bit diluted to stretch it further.

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  12. Hi Phong Hong,
    I suppose Vietnamese food is not very popular here as compared to Thai food where Thai restaurants/eateries are easily available in most shopping malls. But I particular like the sugar cane prawns and rice paper rolls (Vietnamese Spring rolls) which I've tried in Vietnamese restaurant. I made some spring rolls too ... though I didn't get the authentic sauce ... hee hee.
    Funny that it served 3 fried ones. Nice restaurant !

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    1. Karen, I think over here there are more Thai restaurants compared to Vietnamese restaurants too. I like both and it was a nice change for me as I have not had Vietnamese for a long time. I like this restaurant and no more scared to go up there hah..hah...

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  13. tis size ngam for you.. haha i like... the beef soup is light, cant be compared with our beef noodle lah.. but the size of the bowl looks like a bimpoon... can use to cuci muka liao...

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    1. I like big servings like this, if not I makan tak cukup. But seriously, this one is too big even for me hah..hah... Maybe if without the appetizer, it will be just nice.

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  14. The dishes look more delicious than the tourist traps that I had in Hanoi. Your pardner is so sweet, to consider your likes and dislikes.

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    1. Yes, he does pamper me with good food hee..hee...

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  15. Phong Hong, I think I am more coward than you ha ha.....I wouldn't go in and take my meals alone...I rather tapau la...I love vietnamese food, especially the fried stuffs and noodles.

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    1. Nancy, I am quite used to eating on my own but of course I prefer to be accompanied. But if it is a place that I have not been to before, then I have my reservations and become a big coward hah..hah..

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  16. I love Vietnamise food so this would be a good place for me:)

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    1. Ola, in that case you would be very happy at Du Viet!

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  17. Oooo I do like the decor of the place, modern yet homey!

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  18. PH, you are a funny little girl and I like reading the humor side of your posts! The way you describe sounds like you have good appetite like me!! hahahaa.. I like! So you went to the same place two days in a row... obviously the food must be Good!

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    1. Claire, you eat so much and yet you are small and slim. Not fair! hah..hah...

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  19. I think this Du Viet has outlets in KLCC, Pavilion and Sunway Pyramid but some with different names and I have been to the one in Sunway Pyramid called O'Viet. I think Vietnamese beef soup is supposed to be light.

    I love lemongrass and ginger drink and non-fried rolls. Will you be going there for a 3rd time?

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    1. Mun, I will be going back there again for sure!

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  20. Hi Phong Hong, the food that you ordered looks quite suitable for low carbo diet. You should go often.....for the small portion ones, hehehe!

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    1. Hi Kimmy! Actually lots of carbs here in the form of noodles. Once a week should be OK hee..hee....

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  21. Mana ni ah...like pernah nampak..is it a few doors away from the Curry Leaf Banana leaf rice ah?

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    1. Yes, just next door to 99 Speedmart. Try lah!

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  22. Hi Phong Hong,
    What a lovely meal, twice some more! I have not had Vietnam cuisine in ages! I love their rice paper rolls and their salad. The lemongrass and ginger drink sounds really refreshing! Just the drink to end a full satisfying meal!

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    1. Joyce, I think you will enjoy the food here as much as I did!

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  23. wow...nice ambience and the beef noodles looks good. It's been a while I never had Viet food.

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    1. Chris, can eat Vietnamese food again one day. Nice change from bento hah..hah..

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  24. All the food looks nice though I don't take beef and I like the interior, I had never been to Vietnam before, if got chance, I would love to visit the country, however, SG also have Vietnamese food, maybe can try one of these days

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    1. Libby, you can go and try one day. Can have chicken or lamb.

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