Le Colonial
149 E. 57th St., Midtown East, NY
Amidst an incredibly fast moving New York City restaurant scene, Le Colonial feels old. It’s a well established Midtown East mainstay, but just the fact that you’re on this site right now has us betting that you don’t know much about it. This is the kind of place that people find out about from their 2004 hard copy of Zagat, not the internet. I’ve never seen the actual Zagat entry (didn’t want to spend the $14 for Yelp on paper), but I can pretty much guess how it goes. “Delicious food” in a “colonial French/Vietnamese setting” with “friendly service” and “a hip and sexy upstairs lounge”. Sexy upstairs lounge you say? Tell the babysitter we’re going to be home late.
So why did we end up spending valuable time and hard earned money evaluating a place nobody is talking about? An expert. A friend of ours who was born in Saigon and raised in Cali had heard great things and been aching to stack it up against mom’s cooking. We jumped at the opportunity to bear witness to proper judgement, and came away with the following conclusion: Le Colonial is legit. Yes it’s expensive, and yes it feels a little stuffy. But the food is delicious, (mostly) authentic, and the service is great. So now that you’ve heard about it here, go eat at Le Colonial and help it get some cool back. We’re sure they would appreciate it.
Food Rundown:
Goi CuonAlso known as the summer roll. Herbs, vermecelli, and shrimp rolled up in a rice wrapper and served with peanut dipping sauce on the side. Reason #1 why it’s good to roll with an expert? An offbeat request for a side of chili garlic sauce to mix in with the peanut sauce took these to another level. They hold up well while you eat them and are about as fresh as food gets.
Chao Thom
Shrimp mousse formed around a piece of sugar cane and then grilled up and served with large pieces of lettuce and thin noodles. This was something I had never ordered at a Vietnamese restaurant, probably because shrimp mousse sounds nasty. It’s not. I was really impressed with both the flavor and texture. Plus, there is something really satisfying about wrapping some shit in lettuce and dipping it in sauce.
Thit Nuong
One big bowl of grilled pork chunks, one giant plate of noodles and vegetables, and a little personal bowl to mix it all up in and shove in your mouth. The process is fun, and it tastes wonderful.
Bo Lui
More grilled meat intended for the inside of a lettuce wrap. This is beef (tenderloin I believe) skewered and cooked to medium rare, then served with the typical herbs, lettuce, and pickled vegetables. A winner for sure.
