My Canh chefs back in the kitchen
Review: My-Canh
Rating: Three forks out of four
Where: 2959 S. Hillside
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays
Type of food: Vietnamese
Alcohol: Not yet but owners have plans to start serving beer in June.
Reservations: Yes
Web site: www.mycanh.com
If you feel like you've eaten at My Canh before, you're probably right.
The Vietnamese restaurant opened in February at 2959 S. Hillside - or rather, it reopened.
My Canh was originally started by Nhung Nguyen and Johnson Tran at Harry and Oliver in 1992. The couple moved the restaurant twice, and then, four years ago, closed a location at Hillside and 31st Street South, planning to retire.
But their retirement didn't last. Though their daughter and son-in-law - Lynn and Tan Nguyen - are running the new My Canh, the couple is back in the kitchen, cooking up the same delicious meals fans had been missing.
ON THE MENU: My Canh serves those vermicelli noodle bowls most novice fans of Vietnamese cuisine feel comfortable with. But the expansive menu is worth exploring.
It has a variety of authentic Vietnamese dishes, from pho to spring rolls, all made with colorful and fresh herbs, vegetables and meats.
DON'T-MISS DISHES: Everything we tried was fresh and flavorful, starting with a nice array of appetizers.
We selected two varieties of the restaurant's signature spring rolls, one made with sliced grilled meatballs and the other with charbroiled pork. The difference was subtle, but both were so stuffed with fresh veggies, they were crunchy. And the peanut sauce on the side had a nice, spicy kick.
My Canh also fed us some of the best crab Rangoon we'd ever eaten. Made fresh, the fried wrappers were thick and crispy, even where they were encasing the creamy, sweet center. A generous serving of six is only $2.95.
Our entrees were also good, especially the special of grilled short ribs and rice. The tender, bone-in ribs were sliced thin, coated in a rich marinade and then grilled.
We also enjoyed the Vietnamese sandwich (a real bargain at $2.75), made with fresh French bread stuffed with carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and grilled pork. And though we've had more flavorful pho, which is a Vietnamese soup loaded with noodles, meat and herbs, we still enjoyed an attractive bowl of it made with steak and grilled meatballs ($4.75 for a small, which is actually quite large).
Finally, we felt it our duty to sample the vermicelli dish and were pleased with a vibrant bowl overflowing with colorful cucumbers, bean sprouts, mint, shredded lettuce and tender grilled pork ($5.75). If that's your safety dish, you won't be disappointed.
AMBIENCE: Though very clean and uncluttered, the restaurant is a little bare bones, with standard-issue restaurant tables and chairs dotting a large dining room. A seaside mural on one wall does brighten the room.
PRICE RANGE: Quite reasonable. The average entree costs about $6.50, and many other offerings (such as the sandwiches) are $3 or less.
SERVICE: Good. Lynn Nguyen served us herself and was attentive and helpful. The food came out fast, too.
This story was originally published June 1, 2007 at 12:00 AM with the headline "My Canh chefs back in the kitchen."