Garden of Flavor

I was fortunate enough today to lunch at Vong's Thai Kitchen for the very first time. The menu noted that the pad Thai is one of the restaurant's most well known dishes, so I opted for this house specialty served with vegetables and tofu. This dish exceeded expectations in all respects. For starters the size being ample, the noodles linguini like, and plenty of fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and pea pods rounded things out nicely. May I just say that the addition of the vegetables with the tofu is a good choice? How often have I ordered pad Thai with tofu and found it sadly missing some lovely vegetable friends? Here the tofu was sautéed lightly to a delicious golden brown, and the entire dish covered in a scrumptious, generous amount of sauce -- light yet packed with flavor. At $8.95 clearly this is one of the best lunch deals downtown. Oh, and I almost forgot: we started out with the spring rolls, crispy on the outside, packed with fresh vegetables on the inside. Did I mention the lovely decor, too? Slowly rotating fans to resemble a hot day in Hanoi, vibrant reds and sharp, shiny woods. My companions opted for the Thai herb calamari, and the same dish as me, respectively. I had a taste of the calamari, which similar to my dish, contained notes of a fresh and light character to separate it from the herd. A delicate breading allowed the fish to breathe, so to speak. After our lunch the waiter brought out a tray displaying VTK's signature small desserts along the lines of crème brûlée, mochi bon bon, and chocolate beignet. Being fill to the gills we declined. Next time I'll be sure to save some room for these little treasures.