Tra Vinh

 I fell in love with Vietnamese food because of  how simple it is, how fresh the ingredients are and how healthy and clean it  tastes on the palate

Admittedly, my  family's  exposure to the cuisine is limited to what we have tasted from restaurants such as Zao, Pho and Banh Mi and yet this did not stop me from  almost instantaneously taking to it like fish to water from that first bite of  the fresh Vietnamese spring roll and that first slurp of pho.

That is why a visit to a new Vietnamese Restaurant is  always  an event for me.    Last week, an invite landed on my lap to check out this Vietnamese Resto in Banawe.  

Note the restaurant's rich history below :

'More than 20 years ago, Mr. Van Chien Ho 

founded Tra Vinh Restaurant in Western Australia.

 Its authentic Vietnamese flavor constantly 

captured the Australian market.

 Instantly, Mr. Ho's creation became a phenomenon, winning awards such as the best and freshest produce. 

Currently he has already built

 numerous stores Australian-wide.

 Finally the wait is over.

 Tra Vinh Philippines is opening its doors 

as we share with you their mouth-watering delicacies."

Fascinating how the restaurant's "ethnicity" is  Vietnamese and  its "citizenship' Australian

We tasted the following :

Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Prawn P699

Tom Chien

Large succulent fresh tiger  prawns pan-fried with Tra Vinh's  traditional salt and pepper mix. The prawns were crunchy , sweet and quite addicting. It was so crisp, you can eat even the shrimp's head

Banh Mi Shrimp P199

Freshly baked baguette served with home made mayo, pickled veggies,  pate , salad and your choice of filling  - NZ Beef slices, BBQ Pork,  Prawn,  or beef meat balls.

I loved the aroma of freshly baked bread and how crusty it was. It was a delight munching through the whole baguette. Perhaps because of the pickled vegetables and the greens, I enjoyed the Banh Mi sans any guilt hahaha. I will order this again

COMBINATION BEEF NOODLE SOUP 
(Pho Dac Biet)

P180 S  P230 R  P299 L

Made from beef broth with 16 traditional spices topped with cooked beef shoulder slices of New Zealand Rib eye, beef balls, garnished with garden fresh herbs.

This is one of  my favorite  pho among all the pho served to us that day.  The broth was really flavorful. The beef slices were tender and so were the beef  balls.  Their  small  bowl is bigger than usual. I will order this again

Tra Vinh Special Noodle Soup 
(Hu Tieu Tra Vinh Dac Biet) P230 R P299 L

Tra Vinh's original seafood and chicken broth-based noodle soup. Topped with pork loin slices, fresh prawn, fresh squid slices, fish ball , pork liver slice, quail egg and Tra Vinh's  own prawn cracker.

Clearly, Pho is the restaurant's specialty. This second pho was also delicious. Im hard put to choose  between the previous Beef Combi and this one huhu

Chili Salted Squid (Muc Rang Muol) P200

Special Vietnamese seasoned squid fried and served with Tra Vinh's special sauce - nuoc cham.

This one is reminiscent of the favorite salt and pepper squid the piggery loves to order from a certain Chinese restaurant. It was crispy and crunchy and married well with the nuoc cham ( a special Tra Vinh sauce made of  vinegar)

BBQ Pork Noodles (Bun Thit Nuong)

P225 with vegetarian fried spring roll toppings

P199 without spring roll toppings

Your choice of noodle topped with special marinated BBQ pork,  roasted peanuts, garden fresh and pickled veggies. Served with Tra Vinh's special dressing.

Another healthy bowl of goodness which I liked very much thank you. Imagine green salad with crisp pickled veggies , protein and carbs in a bowl

Summary :

Tra Vinh most definitely strengthened my love for  Vietnamese food. The fresh ingredients were there. The flavors were spot on. The quality of the meat and seafood was impressive. The prices were reasonable considering the portions.

This is a very straightforward eatery though. So if you are looking for ambiance in the likes of  Zao you may be disappointed. Do not get me wrong, the place is quite spacious  and comfortable but has none of the posh feel.

The location is a bit far from my family's go-to dining places. But I can see myself dragging the piggery and the handsome hubby to satisfy our Vietnamese food cravings.

Tra Vinh has two branches in the metro. One  is located at  Unit 3  109 NS Amoranto Corner Cordillera Street Maharlika  Quezon City. The second branch is at the 2nd level of Ayala Malls Cloverleaf A Bonifacio Avenue Balintawak Quezon City