A Couple of Foodies

I have had a soft spot for high quality oriental style food since I lived in Washington DC and enjoyed some really excellent Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. So when I travel I was keep my eyes open for a good place to snatch up some spicy oriental inspired dishes.

On this occasion I found myself in Salt Lake, dropping Amanda off at the airport. She had an early flight so I had plenty of time afterward to grab some food before I headed back home. I tend to like Asian flavorings a bit more than my wife, so when I’m alone I’ll often take the chance to grab some oriental food. I had driven by Cafe Trang on a number of occasions… and remembered reading on a few websites that it was quite good, so i decided go try it out for myself.

I arrived a bit early, just before they opened, and there was only one other couple waiting to be seated. I took a look at the menu while I waited and immediately noticed the Thai Basil Beef! That is one of my favorite Thai style dishes… when done correctly. The truth is that no other restaurant has been able to come close to the basil beef that I had in DC, but I’m always willing to try it anyway.

After getting seated I took in the decor. While being a bit loud, nothing seemed out of place. It feels like any well appointed Asian style bistro. Without a full restaurant it is hard to judge the ambiance, but the place did seem like it would be quite lively with every seat full.

My waiter was pleasant from the beginning, explaining the lunch menu and waiting patiently while I selected my two main dishes and side. The two dishes I chose where the Thai Basil Beef and Sweet and Sour Chicken with a side of egg drop soup.

Upon learning that the served Vietnamese Iced Coffee I immediately ordered some up! Asian style iced coffee (especially Thai and Vietnamese, both made with sweetened condensed milk) is one of my favorite drinks. It is typically served still brewing in a small “press pot” that allows the boiling water to drip through the coffee grounds to the cup below. Once all of the water has dripped through you stir up the very potent coffee and condensed milk in the cup and poor the mixture into a glass full of ice.

The best Vietnamese iced coffee I’ve ever encountered was actually in Albuquerque, NM of all places! How did Cafe Trang’s version stack up? Beautifully. The coffee was flavorful with just the right amount of condensed milk to sweeten it up. My only critique… it didn’t come out quickly enough. The drink arrived essentially simultaneously with my meal. The problem is that it takes a while to brew at the table, meaning nothing but water to drink as you begin eating.

The food itself was a mixed bag. I started with the egg drop soup (which again, I would have rather had before the main course). It was quite good! Very flavorful without being overpowering. Next up was the basil beef… and… Incredible! It tasted almost exactly like my favorite Thai Basil Beef from Washington DC! The most important component to Thai basil beef is the basil. There needs to be plenty of it and you should be able to see whole leaves of it in the broth. That’s exactly what you get at Cafe Trang. Speaking of the broth, it is truly excellent! After finishing the beef I found myself mopping up the broth with the leftover rice. The rice itself is also really good. It was cooked perfectly giving it that slightly sticky texture that good oriental rice should have.

So why did I say the food was a mixed bag? Because of the sweet and sour chicken. Unfortunately it was made with a puffy batter that just didn’t sit well with me. Instead of being crispy it was somewhat soggy. This sogginess was made even worse by the fact that it had soaked up a bunch of the basil beef broth, turning the bottom of the chicken into this sickly brown mush. The actual sweet and sour sauce was nothing to write home about either, with it feeling fairly generic and bland. The chicken itself was well cooked and I did peel some of the outside off of it and just ate it dipped in the basil beef sauce.

Throughout the meal the service was quite good, with my waiter being very helpful and chatty. The place did start to fill up a bit towards the end and everyone seemed to be enjoying their mid-day meal.

I will definitely be going back to Cafe Trang in the future… although next time I may choose to just double up on that delicious Thai Basil Beef!

Derek

Vitals:

Name: Cafe Trang

Address: 200 South 307 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Website: http://www.cafetrangrestaurant.com

Other’s opinions:
Amanda Eats

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