I have never actually set foot inside Rue Viet but I can't resist welcoming this newcomer to the Jersey City restaurant scene, and that is based upon my take-out experience alone.
My crush with Rue Viet began with the arrival of a courteous, prompt delivery person, who arrived 20 minutes from when I placed my order and actually seemed grateful for his tip. I know one shouldn't judge a book by its cover but when I opened the biodegradable bags and found these lovely brown and white cardboard boxes, thoughtfully labeled inside, I was smitten. Finally, a take-out restaurant in Jersey City with environmentally-friendly packaging, it almost didn't matter how the food tasted...Could it possibly live up to its packaging?
Indeed it can and did. The seafood spring rolls arrived crisp and flavorful. Curried noodles with chicken were well-spiced and plentiful. Mushroom buns were tender. Tofu Banh Mi was packed with carrots, daikon and tofu, which would make an ample lunch (too much for me). The only oddity was the "Pad Thai" noodles with coconut-braised pork. This homey dish was chock full of tender pork chunks but the only thing "Pad Thai" about it was the noodles. Call it something else and it would be fine with a drizzle of hot sauce.
With more cold winter days ahead, Izzy and I look forward to more takeout from Rue Viet. Maybe it will even inspire us to crawl out from hibernation and walk on over to the restaurant. I hear the brunch is good.
