My partner & I were craving Vietnamese food a few days ago and decided to try this place for an early dinner. Ben Tre is authentic, from the family who owns and operates it to the food that is served there. My partner is first generation Vietnamese and values a truly authentic dining experience. But our overall experience was mixed, with both highlights and lowlights.
We ordered #12 Muc Chien Don (Crispy Salted Pepper Calamari), #29 Bun Rieu (Tomato Crab & Pork Vermicelli Soup), and #64 Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef). Though we had ordered the calamari as an appetizer, it was the Bon Rieu that came out first, and quickly. When asked if we should still expect the calamari appetizer, the waiter said yes. You could tell he had been asked that question many times before as he went on to explain that soups like Bun Rieu were prepared ahead of time and come out faster.
The disappointing dishes: My partner had ordered the Bun Rieu, one of his favorite dishes, because it received so many compliments in online reviews. He said that it was ok, but lacked flavor. And the lowlight among the dishes was the calamari. Rather than being "crispy" as the menu described, these were very lightly-battered longer strips of rubbery calamari served on a thin bed of what looked like chopped iceberg lettuce with salted, peppered, and very lightly sauteed green bell peppers, onions, and julienne carrots. And this $13.50 appetizer was served with no sauce. At the end of the meal the waiter noticed that we had hardly touched the calamari, and he seemed surprised when we declined the offer to box it up for us.
The clear highlight of the meal was the shaking beef, starring as described "very tender cubes of filet mignon" sauteed with garlic, bell pepper, and onion, served with the garlic noodle option, and all topped with cilantro. I have ordered Bo Luc Lac at nearly a dozen restaurants over the years, and this was one of my favorites. I was glad the portion was family sized because the leftovers also ate well the next day.
