Lac Viet - Bethel Road - Columbus, OH - Restaurant Review

I had eaten at the the Lac Viet North location, so I was curious about their new branch on Bethel Rd. Not much is changed in the northern version's menu, and that's a good thing.

Prices are little higher (~$1) per entree because the rent is higher, but is offset by the fact that parking is free at Bethel, which is surely not true at North Market.

The owner is there daily, to help you make choices and in general just chat you up. He is extremely friendly. Obviously a successful entrepreneur who knows his customers and what they want. He has a good thing going on here.

The restaurant itself is very small, with maybe 12-15 tables, and can get very crowded on weekends. The owner Thang Nguyen has developed a very loyal base of customers from his north market location, and they are helping to put this place on the map through word of mouth. Thang is also a favorite among food critics and bloggers who have gotten the word out.

My favorite dish at the North Market Lac Viet is the pho ga, which is a silky smooth chicken noodle soup with ginger, onions, garlic, cilantro, and chicken slices. You can add hot chile sauce, lemon, bean sprouts, and other veggies. I am told that this is not true Vietnamese pho, but I am ok with that because it tastes great anyway. They make a sister dish pho bo, which is similar except made from beef and beef broth.

Today I tried the Bahn Mi Pho Ga, and it was incredible. Basically, it is sort of a chicken french dip. You get a small bowl of the chicken broth from the pho ga, in which you dip a chicken bahn mi, which is grilled chicken on a French baguette, sprouts, cilantro, green onions, lettuce, hoisin sauce, and some sriracha. Sprinkle a little lime and thinly sliced jalapeno of all of this and you have a great lunch for $7. The owner calls it a bowl on bun, because it basically is all the same ingredients in pho except in a different form factor.

Service is very fast, even by fast food standards. Most of the menu is very healthy, and very affordable.