Beyond pho: authentic, wide-ranging Vietnamese cuisine

When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, many local restaurateurs invest either in pho noodle houses or delis that specialize in banh mi sandwiches. Hardly the minimalist types, the owners of My Canh Restaurant offer an ambitious menu, ranging from vegetarian fare to exotic meats.

Just don't expect any pan-Asian dishes or twists on the classic cuisine. It's all traditional Vietnamese food here, served to the many locals who have made this their haunt in South Seattle.

It's the outsiders who haven't discovered this well-kept secret in the Vietnamese community.

While My Canh offers a decent pho ($5.25/small bowl, $5.95/large), you are better off venturing further into the nine-page menu for items such as com tam dac biet ($6.25), a rice dish served with grilled pork chop, an egg cake and charbroiled shrimp paste wrapped around a sugar cane — Vietnamese comfort food.

Those feeling adventurous can try the frog curry with peanuts ($8.95) or be thui ($7.95), slices of roast lamb served with ground rice and plantains, onions and mint-anchovy sauce — dishes that Vietnamese men like to down with a few cold ones when they are feeling festive.

With its proximity to a popular Buddhist temple, My Canh provides an extensive and cheap vegetarian menu.

But its best entrees are the charbroiled pork and shrimp paste (ground shrimp with garlic and other seasonings), each served with fish sauce and broken rice or rice noodles. Go for the noodles. It complements the grilled meat and fish sauce better.

Its appetizer and dessert options are limited, but it's the cheap entrees that draw the crowd. Many dishes range from $4.95 to $6.75, and the portions are generous.

There isn't much décor or fancy furniture here. You may even see one of the owners' young relatives playing video games or watching television while other family members work the kitchen or help customers navigate the menu, underscoring that this is a family-owned restaurant.

On busy days, the place can get noisy with folks chattering in Vietnamese, which may alienate those who don't speak the language. But take comfort in knowing you are eating where the locals go to for authentic Vietnamese cooking.

Check please:

Bun cha hanoi: Charcoal-grilled pieces of belly pork and fish patties are drenched in a bowl of smoky fish sauce with chopped garlic and served with a giant plate of rice noodles, green herbs and vegetables. It's a must-have, especially since few Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle offer this Northern cuisine.

De nuong sa: Grilled lemongrass- flavored goat meat is sautéed with portobello mushrooms, garlic, red peppers, peanuts and onions on a bed of shredded lettuce. Unfortunately, all those flavors overpowered the taste of the meat.

The combo: Instead of trying the appetizers, I went for this combination platter. It's the best way to sample all the restaurant's grilled specialties of meatballs, strips of pork, shrimp and fish, served with a side of rice papers and lettuce to wrap around and then dip in a sweet fish sauce. It comes with two crunchy spring rolls and is the best bargain on the menu.

Chuoi nuong: For dessert, I tried the grilled banana covered with sticky rice — almost like a sushi roll drenched in a bowl of coconut milk sauce. Too much rice and too little banana. The dish tasted like rice in a coconut soup. And not in a good way.

Itemized bill, meal for two

Bun cha hanoi $6.75

De nuong sa $7.95

The combo $8.95

Chuoi nuong $2.00

Tax $2.39

Total $28.04

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com