My Review of Huong Lan

[ebusinesstutor]

With my complaints about loud music in restaurants and my recent review of the Keg, I thought I should put in a favorable review next so I don't get a reputation as an old curmudgeon.

So here is a real gem of a restaurant.

My wife and I stopped in at Huong Lan a few weeks ago. This is a Vietnamese restaurant.

When I review a restaurant, I rate it based on a number of factors such as decor/ambiance, soundscape, food, service and value.

Debor/Ambiance:

I don't have the same expectations here that I would have for the decor of a fancy restaurant. The restaurant is tiny with the tables close together. It's best feature decor-wise? The great smell of the food when you walk in! I give it an 7 out of 10.

Soundscape:

No music problems, but the room is a little loud because the tables are close together. 7 out of 10

Food:

The food is what really shines at Huong Lan. They have the best Vietnamese food of anywhere I have had in Nanaimo and come close to the best Vietnamese food restaurants I have eaten in anywhere.

Salad rolls are excellent - a Vietnamese dish that poorer restaurants often make too dry. They are nice and fresh and moist at Huong Lan.

Very good soups.

Overall a 9 out of 10 on the food.

Service:

The service was good. The waitress was polite and friendly and the food came quickly. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Value:

I base this on the value of the experience and food for the money I spent. 9 out of 10 as the food is fantastic for the low cost.

Overall Rating:

Overall, the average of all the ratings came out to 8.0 out of 10. Huong Lan is one of the top 3 places I have eaten so far in Nanaimo. I am never disappointed when we go there.

[QueenE]

We really enjoy eating there too. I wasn't sure what to expect because it is so tiny but was pleasantly surprised by the tasty food. My only complaint is that the menu's too big it's always hard to decide what to order.

[blipgrrl]

It's one of my family's favorite restaurants for years!
The service is always really nice even though it's such a cramped, busy place.
The servers are ready to listen and pay very good attention to each table, even to to those waiting in line at the doors.
The pho is good but the last time we went, my tummy wasn't feeling too good afterwards but since it was a one time thing where that happened, I would still get their pho.
But i really like their seafood chow mein, lemon grass chicken, prawn sugar canes, and deep friend wontons.
I like how their food is inexpensive, large portions, really good service, and quality.
What I dislike about it is they don't do reservations at certain times but this is reasonable because these are peak hours. Sometimes you have to wait in line for at least half an hour to an hour because it's too full in there.
I guess it's not very good for those who are clusterphobic because the tables are placed quite closely to each other and it can get quite loud.

[seaman]

we're going for pho today , but not huong lan. we've tried the rest, pho a dong in our opinion is the best.

[Pastilla]

The service is lovely, but what is a good choice to order there, if you like a rich flavorful dish? Is the curry good?

We ordered #15 two weekends ago --- Hu tieu dac biet (Rice noodle soup with fresh prawn, deep fried prawn, pork roll, pork slice, crab, onion, and black pepper). The broth was extremely mild -- too subtle for my tastes.

http://www.hlrestaurant.com

[vanislandrev]

Hmmm haven't been here yet, will have to check it out

[muffinprincess]

pho a dong for sure! best hot and sour soup! i know the owners too and they are the sweetest people!

[seaman]

and the best wor wonton soup and the best spring rolls. ate there yesterday,

[Timberhuntersgirl]

I was sooooooooooooooooooo scared to try Vietnemese food because of not knowing what to expect. My Husband suggested Huong Lan and at my old age of 35(lol), I thought I would give something new a try. I am now madly in love with the lemon grass chicken over rice and their won ton soup. The won ton soup is wonderful when you have a cold and want something comforting. That's all I've tried, as I love it so much. And my Husband always has won ton soup and either the prawn rolls with peanut sauce or lemon grass chicken over rice. Such good food. We always get takeout. When we've called, the people taking orders on the phone have always been really friendly. The only negative thing is the lack of seating. There is always a lineup out the door when we pick up our food. They sooooooooooooooo need a bigger place. Get take out...you won't be disappointed!

[ebusinesstutor]

The salad rolls are my favorite. Also won ton soup...