Cuu Long

Long before Hanoi was the capital, before there were north and south halves to the country, even before the French occupation, Hue was the imperial city--the political and cultural center--of Vietnam. It is an ancient city, famous for its monuments and pagodas, its pivotal strategic value during the Vietnam War and for its beef noodle soup, Bún Bò Huế. You probably thought you were here for the food, but bonus-- a side dish of history too!

It was the lure of Bún Bò Huế that brought me through the doors of Cửu Long II, a decent sized phở shop on the corner of Hotel and River Streets in Chinatown. The traditional preparation of this soup is a rich, red broth seasoned with lemongrass and spicy chili paste then loaded with wide rice noodles and shredded meat. Fresh mint and shavings from banana stems are served as garnish. They say you can't understand the ancient capital until you've tasted a bowl of Bún Bò Huế.

In contrast, the Bún Bò Huế at Cửu Long II was a pale imitation of what it should have been. From the first sip, I knew this was not the real deal. The distinguishing characteristic of the soup is its tangy broth, yet this one was was weak, as if it had been stretched with too much water. The noodles were fine, but the meat was lacking. There were too little sliced beef and too many knobby pork pieces. The server assures me it was pig tail--at least I think that's what she was trying to say. All I know is that it consisted of primarily bone and skin-- hardly satisfying. The "bò" in Bún Bò Huế refers to beef, and I didn't get enough of it.

The plate of fresh veggies alongside was the saving grace. Dressing the soup liberally with the banana strips, mint, bean sprouts and lime brightened up the flavors and gave it a refreshing crunch.

Alongside the soup, I drank a glass of cà phê sửa đá, super concentrated, almost syrupy French roast coffee heavily sweetened with condensed milk. It drips syrupy goodness through a Vietnamese filter and then is poured over ice. Yum. They know how to make their coffee.

Overall, the service was warm and friendly, but the main draw this morning, the soup, fell short. The sister restaurant in Pearl Kai has received strong reviews for its phở, which makes me think I just ordered the wrong thing. I'll order differently on the next visit because there's no mincing words: Cửu Long II doesn't know Huế.

Cửu Long II
175 N. Hotel St. #2
Honolulu, HI
(808) 585-6199
Daily 8am - 8pm