Cafe Da Lat

In Albuquerque there are a plethora of Vietnamese restaurants due to the fairly large Vietnamese population for a city the size of Albuquerque. There is normally a basic formula for Vietnamese restaurants in Albuquerque most have some or all parts of the formula: a little bit of a dive, a TV along the wall, a fair amount of clutter, seating that is not well designed and service that is not too friendly. Cafe Da Lat was the first in Albuquerque to deviate from this formula and the result is one of the best if not the best Vietnamese restaurants in town. Cafe Da Lat is located on Central east of San Mateo, which is a stones throw away from a lot of other Vietnamese restaurants including old local institutions like May Cafe and Que Huong that have been open for many years. James, the owner of Cafe Da Lat, sent his wife to Vietnam to learn or perfect their recipes for various dishes prior to opening in 2003. This investment has resulted in some of the best tasting Vietnamese food that I have ever had.

When you drive up to Cafe Da Lat the exterior is nothing too remarkable except the restaurant is not attached to an emissions shop, hotel/motel, or in a strip mall like other Vietnamese restaurants; Cafe Da Lat is it's own free standing building. The parking lot has seen better days, the asphalt is oxidizing and unraveling, but it's well organized and parking is easy. When you walk in it feels like you are miles away from Central and San Mateo. The restaurant is decorated well with great fixtures and very clean. I really like the light fixtures that they have above the tables. The cash register area is a dark tiled counter with a fairly modest wine rack. The color scheme of the interior is very well thought out and soothing.

When you walk in, it's open seating. Normally you are greeted, order a drink, and receive your drink within a span of less than 10 minutes, unless you get some thing like a Cafe Su Da which requires a few minutes to put together. The service is great at this restaurant. If you have any issues they bend over backwards to make it right. On one occasion, one of my companions got a different pork chop than what they were accustomed to getting and after a few bites they wanted to get something different. James quickly took the plate back and replaced it with the new entree.

I am a creature of habit and have found a favorite dish at Cafe Da Lat that I rarely deviate from. My favorite dish at Cafe Da Lat is B-6, the Pho Dac Biet. This is the Pho dish with the kitchen sink: rare beef, beef meat balls, tripe, and brisket. I have had many of the other dishes at Cafe Da Lat either with ordering it or the B.L.T. method, which is when my dinner companions allow me to have a bite, taste, and/or lick, and all the dishes I have tried are great.

The Pho at Cafe Da Lat is great because of the broth. It's a simple beef broth that is well seasoned and not overly oily due to fat content. The food is presented on great dishes; for example, the Pho is served in a large white bowl with a bowl on the bottom that is to line the top bowl. The stoneware at Cafe Da Lat is head and shoulders nicer than the average Vietnamese restaurant; you actually get your food served to you in stoneware instead of the heavy duty plastic like plates with the Oriental designs or lettering. This is a very classy touch to cuisine that is normally not as dressed up. So right about now you're probably thinking about the cost if the food is well presented, worry not, Cafe Da Lat's prices are on par with the price of other Vietnamese restaurants.

If I were to improve Cafe Da Lat, I would remodel the bathroom, location, and upgrade the exterior. The bathroom is clean; however, the fixtures are older and could be upgraded. I do find it classy that Cafe Da Lat has a large mirror with spotlight out side of the bathrooms so you can check your hair or teeth before returning to your table. The access to the restaurant is not friendly due to the traffic patterns you encounter on that part of Central. The exterior is brown stucco and a red metal pitched roof on one portion and flat on the remainder. The red paint could use a new coat and it could have larger windows. James used to have larger windows on his restaurant, but they were damaged by vandals, so a new location may allow him to have a nice exterior. Cafe Da Lat is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Albuquerque if not the best. I would give Cafe Da Lat four and a half stars out of five.

http://www.cafedalat.com/