GREAT EATS HAWAII: HALE VIETNAM VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

HALE VIETNAM

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

HONOLULU, HAWAII

The Kaimuki neighborhood just east of Waikiki is home to dozens of restaurants. You can find most every ethic cuisine here. There is Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Italian, Indian, French, Lao and everything in between with the exception of a good Pizza Parlor and Sub Shop. One of our "go to" places for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner is Hale Vietnam. This is a neighborhood gem that has been there for years. Always filled with locals slurping up big bowls of Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese Soup that includes noodles, broth and meat. I always go with the Rare Steak and Brisket. My daughter loves the Beef Balls. The Pho is served with a large plate of fresh basil, bean sprouts, lemon and jalapenos. I pile the bean sprouts, a little basil and the jalapenos into my soup and add a good helping of hot sauce. The Rare Steak is served raw and cooks in the broth. The brisket is fully cooked and adds a lot of flavor to the Pho. Eating a bowl of Pho is very relaxing for me. I like to take my time and just enjoy the broth and flavors of the vegetables and meat. I rarely finish an entire bowl but always polish off all of the meats and sprouts. A bowl of Pho here runs around $8 for a medium size bowl and $9 for a large bowl. Usually split a bowl with my daughter so this is a very affordable lunch or dinner. We always go with the Spring Rolls ($11). They are filled with various meats and vegetables and served with lettuce, cucumber, basil, mint, noodles and pickled carrots and daikon. My daughter loves the noodles and eats the entire portion as an appetizer. I take the Spring Rolls and make up a burrito like dish. Place the Spring Roll in the lettuce and add the other veggies. Top with fish sauce and hot sauce and roll up like a burrito and dig in. This is one of my favorite dishes at Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. We like Hale Vietnam and recommend it.