Thuy Cafe is a small Vietnamese restaurant located on Bleecker Street, one of the main drags in East Utica. There are a number of Vietnamese joints dotting the greater Utica area (which isn't a very big region), but for a Sunday dinner with Mom, Dad, and my brother Luke, I picked out Thuy as my first foray into the area Vietnamese. I called ahead to see when they would close, and the response I got from the woman on the other end was, I quote, "I close 8". No doubts about the authenticity then. We were in business.
Thuy doesn't look like much from the outside, which is a common theme it seems among the area ethnic restaurants. The large glass windows carried a few advertisements completely in Vietnamese...they didn't even bother with the English. I liked that. Anyway, the interior, which holds maybe 12 four-seated tables, is rather plain, not entirely austere like A7, the Asian joint reviewed last week, but isn't an art show either. The white walls dominant the place. In one corner of the room they did have a little shrine to the Buddha, so you can eat and pay your respects in one go. It is VERY clean though, my mother was quick to point out. The tabletops were spotless, and the glasses we were served our waters in were the cleanest my mother has ever seen in a restaurant. The jury is in then. Wait staff at Thuy are pretty limited, a mother and son team seem to run the place, with one or two helpers.
The menu at Thuy can basically be be divided into soups and rice dishes. Any item can come in either a large or a small, but, I'll tell you, go with the smalls, its more than enough. I have had Vietnamese before (in West Lafayette, Indiana...in a place run by Mexicans, as it were), so am somewhat familiar with it, but not that much. The menu here immediately looked more authentic, so I was excited by the options on hand. Beef and pork noodle soups are a mainstay, and I was in the mood for noodles, so I went for the beef stew. Mom ordered a chicken sautee dish, which was chopped chicken breast mixed with vegetables over vermicelli rice. Luke and Dad both ordered the same thing, an interesting egg roll dish, comprised of chopped pork egg-rolls over vermicelli, with a side of sweet sauce for dipping.
Delicious. Absolutely fantastic. The beef stew went down VERY easy. The noodles were a mixture of rice flour noodles and egg noodles. Both were very good, but I particularly liked the egg noodles. The flavor is hard to describe, not exactly sweet...maybe a bit yeasty? Hard to say, either way, go for it. Carrots were the dominant vegetable and were cooked to perfection, while the beef was also good, albeit some pieces were a bit fatty. I could drink the broth all day. Not watery or overly thick, just right. If you are a battling a cold during one of Utica's brutal winters, Thuy Cafe might not be a bad place to go to feel better. Mom actually finished her entire plate, a rarity. It was simple, but the chicken was high quality and tasty. The dish chosen by Luke and Dad was a hit though. The chopped egg roll (perfect size for picking up with chopsticks by the way-even Luke got in on the action), was far cry from the egg roll you might get in the dime-a-dozen Chinese take-out places. Nobody knew what the accompanying sauce was, but it served as a perfect dipping sauce for the egg-roll chunks. Luke, one of the pickiest eaters you'll meet (he originally just came along for the ride, he expected to get Subway afterwards, but I coaxed him into expanding his palate a bit) was delighted. That has to tell you something right there.
The only disappointment came afterwards, when we were told no desert menu exists yet. Too busy cranking out the main courses I suppose. No bother. Everyone was satisfied with their choices and also made note that the meal, while filling, didn't leave one on the precipice of a food coma, which is common after eating American style food. The service was quick, given the small staff, and the prices completed the meal. Thirty bucks for four dinners (all smalls, but, again, the young Vietnamese dude that took our order said even he can't finish the large) is pretty hard to beat. Most items on the menu won't run you more the $8.
First taste of Vietnamese, Utica style? I'm happy to say it was more "Good Morning, Vietnam!" and not "Apocalypse Now". Thuy Cafe is a keeper, you'll be able to find me there again.
Score: 4.5/5 (no desert menu means I can't give a full 5)
Thuy doesn't look like much from the outside, which is a common theme it seems among the area ethnic restaurants. The large glass windows carried a few advertisements completely in Vietnamese...they didn't even bother with the English. I liked that. Anyway, the interior, which holds maybe 12 four-seated tables, is rather plain, not entirely austere like A7, the Asian joint reviewed last week, but isn't an art show either. The white walls dominant the place. In one corner of the room they did have a little shrine to the Buddha, so you can eat and pay your respects in one go. It is VERY clean though, my mother was quick to point out. The tabletops were spotless, and the glasses we were served our waters in were the cleanest my mother has ever seen in a restaurant. The jury is in then. Wait staff at Thuy are pretty limited, a mother and son team seem to run the place, with one or two helpers.
The menu at Thuy can basically be be divided into soups and rice dishes. Any item can come in either a large or a small, but, I'll tell you, go with the smalls, its more than enough. I have had Vietnamese before (in West Lafayette, Indiana...in a place run by Mexicans, as it were), so am somewhat familiar with it, but not that much. The menu here immediately looked more authentic, so I was excited by the options on hand. Beef and pork noodle soups are a mainstay, and I was in the mood for noodles, so I went for the beef stew. Mom ordered a chicken sautee dish, which was chopped chicken breast mixed with vegetables over vermicelli rice. Luke and Dad both ordered the same thing, an interesting egg roll dish, comprised of chopped pork egg-rolls over vermicelli, with a side of sweet sauce for dipping.
Delicious. Absolutely fantastic. The beef stew went down VERY easy. The noodles were a mixture of rice flour noodles and egg noodles. Both were very good, but I particularly liked the egg noodles. The flavor is hard to describe, not exactly sweet...maybe a bit yeasty? Hard to say, either way, go for it. Carrots were the dominant vegetable and were cooked to perfection, while the beef was also good, albeit some pieces were a bit fatty. I could drink the broth all day. Not watery or overly thick, just right. If you are a battling a cold during one of Utica's brutal winters, Thuy Cafe might not be a bad place to go to feel better. Mom actually finished her entire plate, a rarity. It was simple, but the chicken was high quality and tasty. The dish chosen by Luke and Dad was a hit though. The chopped egg roll (perfect size for picking up with chopsticks by the way-even Luke got in on the action), was far cry from the egg roll you might get in the dime-a-dozen Chinese take-out places. Nobody knew what the accompanying sauce was, but it served as a perfect dipping sauce for the egg-roll chunks. Luke, one of the pickiest eaters you'll meet (he originally just came along for the ride, he expected to get Subway afterwards, but I coaxed him into expanding his palate a bit) was delighted. That has to tell you something right there.
The only disappointment came afterwards, when we were told no desert menu exists yet. Too busy cranking out the main courses I suppose. No bother. Everyone was satisfied with their choices and also made note that the meal, while filling, didn't leave one on the precipice of a food coma, which is common after eating American style food. The service was quick, given the small staff, and the prices completed the meal. Thirty bucks for four dinners (all smalls, but, again, the young Vietnamese dude that took our order said even he can't finish the large) is pretty hard to beat. Most items on the menu won't run you more the $8.
First taste of Vietnamese, Utica style? I'm happy to say it was more "Good Morning, Vietnam!" and not "Apocalypse Now". Thuy Cafe is a keeper, you'll be able to find me there again.
Score: 4.5/5 (no desert menu means I can't give a full 5)
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