LANNAM Vietnamese Cuisine: Deal of the Week!

True, the Oxtail Pho is one of the luncheon specials, but considering the heat and humidity outside, the last thing I wanted to do was hover over a steaming bowl of soup, no matter how flavorful. I went with the Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Beef and knew from the first bite that I had chosen wisely. The $6.95 price didn't hurt either. This was beginning to look like a contender for this week's Deal.

The noodles come buried under multiple pieces of delicious grilled beef and a fresh mixture of cucumber, lettuce, bean sprouts and cilantro on the side, along with two dipping sauces: a peanut sauce, and a sweet Nuoc Cham. I was in a Nuoc Cham mood and used the sauce liberally. The flavors of the whole dish, the neutral noodles, the meatiness enhanced by the sauces, and the cilantro, took me back to my days in Vietnam exploring the stalls of freshly made street food. Okay. I kid. I've never been to Vietnam, but I would imagine that if I had, this sort of dish would easily be my Vietnamese comfort food.

I can certainly put away my fair share when eating, but I was amazed that I had to enlist help in finishing my meal. And I'm not even talking about the piles of noodles. They gave me so much meat that I should have stopped halfway through and put the rest in a doggie bag to make tacos at home later. But I didn't. I forged ahead and waddled out of Lannam with a sleepy smile on my face instead. This was certainly the Deal of the Week.

NOTE: Their $6.95 luncheon menu is served daily from 11:30am -4:30pm and there are quite a few options, most with your choice of fried, brown, or white rice.

Happy lunchers who know a good deal in an air conditioned place when they see one.


Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Beef


Lannam Vietnamese Cuisine
121 University Place @ 13th Street
Union Square, Manhattan
212.420.1179
(There's also a location in Murray Hill at 393 3rd Ave @ 28th Street, 212.686.5168)