According to Craig Claibourne, the well respected food critic of the New York Times, Vietnamese cuisine is among the most outstanding on earth.

Vietnam has three different regional cuisines: Hanoi in the north famous for its beef soup called Pho, Hue in the center which reflects the imperial palate of former dynasties and specializes in small portions of a variety of dishes, and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) in the south producing a variety of vegetable, fruit, meat, game and seafood dishes. Southern cooking here has been influenced by Indian, French and Chinese cuisines.

The Vietnamese “taste” reflects a combining of flavors such as sweet and sour, salty and spicy (but not hot), cooked and raw; hot and cold and the use of fish sauce (Nuoc Mam). Dishes are steamed, stir fried and grilled. Flavors are subtle and preparation is labor intensive. Sauces are an integral part of the main course.

“Present” offers dishes from all three major culinary regions of Vietnam.

I have been to Present many times with groups of assorted sizes and have gotten to know the owner and manager quite well. I was curious to know what the name of the restaurant meant. Was it present as in a gift? Or was it present as in this point in time? The answer is the latter and the name came to the owner Eugene Nguyen as he worked with his meditation teacher. So Present comes from the eastern tradition of the state of mindfulness. It recognizes grateful moments when we do well in the present and truly enjoy life and all it has to offer. Eating is an important part of our existence so we should do it mindfully and nurture our bodies and minds.

I had identified some favorite dishes and with the help of the manager Austin Kiet Pham selected ten dishes that would suit most of the palates in the tasting team. The dishes included two appetizers, beef, seafood, vegetarian and noodles. The advance ordering helped a lot for the large team of tasters did not have to spend time perusing the menu.

The first appetizer was called Smokey Petal – chopped baby clams sautéed with special spices and herbs and served in a large shell-like sesame cracker. The dish met with approval and one member said she almost filled up on the clams because they were so tasty. Next was Treasure from the Sea, a delicious pineapple salad made with shrimp and calamari and served with shrimp crisps. Vietnamese cooks use a lot of crispy uncooked vegetables, subtle seasonings, herbs and unusual flavor combinations.

The appetizers were followed by Country Banquet Vermicelli - grilled marinated meat served on top of cooked vermicelli and served with crisp bean sprouts, chopped lettuce, sliced cucumber, carrots, and peanuts with delicate fish sauce. The vegetables were very fresh and beautifully crafted. Next was Lemon Grass Chicken marinated in finely ground lemon grass, sugar, five spice powder and garlic and then grilled. The chicken was very moist, delicately flavored and tasty. Up next was Fish in Shallow Water – a caramelized fish fillet slowly cooked in a clay pot with caramelized sugar and fish sauce. This delicious dish was beautifully presented in the clay pot which gave it an added level of attraction. The first vegetable dish was Sunning in the Tropics – grilled eggplant served with fish sauce, garlic, de-seeded red chilies, and a smidgen of sugar, lime or lemon juice. One team member indicated that she could have eaten the entire dish by herself; another declared it the “star” of all the dishes; while some felt it was a bit slimy. Then we tried Haystack on the Field, a very light vegan dish served with stir-fried noodles and finely sliced assorted vegetables.

Much to our surprise the owner, Eugene Nguyen,

served us, as a gift from the house, a whole deep-fried and crispy rock fish with the chef’s ginger sauce. The fish was accompanied by a bottle of Ninet de pena Viognier white wine. Both were delicious.

All dishes were served with great attention to detail and the service was excellent. The restaurant was spacious and clean and parking was easy to find in the lot outside.

The cost was $13/person including tax and service charge

The team was unanimous in saying that they would happily return to Present.

Vim Maguire