Elizabeth Street Cafe

Ever since this wonderful little blue and hot pink colored, French-Vietnamese place opened on South 1st, I have been dying to go. Literally dying. My heart ached a little bit each time I drove by. So FINALLY last night I went with some girlfriends. Elizabeth Street Cafe was everything I imagined and even more. It was tiny and quirky, dainty and fun, chic and posh all at the same time.

As my friend Caroline and I walked in, we were whisked away to the best table in the house. No, literally, the best table. Nestled in a corner with windows toward the front, the round wood six-top was perfect for our group. Our server informed us that the chairs used to belong to Nicholas Cage, guess they auctioned off.

Aren’t they so chic?

The wall by our table was adorned with this guy. Rugged and strapping, just like I like ’em.

All the tables have the serving platters with silverware, sauces and fun little spoons. I’m showing you all of this because I found the atmosphere to be as wonderful and eclectic as the food making for an all-around delightful experience.

I need these spoons now.

Love.

As Caroline and I waited for the rest of the girls to arrive, we made the executive decision to order the Sake and Plum Wine Punch. It was refreshing and light. I indulged myself with two glasses.

Sara described this as “drinking a flower” so yes, it’s quite different and fragrant. She may have not been as sold as I was with the cucumber and lychee infused punch but it was a delight to the senses and not just a drink but an experience for your taste buds.

Our server was quite knowledgable and helped guide us through the menu. We started off with Fried shrimp and Yam Fritters. Very good.

We shared everything at the table and next up was the Bahn Mi. This is the Keiffer Lime Fried Chicken. It was good and I gobbled mine up quick. It wasn’t the most adventurous thing we tried but was delicious none the less.

Next up was the Pho. The server told us the Pork broth was the best so we went with it and were not disappointed. We got the 31C which has spicy pork meatballs, Niman Ranch Pork belly and farm eggs. The flavor was full and light, just as a Pho should be.

The accompanying plate of greens, radishes and bean sprouts is always fun to dress up your Pho as you like.

My little bowl… Man, I’m getting hungry.

We opted for the Short Rib Bun. The noodles were served cold with the contrasting warm short ribs.

This is my personal bowl, which I dressed with fish sauce and a touch of chili sauce. Combine that with the fresh jalapeños and Thai basil… Ay spicy!

Last but certainly not least was the special, Goat with curry. This was my favorite of the evening. Yummmmm

It’s served with a bowl of rice. Place the rice in your dish and our the yummy goat curry over it.

My bowl… Be sure and use the accompanying toast to soak up the broth… Delish.

We were to full to venture onto to dessert. After reading several reviews of Elizabeth Street Cafe, this seems to be a common problem. I will definitely be back to try the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, always a winner with me, and the pastries.

Run, don’t walk to Elizabeth Street Cafe !

Read about my visit to Elizabeth Street Cafe for breakfast!