The interior of Hue, which is located in
the spot that formerly housed Magic Dann’s, received extensive remodeling. A
wicker settee and chairs near the entryway serve as a waiting area during
dinner hours and lounge seating later on. The bar area seats 10. Along with
soothing wood tones, the dining room features colorful paintings of Vietnamese
scenery, including a view of the charming town of Hoi An (also a great place for food).
The menu is said to
focus on Hue,
but nearly all of the items are common to Vietnamese menus. Items include the
usual spring rolls, pho, and noodle and rice dishes. Among the less-common
items are banh xeo, addictive Vietnamese flour crepes.
Appetizers may be
ordered separately ($6-$7.50), but a nice introduction is to get a sampler
platter ($12.50), which includes a sample of most of the items. Tom chien are
shrimp fried in a batter that resembles tempura. Cha gio are crisp egg rolls of
the small size typically found in Vietnam. Bo thit nuong are bamboo
skewers of marinated beef seasoned with lemongrass. There also is goi cuon, a
fresh rice paper spring roll filled with rice noodles, mint, lettuce (lots of
it), carrot and cucumber. Shrimp and pork are promised but can barely be found
amid the vegetables. Two sauces are served—the peanut sauce is quite good, but
the surprise is the sweet/sour sauce with its an unexpected spicy kick. Save it
for the entrees.
Pho is a noodle
soup, with many regional versions found throughout Vietnam. This menu offers three
varieties. The pho tai chin, bo vien ($8.50) has rice noodles, onion, cilantro
and beef in three styles. Thin slices of sirloin are barely cooked; the utterly
tender brisket is very well done; and halved beef balls have a springy texture.
There is a plate with lime wedges, bean sprouts, basil and jalapeño slices. The
key to a good pho is the broth. Whereas many broths seem plain and watery, this
homemade beef broth is exceptional. Adding a touch of lime makes sense, but
with a broth this savory, the optional hoisin sauce and sriracha aren’t even
needed.
The banh xeo
($8.50), a large crepe made of rice flour, has a yellowish hue thanks to a bit
of turmeric. The crepe is folded and filled with shrimp, beef, mushrooms and
plenty of bean sprouts. Unfortunately, the bean sprouts vastly outnumber the
meat.
A dish that proves
otherwise is bo luc lac ($9.50), which translates as “shaking beef.” Cubes of
sirloin in a sweet marinade are served over a salad of leaf lettuces with grape
tomatoes, onions and garlic vinaigrette. A bowl of jasmine rice comes on the
side. This is an item worth remembering.
Bun chay ($8) is a
vegetarian entrée featuring rice noodles with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, mint,
bean sprouts, strips of marinated daikon radish and triangles of fried tofu.
The menu promised a marinade with lemongrass, garlic and ginger, but it only
came with peanut sauce or nuoc cham. The sweet/sour sauce saved from the
sampler platter, however, proved great for the fried tofu. Ultimately, though,
this sea of raw veggies had me enviously eyeing bo luc lac at a nearby table.
The service is
pleasant and the kitchen moves at a nice pace. The wine list offers about a
dozen varieties served by the glass or bottle. But Vietnamese fare calls for a
bottle of beer, and the beer list is much more impressive (try a bottle of
“33”).
Hue already has attracted a loyal following, so expect a
wait on busier evenings (Hue
is closed on Mondays). And if you run into a crowd, discover the pleasure that
comes from lounging in the settee while nursing a bottle of “33.”
Hue Restaurant &
Lounge 
2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
(414) 294-0483
$$
Credit Cards: MC, VS
Smoke-Free
Handicap Accessible: Yes
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Awful food. We were there the last week of May. They had no bubble tea and were out of rice paper wrappers by 7pm so all menu items including those were not an option. A friend who was a vegetarian only had 1 menu option as each category on the menu only has 4 options or so. I ordered the Com Suom Nouang which was supposed to be pork. A thin, incredibly hard piece of pork sat atop jasmine rice with very little sauce. Nearly impossible to cut through with a regular knife and had awful flavor. Did not taste like traditional Viet food but a sweet/sour sauce VERY heavy on the salt. The dish was accompanied by a very very greasy egg roll, 2 slices of cucumber and 3 slices of tomato. All in all terrible. Perhaps they were experiencing growing pains and opened too soon so that they had some diners to pay their May rent. I would have gotten everything straight before opening. Would not go back, even for the bubble tea once they get it.
Your one of a kind. Are you sure you were in the right esablishment?
I have been there twice and my dining experience was excellent. A great wine and beer selection and friendly staff. Portion sizes are more than adequate and the food was outstanding. The appetizer platter presented a great sampling of Vietnamese fare. The shaking beef melts in your mouth. Can't wait to go again!
I wasn’t very impressed with the place. We went on a week-night and there was hardly anyone there, just one large group and the waitress refused to seat us until everyone of our party was there. We only had one person missing. I do like that the menu is limited-they stuck to the basic Vietnamese food, a smart decision. I ordered the pork chop and rice plate and the pork chop was soooooo salty could not even eat it. I’ve had better eggrolls, there was no flavor and it was greasy. The spring roll was probably the best thing I ate. The service was slow I think for a week night and the prices of menu items are slightly higher than other joints on National Avenue but I guess you’re paying for the ambience and location.
Excellent gourmet experience. I had been intrigued by Vietnamese cuisine, but had never taken the step. I did this last Sunday and was welcome by a feast of color and flavor, abundant food, and friendly service in a restaurant decorated in very good taste.