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Vietnamese Restaurants in Eugene, OR - Kelly Tran's Vietnam Restaurant - Review by Jim Hale, Principal Broker, ACTIONAGENTS.NET, Eugene, OR

Kelly Tran and I have two things in common:
we both left Da Nang, Vietnam a long time ago...
and we both love her authentic
Vietnam Restaurant
in Eugene, Oregon.

I left that city, then a United States military stronghold in the Republic of Vietnam, in early 1969, when the US Army's First Signal Brigade transferred me (from the Da Nang Signal Battalion to a higher headquarters in Saigon) for the remainder of my tour during America's long, unfortunate war in Southeast Asia.

In 1991, Kelly left Da Nang, her home city, to seek new life and fortune in America. She's been in Eugene, Oregon for twenty years.

Kelly Tran in her Vietnam Restaurant in Eugene, OR

Kelly opened her current business, simply named Vietnam Restaurant,

in 2002.

I was introduced to her establishment this year by my son and daughter-in-law, Josh and Carroll Hale. It is one of their favorite places to eat in Eugene, OR. Carroll is from Taiwan. She knows a great Beef Noodle Soup when she tastes one.

Beef Noodle Soup is the most Vietnamese of the many dishes
on Kelly Tran's menu.


You don't need a family food adviser to let you know that Beef Noodle Soup is the house specialty. Kelly's sign let's you know right up front.

This sign tells you what Pho - that Pho is available at Vietnam Restaurant



But Kelly's Vietnam Restaurant offers lots of wonderful Asian dishes.

The full luncheon menu has 37 items.

Thirty-one are pictured in the usual Asian manner.

Those are going to cost you -- from $6.00 to $8.50.


In other words:
See Kelly Tran for a cheap date...or an affordable family gathering.

(Kelly has a few special chairs for children.)

Special Beeef Noodle Soup - Vietnam Restaurant - Eugene, OR


Tonight, I once again ordered that Special Beef Noodle Soup that Kelly's sign suggests.

It's called "Pho" (pronounced "fah") -- a soup routinely eaten for breakfast -- but I'd happily recommend it for dinner or lunch. Kelly's menu offers several types.

My steaming bowl of this (traditionally) clear soup came with lots of noodles and just the right amount of beef.
(Price: $6.50)
I could easily see that the meat was as the menu advertised: both "well-done flank" and "medium rare beef balls").


I also received a side presentation of the additional ingredients that would give the contents of the big bowl a huge flavor and a perfect crunch:

basil, cilantro, lime, jalepeno and sprouts.

Side presentation of spicy, crunchy ingredients - Vietnam Restaurant - Eugene, OR

I carefully broke each of these (mostly green) ingredients into the bowl. Another time I might hold the jalepeno.

I stirred this mixture (in which I already had pride of ownership) for a short while....both to mix and cool.


Then I dug in.

I alternated between handy chop sticks, a flatware fork and a ceramic soup spoon. I might have added extra spice and oil ingredients from the supply always conveniently provided on each table.

I was dining alone. I could go as fast or slow as I wanted. But eating quickly seemed best. Noodles grow from absorption. The texture is more satisfying if you do not dally.

I finished, both full and fully happy I'd chosen to eat at Kelly Tran's Vietnam Restaurant. As usual.


The finished dish - Special Beef Noodle Soup - Vietnam Restaurant, Eugene, OR

This big bowl of Kelly's Special Beef Noodle Soup was plenty for my appetite.
But I could have ordered any one of several
"Khai Vi" (appetizers),
including Ban Xeo (Vietnamese crepes) or "Goi cvon" (salad roll).
Appetizers run from $2.95 to $5.50.




Luncheon Menu Sections, other than Pho, include:

Bun (Vermicelli noodle dishes)
Hu Tieu (rice noodle soups)
Mi Nuoc (egg noodle soups)
Mixao (some Chinese/American influence: chow mein dishes)
Banh Pho (chow fun dishes)
Cum Dia (rice dishes)
Mon Chay (vegetarian dishes)

Again, all these great alternatives run from $6.50 to $8.50.




If you really want to splurge, see Kelly for dinner.
Her evening menu insert carries a dozen special dinner entrees:
all stir-fried.
Choose among: Chicken, Beef, Barbecued Pork, or Shrimp.
Or order "Four Ingredients" and sample all.


Hidden in the dinner stir-fry list was one item that really caught my eye, but not my fancy: Squid.

(Maybe some other night when I have a captive table audience and can show off my menu courage.)


But be prepared: Kelly is going to get you for a full $10.50 or $11.50
for one of those dinners.

Except for those that are just $5-6.


Sometimes you will find this, Eugene's best Vietnamese restaurant,
to be full of peace and quiet, like it was this evening.
At other times it will be full of faithful customers.
You will always find a strong contingent of Asian faces among the clientèle.
Maybe I'm wrong, but to me that is the sure sign
of
a great, authentic place to eat.


Vietnam Veteran baseball cap - Jim Hale - DaNang Signal BN


My meals in Vietnam came courtesy the US government and were standard American bill of fare. Pretty boring.

Now I get to sample some of the wonderful flavors and tastes of a culture

I once saw, but missed. YOU can, too.

Kelly Tran's
Vietnam Restaurant
is located at 2355 West 11th Avenue (across from Staples)
in Southwest Eugene, OR.

It's not a striking building, inside or outside, but if it's great food
you're after,
that won't matter to you one bite.


Posted Sunday Aug 09