Vietnamese at Que Huong Toi

For the life of me, I can never remember the name Que Huong Toi *blushes* I just call it the Vietnamese cafe opposite the Peugeot service centre. It has been there for quite a while but the lack of parking spaces deterred us. However, a couple of weeks ago, our usual Vietnamese haunt wasn't opened and since we were in the neighbourhood, we decided to give Que Huong Toi a try ...

It was love at first sight! The dishes were very attractively priced - hence why the tiny little cafe is packed all the time. You've to go during off peak times or be patient to wait for a seat. Given the reasonable pricing, I was surprised that the cafe is very clean, tidy and even has air conditioning.

Regulars like spring rolls, beef noodle soup and omelets are  available daily but some of the specials, like beef stew or spicy pork leg noodles are available only a handful of days a week. Bear in mind, the portions are just right so it might not be filling enough for Hubs-the-piggy big eaters. Which is fine by us because we can order up a storm, sampling different dishes.

 The iced coffee did not disappoint, it was soooo kao (strong) and costs a fraction of what popular coffee chains are charging. If they opened a stall solely for coffees, I'd be hanging out there every single day.  What's interesting is that you get a tiny pot of black tea that you're meant to mix together with the coffee. I never do this though Hubs has tried and said it's a winner.

This was the spicy pork leg noodles (Sundays) and fresh rice paper spring rolls. As with Vietnamese cuisine, you get a very generous serving of fresh vegetables and herbs like basil/mint which I love.

Hubs had the BBQ pork chop rice, it was nice but nothing to shout about. He much preferred the stewed pork rice (not pictured here). I can't quite remember what Ching ordered but she assured me that it was good. By the way, the cafe also sells sets of the drip coffee for those that feel like DIY-ing this themselves at home.

Hubs never fails to order omelets at Vietnamese restaurants, the crispy thin egg-y pancake stuffed with beansprouts, shredded turnips, minced egg and served with a huge side dish of fresh lettuce and herbs have become his version of comfort food.

Now, I leave you with what has become our unanimous decision for repeated visits. I'm sure there is a fancy pants name for this - maybe chilled caramelised custard with a drizzle of coffee - but everyone, including the staff, calls this egg pudding which is a deceptively simple name for something so delectable.

We didn't know that it would be served with a strong dose of coffee so we drained it off for Bubs. It was the first time he'd ever had coffee so we felt so guilty. Thankfully, he had his afternoon nap as usual after it. For those that can't stand caffeine, you can request it to be served without the coffee and crushed ice. It's fun to watch Bubs eat this, he slowly savours each tiny spoonful, reluctant to rush his enjoyment of this ambrosia.

Que Huong Toi
Opening hours: 10am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (weekdays)
9am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (weekends), closed Tuesdays
Phone: 016-421 1244
Address: 56-W, Jalan Jelutong, 11600 Jelutong, Penang