Vietnamese restaurants aren’t as rare in Shanghai as they used to be just a few years ago.  More choices means more opportunity pho you to find a good Vietnamese spot (I do not send my apologies for that terrible pun).  Ha Tien joins the crowd in the Taikoo Hui mall off West Nanjing Road.   How does it compare?

The pho sells itself.  It’s aromatic broth hits you even before the server sets it on the table.  The peaks of the pink, uncooked beef like icebergs piled in the beef broth.  The beef and star anise linger on your tongue after every sip.

The grilled betel leaf wrapped beef is a treat.  An item that I’ve never seen on a Vietnamese menu outside of Ho Chi Minh.  Though it can’t compare to the real deal in Ho Chi Minh, it’s a dish worth ordering because it’s so different.

The dry vermicelli with grilled pork and spring rolls is a hearty dish.  The spring rolls are the star, as they maintain their crispness no matter how much chilli sauce or hoisin you douse on the noodles.  The dish comes with a side of home-made chilli sauce that provides an unexpected tang.  Bottle that up and sell it please!

Overall, it’s one of the better Vietnamese spots in town.  A menu that’s less than twenty items with a few good noodle choices and some items that aren’t so commonly found on other Vietnamese menus.  Meal for two, without drinks, runs about 170 RMB.

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