Doson Noodle House

In Mid-City at Canal and Carrollton is a very good Vietnamese restaurant. Doson Noodle House bills itself as having authentic Vietnamese. While not the French-Vietnames I'm most familiar with (Le Chevel in Oakland, CA is an example), it was good, filling and inexpensive.

We started with the steamed dumplings (Banh Quai Vat). The filling was flavorful and the dipping sauce was nice and spicy. I ordered Bon Tom (grilled shrimp over vermicelli noodle. The veggies that were served with were grilled too and that added to the flavor. It did need a little Siriacha to kick it up a notch but the flavors were well balanced. One of my dining companions got the Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup) and it was good but without the profile of some of the other Pho's that I've had in my life. I can imagine getting it next time I'm sick, as the lemon grass awakened the senses although the broth itself was bland. It had plenty of noodles and chicken, so this is definitely when soup makes a meal. My other foodie friend had the Mi Doson (Chicken and Shrimp Pan Fried Noodle). This dish was a good balance of sweet and savory.