Jonesing for an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, one where the menu’s beef and shrimp dishes sit alongside sections reserved for goat, venison, bass and eel?
Head to Da Lat, a spiffy outpost on South Federal Boulevard that is packed with transcendent dishes, thanks to chef-owner Ha Tran.
Da Lat, named for a scenic, waterfall-laced spot in Vietnam’s highlands, is a smallish room done in dark wood and deep tangerine. There is a gurgling fountain and a ceiling-slung TV set that on a recent Sunday was tuned to the Nuggets basketball game.
But you are here for the food.
There is Bún Tôm Nuong, a bowl of delicate rice noodles topped with impeccably grilled and seasoned shrimp, for $6.95. Luon Xao Lan, chopped eel simmered in a yellow curry sauce, is $11.95.
Delicious, yes, but the truly revelatory dish is the Pho Duc Biêt. At $6.95 it is a variation on the timeless Vietnamese soup boasting meatballs, slivered beef and tripe. The pho swims with noodles, the broth redolent of star anise and an array of other fragrant spices.
Yes, you get a platter of go-withs, including fresh basil, bean sprouts, sliced jalapeños and a lime wedge.
Bill Gosnell devoured his Pho Duc Biêt with chopsticks in one hand and a traditional spoon/ladle in the other. The Aspen resident had driven down to visit a friend but first beelined to Du Lat.
“After college I traveled around Asia and spent two months in Vietnam,” Gosnell said. “This,” he announced, pointing at his pho, “is spot-on.”
While Da Lat has simple dishes for novice palates, the menu also shines with ambition. Bún Bò Hue is a Hue-style noodle dish studded with pork, pig feet and pig-blood cubes. Goi Thap Cam delivers a kitchen sink of a salad with jellyfish, squid, escargot, chicken feet, pig ears, papaya, cabbage and lemon fish sauce.
There is an array of beverages, but purists should try the “33” beer or Vietnamese iced coffee.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
Da Lat
Vietnamese. 940 S. Federal Blvd. 303-935-4141. Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
