Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant is near Downtown Boise, just a stone’s throw away from BSU, the Egyptian Theatre and Albertsons Stadium. Their main selection of dishes is Vietnamese, although they include some of the standard Chinese dishes such as Sweet and Sour Pork and Kung Pao also, just in case someone wants them.
Appetizers include cha gio and goi cuon, the refreshing summer rolls that can include shrimp, pork or tofu along with fresh herbs, sliced shrimp and cold rice noodles all wrapped in rice paper. Cha gio is a cousin of the common Chinese egg roll, made smaller and using rice paper wrappers instead of wheat dough. They are served with a dish of nuoc cham, a sauce made with fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.
An appetizer that is not very common around Boise and a real pleasure to find at Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant is Banh Xeo. Banh Xeo looks like an omelet but that certainly isn’t the case. Instead, it is a crepe, with a rice flour batter. The yellow color that gives it the look of an egg omelet is actually from turmeric, a spice that also lends its color to many Indian curries. Folded into the inside of the completed crepe are cooked shrimp, steamed pork, bean sprouts and onions.
On the side of the banh xeo comes lettuce leaves and fresh herbs such as basil and cilantro. The idea is to cut or tear off some of the banh xeo, wrap it along with the herbs in a lettuce leaf and dip it in the nuoc cham. It is a wonderfully tasty dish and the version at Dong Khanh is really good. The banh xeo is definitely on the must try/recommended list and will be something to return for again.
A variety of familiar Vietnamese dishes are on the menu. Bun Thit Nuong is a classic plate of grilled pork, cold rice noodles and a salad of bean sprouts, lettuce and cucumber. A dish of nuoc cham completes the dish. For a few dollars more you can add the aforementioned cha gio to the plate. Other dishes on the Chef’s Special part of the menu include several bun, or rice noodle dishes, made with chicken, vegetables or beef. An interesting variation is their Dong Khanh Mi Xao, using thin egg noodles cooked with vegetables, pork, chicken and shrimp.
For many people, Vietnamese food is typified by pho. Dong Khanh has a limited number of pho choices but they do include tripe as one of the meat choices. Tripe is not very common here but very popular in areas with a larger Vietnamese population. The tripe adds a meaty chewiness for those who decide to order a bowl with it included.
The tripe also makes an appearance in the Bun Bo Special, a variation of the spicy Bun Bo Hue soup that is very popular too. Bun Bo Hue, named after Hue, the historical capital of Vietnam, has many similarities to pho but uses a broth that is pork rather than beef-based. The basic Bun Bo contains thin slices of pork and beef along with rice noodles. The Bun Bo Special adds pork meatballs and tripe to the soup for a nice bowl of meaty goodness. As compared with many other Vietnamese eateries, Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant is definitely on the generous side with the protein that they use which is certainly a nice thing to see.
Service at Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant is prompt and friendly. Even though the restaurant was almost completely full, including a larger table with a group for a birthday party, the service still seemed to be on point. If there was any complaint in general at Dong Khanh, it was simply the use of iceberg lettuce for the banh xeo, rather than a more supple, flavorful lettuce like green leaf or romaine. However, this is not a big issue. Overall, the food at Dong Khanh is delicious and very well done. Plus, with the inclusion of the Chinese dishes, it gives an opportunity for someone who is not willing to try Vietnamese food the chance to enjoy dishes such as Won Ton Soup and Chicken Fried Rice with others who want to explore all the goodness that Vietnamese cuisine can offer.
Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant
2137 S. Broadway
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 345-0980
Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant Facebook Page
