We are Present

The month of May means warm weather is here to stay, and the piggies had a craving for some bold and fresh flavors to bring us into Summer. Present is a Vietnamese restaurant located along Rt. 50 in an undistinguished (and unattractive) strip mall. However, upon entering the restaurant we were greeted not only by amazing smells, but a lovely, warm, dining room surrounded by golden-wood paneled walls and a trickling fountain in the center. The dining room was a stylish and welcome contrast to the surrounding strip mall. The hostess and wait staff that greeted us were extremely friendly and seated us right away in a cozy booth; we ordered a bottle of sparkling rose to get us started and began to peruse the extensive menu. The first page of the menu included a brief paragraph about the concept of Present. Food, as life is to be enjoyed in the moment, surrounded by friends and family—Present is named to remind diners to take time, taste every bite, and enjoy the entire experience. At first glance of the menu, we were a bit overwhelmed by the amount of choices, so we focused on one of the last pages which listed “Chef’s Recommendations.” We also had some help from our bubbly waitress who gave us several suggestions and made us feel right at home.

We began with a few appetizers including the Green Paradise Spring Roll, prawn and pork wrapped in rice paper with mint and basil served with peanut dipping sauce; Jewel-Green Papaya, a salad of shredded papaya, fresh herbs, beef liver jerky (yes, indeed) and a fish sauce based dressing; and upon our waitress’ recommendation, the Smokey Petal; baby clams sautéed with herbs and spices and served with sesame rice crackers. The contrast of fresh herbs against the sweet shrimp in the spring rolls was delicious, and perfectly enhanced by the peanut dipping sauce. The papaya salad was refreshing and a bit unusual with the addition of beef liver jerky, but it gave it a welcome depth of flavor and complexity. And the baby clams were perfectly cooked, tender and extremely flavorful after being sautéed with herbs and spices. The clams were served with crisp rice crackers which provided a nice texture contrast to the soft clams. The sparkling rose paired beautifully with the fresh herbs and spices of the appetizers, so we ordered a second bottle before heading into the main courses.

With a little more help from our friendly waitress, we ordered the Rich Folks Golden Crepes, Hardworking Piglet, and Cow on the Open Field. The cutesy names of the menu items were entertaining, but we were even more impressed with how everything tasted. The crepe was brought out and the waitress instructed us in how it should be assembled and eaten. The large, beautifully golden and crispy crepe was stuffed with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onion. Accompanied by large leaves of spring lettuce, we were told to cut a wedge of the crepe and place it in the lettuce leaf, to then be topped with fresh herbs including mint, basil, cilantro and shiso. A drizzle of fish sauce on top and the lettuce leaf was rolled around the goodies like a big, sloppy and utterly delicious Vietnamese taco. The contrast of flavors and textures was incredible. The Hardworking Piglet was a small clay pot filled with caramelized pork ribs and served with steamed white rice. And finally, the Cow on the Open Field included marinated beef, “shaken” in open flames and served atop watercress and sliced onion. This was served with a tangy lemon juice and pepper sauce. The meats were tender and perfectly cooked, enhanced by their respective sauces but not overwhelmed—the flavor of the meat was the main attraction. After the entrees, we were all completely stuffed, but what kind of FDP review would this be without dessert? We ordered the Bananas Fritters with Coconut Cream—tender, lightly fried bananas served with coconut cream and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The not-too sweet dessert was a perfect ending to this wonderful meal.

Even more amazing than the fresh, flavorful food, attentive and friendly staff and lovely ambiance was the overall cost—Present is a steal for the amount and quality of food we received. This is a place you can go for a special evening, or on a Tuesday night whenever a craving strikes. In fact, I went back for the second time in one week…I just HAD to make sure everything was as good as I remembered (3 days before). And it was.

3.5 Oinks!