Review: Cafe Trang - Albuquerque, New Mexico

If you have never tried Vietnamese food, don't be scared! Go to Cafe Trang. Oh yum, Cafe Trang...and if you haven't been here yet, add it to the list because this place is a real treat. It boasts "the freshest ingredients in authentic Vietnamese food!" It's located in the same parking lot as Ta Lin World Market (add this to the list too!) on Louisiana and Central in Albuquerque; it's also right across the street from another Vietnamese favorite - May Cafe.

You may not be wowed by the atmosphere when you first walk in, but it's clean and very spacious. On this particular visit,  we were one of the first there. If you get there for lunch any later than 11:30am tables are scarce. Being located near the AF Base and on a major intersection it draws in a decent crowd.

Anyway, we started with an order of Spring Rolls; 2 pork and 2 shrimp. They're served with peanut sauce and hot fish sauce. The meat in the spring rolls is interesting...instead of having a shrimp or two they use ground shrimp patties (I may be wrong). They are very flavorful, and a bit salty. It took about a second for us to finish them off.

Chuck had his favorite gigantic bowl of Pho (Soup). It's the #21 Phở Tái Bò Viên - Rare Steak and Meatball Soup. He ordered a medium, and we were shocked at the size of it. A guy near by ordered a large and it was twice as big as the medium! Each bowl of Pho is accompanied with a plate of goodies that may be added in to your liking; fresh mint, basil, and bean sprouts.It may come with cilantro too, but I can't tell from the picture.

#41

#43

Meredith and I both had a Vermicelli Noodle dish. Each plate comes with vermicelli noodles, topped with your choice of grilled items, bean sprouts, lettuce, cilantro, mint, pickled carrots and daikon radish, drizzled with scallion oil, and chopped peanuts. Served with a side of hot sauce. I had the #43 Bún Tôm Thịt Nướng - Grilled Jumbo Shrimps and Pork Over Vermicelli Noodles, and Meredith had the #41 Bún Đặc Biệt - Combination Noodle Bowl. It had shrimp, pork, an eggroll, and some of that ground shrimp on a skewer. She said that the shrimp skewer was her favorite part of the meal! I love the big giant grilled shrimp, and I always add extra Sriracha sauce - sometimes too much - to the whole plate. My other favorite part is the crunchy cucumbers. 

This was another successful Lunch Club meal! We loved it, and will be back. I especially want to bring M here, I think that he'll really enjoy it. For lunch it is fairly pricey, so don't forget your wallet!