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Though I’d been to Saipan scores of times since Truong’s had opened here, I had yet to visit there to eat until recently. Thank goodness I was accompanied by my work colleagues who are always up to one of our great food sharing adventures!!
I had first reviewed Truong’s in Guam in 2002 (some 12 years ago) and had visited the Guam location (originally in Yigo and now in Upper Tumon’s East-West Center). Their food was compelling and exciting and as I was a much younger Guam Food Guy, my excitement at finding tasty and sumptuous Vietnamese cuisine was immense.
This family had a great story and I was so impressed by how the family took such pride in their cooking. I didn’t have the opportunity to find out much about the owner/operators here, but I knew that the menus were professionally created and very well developed, telling the story of each entree very articulately.
We ordered an assorted selection of appetizers and entrees. First to come was the fresh lumpia (whole order of four pieces for $7). This was actually better than many I’ve had, made with fresh ingredients - shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, noodles and lettuce wrapped together in a rice paper. These are served with their original peanut sauce.
Next came everyone’s favorite, the crispy noodles ($12.50), which is their top selling dish. It is made with fresh egg noodles that are deep-fried, topped with stir fried shrimp, chicken, squid and mixed vegetables. This is ideal for sharing and I can see why they sell so much of these as well as their fried lumpia, which is one of the most popular Vietnamese dishes anywhere (I still love a good Pho).
The chicken broccoli ($9.50) came next. It has sliced boneless chicken sautéed with broccoli and onions. This also comes with rice. These portions are large and lend themselves to sharing quite easily.
We had a beef salad ($10.50), which has chopped salad topped with certified Angus beef that’s sautéed in Truong’s special spices (served with rice). Now, to be fair, not every Vietnamese restaurant uses certified Angus beef. It does make a big difference even though it’s sautéed and great seasoned, the meat quality is superior! Fresh cucumbers and tomatoes makes this one of those healthier meals you could eat after working out. It is nutritious and delicious.
One of the final items delivered was the chicken wings ($8), which has six pieces of deep fried wings cooked to a crisp. You can either have a mild sauce or a hot n spicy sauce. We just had the sweet chili sauce in the center on plain deep fried wings. These were bigger than most and were juicy and seasoned right.
We were at Truong’s a little after the main lunch rush occurred. It has a relaxing, care-free atmosphere and I’m looking forward to a return visit. The Truong family legacy is alive and well!
Bon Appetit!
Ken “The Guam Food Guy” Stewart
