Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Assn.

Taste Vietnam

Nov 21, 2000

by Margaret Davis

Long a neighborhood institution, Kim Hong has been serving up generous portions of modern comfort food for more than a dozen years at 4239 NE Fremont Street, in the heart of Beaumont Village.

From the moment you are led to one of the casual, airy rooms and a pot of hot tea is set down on the table, owner Hieu Phung and Kim Hong staff treat customers to a satisfying, straight-ahead dining experience. The 162 dishes exemplifying central Vietnamese-style cooking range from crab and asparagus soup (#15) to spicy chicken with broccoli (#79) and from all manner of tofu dishes: tofu with cashews (#151) or almonds (#153) get high marks, to Kim Hong specialties such as scallops with bell pepper (#123) and an outstanding selection of vegetable dishes, the best featuring stir-fried-to-just-tender green beans.

The vegetarian salad rolls (#138) deserve special mention; at the cash register, we overheard one customer saying that she had canvassed the city and found Kim Hong?’s to be the tastiest. It?’s true?—the combination of fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, vermicelli, and deep-fried tofu wrapped in rice paper and dunked in a tangy peanut sauce may be the restaurant?’s biggest draw.

Diners can wash all of it down with a beverage from the pan-Asian beer list?—China to Thailand, plum wine or a local vintage, a coffee with condensed milk that brews at your table, or perhaps even a salty plum soda.

Kim Hong also does a bustling take-out business, but remember Kim Hong clientele might have that same idea. Restaurant hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Monday. Telephone number is 503-282-0456.