Vietnamese Dinner: Đào Tiên Express!

It's been a year since our last Vietnamese dinner, and almost five years since we visited Đào Tiên. Considering this is some of the best Vietnamese food around, I think we're sorely overdue for a return visit! But technically, this isn't a return visit... the original Đào Tiên in University City is no more (there is a shopping center there now!), so this is a completely new version... even if it's the same owner and mostly the same menu. But I can verify it's still as delicious as ever!

Cuisine - This is pretty traditional Vietnamese food. While the menu isn't as huge as some like Mai Lee, it's still pretty darn big, and offers an excellent cross-section as well as some interesting and authentic variations. You have probably heard of Phở, a noodle soup with virtually an entire meal in it! Some other choices include Bún (vermicelli-based dishes), Bánh Mì (sandwiches), Cơm Đĩa (rice platters), Cơm Chiên (fried rice), Mì/Hủ Tiếu Xào (stir-fried noodles), Đồ Xào (wok'd stir-frys), and Đặc Biệt (house specialties)... and all of these have numerous variations depending on your choice of meats and veggies! Plus a bunch of appetizers, salads, and desserts! I also appreciated that they will tweak the ingredients for you if you have a preference, which is great if you're like me and picky about lots of things! Bottom line, there are a ton of great choices here, and everything I've tried has been fantastic!

Cost - Đào Tiên shines here as well! Despite all the price inflation of the last couple years, Đào Tiên has done a great job of keeping prices low. Virtually the entire menu is in the teens, with some items in single digits and I think I found only one or two items that cracked $20. For my money, this is hard to beat, especially since it's so delicious!

Additional Info - Đào Tiên is located on the east side of New Florissant Rd, just a few blocks north of I-270 in Florissant. It's immediately past a Family Dollar store, and has plenty of free parking right out front. Yes, I know this is up north, but it's still close by so I don't want to hear any complaints!

I'll be looking forward to seeing lots of my foodie friends on Thursday, September 5th, for some awesome Vietnamese food!

Dao Tien Express