Daisy-may B.
Yelp
Sen Viet opened a few months ago, in a nondescript area near Kings Cross Station. I stumbled upon it last night with my boyfriend, we'd wanted to go somewhere using the Tastecard but after seeing the menu here, and the 10% student discount, we decided to give it a try.
The outside is misleadingly lackluster and the music is the typical mix of love songs and 90s chart hits. The staff are lovely, this is without a doubt the friendliest service I've ever had at a Vietnamese restaurant.
We ordered crispy spring rolls to share, they came with lettuce for wrapping, some mint and an amazing nuoc cham dipping sauce. They were really, really, really good. The filling tasted of Vietnamese meatloaf and the wrapping was crispy and delicious. I ordered a large Pho with rare beef, and my boyfriend got a Bun Bo Hue (spicy noodle soup). When the noodle soups came I was a little confused by the fixings that came with them, the beansprouts had been replaced by strips of lettuce (!!?!!?), which I've never seen before, but there were two leaves of sawtooth coriander and some mint, chillies and a wedge of lemon. The pho was decent (but I suspect, full of MSG), and the beef could have been fresher. My boyfriends Bun Bo Hue was flavourful, and a very satisfactory meal.
At the end of the meal we were given two complimentary slices of orange, and a tiny cup of delicious tea each, which was a lovely touch. With a Tiger beer, a Fanta, 2 noodle soups and a starter the bill came to £19 for both of us. I really hope Sen Viet keep it up, because I'll be back for the service (and the spring rolls) alone.