Cây Tre
- erikstarstream
- Sep 21, 2014
- 4 min read
Name - Cây Tre
Location - 42-43 Dean St, London, W1D 4PZ
Cost - Small eats range between £6.5 to £9.5, or you can choose to share platters that range between £11 and £15. Main courses can go from £7 to £13.
Star Appetizer - Spring Rolls
Star Main Course - BBQ Pork Noodles
My Rating - 3/5
Are you tired of all those "edgy" Soho restaurants that refuse to take reservations? Has the loud music and the question "have you dined with us before?" started getting to your head? Well say hello to Cây Tre, a chilled out, authentic, fresh, and ultimately cozy Vietnamese restaurant that DOES take reservations and DOESN’T ask whether you are capable of reading a menu. This establishment is located in the heart of Dean Street, Soho, and is a fantastic splash of difference, which offers a non-intrusive and yet friendly service with a fantastic culinary experience. The food is fresher than the prince of Bellaire and really sticks to that old principle of "simple is best". Check out their menu at - http://caytresoho.co.uk/
The first thing that popped into my mind when I walked into this great little find was that although my friend was there, my girlfriend had not yet arrived, and usually Soho restaurants will kick up a fuss about having to wait for your last arrival. I personally find that this drops the mood for me, which affects my final decision about the service. However, as soon as I walked in I was greeted by a very friendly hostess who showed me directly to my table without question and offered me and my other friend something to drink while we waited... Huzzah! You could also pop in without a reservation, but be advised, soho restaurants get extremely busy between Thursday-Sunday. However, there is an extremely decent bar where you could sit and grab a drink while you're waiting in line.
Once my girlfriend arrived we dove straight into the menu, which was filled to the brim with exciting Vietnamese dishes. The selection is not overly complicated and you can tell that they have really paid attention to what works. Ultimately I am a sucker for eastern pork recipes so I decided to take my chances with the BBQ Pork Noodles as a main course (as seen above). I can honestly say that from the minute it was placed in front of me I knew that I had made a fantastic decision. The pork was crispy and succulent, whilst the powdered peanuts and BBQ flavour added an exciting explosion of taste to this modest dish. There is something deeply romantic about the fresh sensation you get when you eat Vietnamese food, much like many South Korean dishes. If you are looking for pointers on how to spice up your otherwise dull looking dishes, here’s the place to go.
But wait! I am getting a bit ahead of myself now, obviously I also had to sample some of their other fantastic dishes. Spring rolls? Don’t mind if I do. Salt and Pepper Squid? Yes please! Platter after platter, and not one dish managed to disappoint. I am of course not claiming that they were the best dishes I had ever tasted in my life, but they were definitely above the standard. It was the fantastic combination of fresh ingredients, complimenting flavours and even ratios between fillings and dough that won me over. The spring rolls held themselves together nicely, unlike those crunchy low standard rolls that often crumble into a pile of ash, and were definitely my favorite starter. The squid was perfectly scored, fried and sprinkled with complimenting condiments and the sauces provided were subtle enough to not overpower the food. The only critique I had was that the table was quite small, and I didn't get the chance to dine like royalty without elbowing my friend in the face.
I guess If I had to be extremely pernickety I would say that they could do with stabilizing their noodle to meat ratio. It almost felt like I was eating a rainforest rather than any significant amount of meat. It is of course typical of Vietnamese dishes to put emphasis on fresh vegetables and spices whilst avoiding fatty substances such as oil, but still. Maybe it's just my western craving for fat that made me annoyed by the lack of meat.
This place definitely reminded me of another Vietnamese that I know of in Fulham called "MeMe", but the thing that makes Cây Tre better is that I would definitely go again for the service and the cozy atmosphere. I have been to far too many places such as MeMe where this concept has been completely ignored, and when I am faced with two great food options I will always fall back to comparing their level of service.
Ultimately I thought that Cây Tre was a lovely little find, and I can definitely say that I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to eat at one of London's most authentic Vietnamese restaurants. The staff are all fully trained and are extremely friendly and accommodating, the decoration is clean cut and the service may not be as theatrical as many other Soho restaurants, but it is definitely a cozy place to go and experience some amazing Vietnamese dishes for a great price.
Have you ever visited this lovely little establishment? What is your favourite Vietnamese restaurant? Leave your foodie thoughts in the comments bellow and maybe I’ll visit your restaurant of choice next.
Cây Tre Checklist:
Parking - Never try to park in central London (but if you do there is a parking lot in china town).
Host greeting - Friendly, experienced and non-intrusive.
Decor - clean cut, nothing unique, but cozy.
Server - Experienced, and was very accommodating.
Menu - Good mix of authentic national dishes.
Taste - Above standard, fresh and delicious.
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