Am Thuc Viet
“Looks like vegetables means onions...”
Of all the cuisines, Vietnamese is probably my favourite. On that front, there are many Vietnamese places in Gothenburg to try and get a glimpse of that beautiful mix of fresh vegetables, herbs and umami. Am Thuc Viet is a small, but cosy place right around Avenyn and recommended by many. Can it fulfil my expectations?
Somewhat hidden in plain sight, Am Thuc Viet has it’s entrance right across of Heden in a beautiful building. The locale itself is rather small, but pleasantly furnished, lit and gives a calm vibe. One can feel welcome here and like having a conversation.
The menu is showing which options are vegan, or more precisely “veg”. The first disappointment comes hereby by seeing, that not so many options are actually vegan. Your classics such as spring rolls, summer rolls and Pho, obviously, but then it’s already getting short.
As usual, we went for almost all of it. The Phó is based on a mushroom broth, so unfortunately for my wife, this was a no go for her. But to my surprise, dau hu kho sa ot (lemongrass tofu) is on the menu. So we went for that as well.
After a tiny waiting time, the summer and spring rolls already arrived. The summer rolls are quite alright, though heavy on lettuce and lacking of the rest. The spring rolls are tiny and taste mainly like mush. Not great. Both are served with Vietnamese dipping sauce in vegan (without fish sauce).
The mains arrived shortly thereafter. Odd sight: instead of a lime I got a lemon to squeeze into my Phó, but I am all up for Western interpretations I guess. The Pho itself is quite nice and filled with umami taste. I liked the Tofu skin as well next to the vegetables. But the broth is missing some more fragrant spices you are usually used from Phó. The lemongrass tofu on the other hand was a bit of a let-down. Basically only tofu and onions and no other vegetables, served with a simple salad and rice noodles (or rice). Rather average and lacking the distinct taste of Vietnamese sambal.
And that’s a bit of the theme here. Everything is alright, but also pretty average and lacking the kick of Vietnamese cuisine. There is a clear reoccurence of the same ingredients in the dishes and compositions as well, so it’s clear, that only minor changes are done to create a different point on the menu. For the price point, that is somewhat higher than other (and better) Vietnamese restaurants in Gothenburg, this is pretty disappointing. Okay, but not more.
Price:
2x Spring rolls: 45 SEK
2x Summer rolls: 75 SEK
Phó: 155 SEK
Lemongrass Tofu: 155 SEK
The Verdict
Am Thuc Viet is an alright place. Nothing too bad about the food, the atmosphere is good and the location is nice to get to. But in the end, the food is lacking the kick that Vietnamese food should give you to leave you satisfied after eating. And with that, it’s not that much better than the cheaper options like Vietnamhaket, but at a much higher price point. It’s okay to go here if you are too lazy to walk further, or your favourites are closed. But not a place I’d intentionally seek out.
3/5 Leaves
Pro
Good location and atmosphere
Attentive and nice staff
Fast service
Con
Food repetitive and lacking the “kick”
Only few vegan options
Rather high price-point for the quality
Location
Södra Vägen 11
Opening Hours
Tu-Th: 11:00 - 14:30, 16:00 - 21:00
Fr: 11:00 - 14:00, 16:00 - 22:00
Sa: 13:00 - 22:00
Su: 13:00 - 21:00
