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Boraan's
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Thai Vietnamese, Thai [Edit]
760 N State Rt 59Ste 112
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 355-8424
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Boraan's
Review Highlights
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"I love Pho noodle, Pad tai and curry here a lot." In 11 reviews -
"...various curries and a fried rice with pineapples and..." In 4 reviews -
"...I've ever tasted and the panang curry with prawns was out..." In 3 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Christa F.
Naperville, IL
3/4/2012
This place has become our go to Thai place! The first time I took the boy here we had spent the day at the Bristol Ren Faire and our server had some fun conversations with us about our costumes! The owners and him have remembered us dearly since! The best part about this place is that everything is made to order!
Our absolute favorite appetizers are the Chicken Pot Stickers and the Pork Dumplings. The Chicken Pot Stickers come with this amazing Plum Sauce! They're great on they're own, of course, but honestly we save the rest of the Plum Sauce to dip other stuff in! Now the Pork Dumplings... Did I mention Pork Dumplings?! Oh My YUM! Seriously, what pork lover could pass these up?!
Now, I have a serious addiction to Pad Thai... I get it every time. I swear I'm going to try something else, but I never do... It's great! I can't have peanuts or citrus and they always leave them off for me. I get it with beef and it comes out tender and well seasoned.
The boy goes for the Sweet and Sour Pork. This isn't like what you would get at a Chinese place. It's tons better! The pork is so tender and the sauce is amazing! I wouldn't eat Sweet and Sour anything from a Chinese place. It's just not my thing. But the version of it that they make at Boraan's is different and so so goooood!
My bff and her boy came with us this last time we stopped in. He got the Green Curry Chicken which he loved. They love all things spicy! She got the Panang Kung with Shrimp... Ok... We had to ask about this one since nobody knows enough about Thai to know what it was! Our regular server did a great job of explaining that the straight up version of it isn't that spicy. It's a combination of Thai spice and peanut flavor. It was similar to the Chicken Sa-Te appetizer's dipping sauce that they had (which was great too by the way!). Now I can't have spicy stuff, but I can have this and I might just order it next time!! She ordered it bumped up a notch on the spice which they will do for any dish if you ask them to!
Last, but certainly not least... Dessert!!! Yea, how on earth do we have room for that?! We take home leftovers lol!! They make these Banana Fritters that are coated in coconut batter then fried. Once on the plate they drizzle them with a little honey, give them a sprinkling of powdered sugar, then serve them up ala mode! They come out all warm and perfectly fantastic!!! These take a bit to make since they're to order and they have to whip up the batter and everything, but they are sooooo worth it! Plus it's extra time for you to digest some of your dinner and make room for them! -
Review from Jim C.
Naperville, IL
5/12/2012
There are a lot of mixed reviews about this place. Let me set the record straight: the food is really good and the staff is wonderful. I have ordered from the Vietnamese and Thai menus and have been pleased with each every time. Pho, chicken curry, pad thai, etc. No complaints.
But the staff really set this place apart. My girlfriend ran in to get us bubble tea and the staff had her sit down at a table and handed her a Cosmo to read. She was pretty blown away and all kinds of happy. Another time, we came in kind of late, close to closing time. We were the last ones in the restaurant, and they brought out a birthday cake for the chef. Instead of trying to usher us out, they brought us cake, which they wouldn't let us refuse, and talked to us while we all had cake.
These are wonderful people and the food is consistently good. They earned their 5 stars from this diner. -
Review from Leang E.
5/7/2012
My cousin comes here when she can't get out to the city, so I opened myself up to trying her stand-in spot. I was craving pho and was excited to find that they even had a place here. They have 2 menus here a Thai and a Vietnamese one, and we got the Spring Rolls from the Vietnamese one. These are nice and big, but the ratio of vegetables to noodles was uneven where there a lot more noodles than other stuff that were in it. I like it to be more even. I surprised myself by getting the Chicken pho to reduce my intake of red meat and passed up the beef. The soup was pretty good, and the peeled strips of chicken kind of reminded me of home a bit. The Thai iced tea was pretty good, and I was nice and full. I was a little disappointed that there was no garlic and chili paste siracha sauce. I like to mix it in the sauces. I think the prices were comparable and the service was decent as well
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Review from Tom T.
Westmont, IL
3/28/2012
I am impressed with Boraan's! I had dinner here a few nites ago. The Vietnamese spring rolls are large and fresh. The pho dac biet (pho special) tasted pretty good. Pretty damn close to the pho noodle shops in Argyle. The broth might be just a tiny bit thin, but that's ok, they have the beefy taste down. Plenty of thinly sliced meat and noodles too! Other peeps in our dinner party also enjoyed their entrees thoroughly. They have a lot on their separate Vietnamese and Thai menus. I'll definitely be back to check out the other dishes!
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Review from Tom R.
Wheaton, IL
3/14/2012
Great mix of Thai and Vietnamese food. Had Pha with beef and meatballs - very good. However we've had several dishes including curries, pad thai, and the vietnameese dish with grilled beef over rice noodles. All is fresh and fantastic. Staff is always friendly and helpful.
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Review from Samantha O.
Chicago, IL
2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great atmosphere and super friendly staff. Really like their pad see ewe, but I thought it was expensive for Thai compared to the Thail restaurants in the city.
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Review from Katie S.
DeKalb, IL
10/6/2011
Not impressed.
My fiance and I stopped here a few weeks ago and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for Thai food...but I was extremely disappointed.
We ordered calamari for an appetizer and it was pretty good, so I was anxious to see how my meal would be...not good.
I ordered Chicken Ginger (Kai Pad King) and absolutely hated it. It tasted like grilled chicken smothered in Lysol. It was extremely lemon-y and had no hint of ginger what-so-ever The rice choices were slim, having to pick from white or brown or pay $10 for a side of fried rice...I went with brown and it was just dry and tasteless.
My fiance asked for a Pepsi and was given a glass with a can of Pepsi, which I found odd since the place seemed a little bit more upscale than that.
I do have to say the waiter was very friendly and quick...but I do not think I'll be coming back...maybe just for appetizers. -
Review from Ashley A.
Naperville, IL
1/23/2012
I live fairly close to this restaurant and get take out quite often. I love the yellow curry chicken and pad Thai. It is usually ready for pick up within 10-15 minutes. It is always piping hot and delicious. The portions are nice since I can get 2-3 meals out of one dish. When I have people over I get a few different dishes for us all to share. Everyone I've served it to has raved about how good it is. The service is always nice and very fast. It doesn't seem that the restaurant is that busy for dine in so my experience is always speedy. Love it and I will continue to return!
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Review from Denise B.
Warrenville, IL
1/4/2012
The biggest downfall to Boraan's is the location.
I had the Rama chicken and while the it could have been served a touch warmer it was delicious! My friend had the green chicken curry and loved it as well.
The service was good, she was super friendly, and prices are great.
After living in Thailand for 2 months last year, I was nervous to try a Thai restaurant in America, but I will be going back to Boraan's to try more of their menu! -
Review from Char Y.
Chicago, IL
12/9/2010
We came for thai food in naperville. Maybe not the best idea. We ordered
vietnamese spring roll - ok
pad thai - ok, strange noodles
eggplant basil - ok
penang curry - ok
overall, the food is ok. -
Review from Morgan M.
11/10/2010
So long fried rice, hello fried tofu.
It was game night, a brutal game night and not being in the mood for cooking while watching penalties flying left and right I decided to order out. Feeling the craving for some serious panang curry I called up Boraan's on a mad mission before the first period began.
First off, the location sucks big time. Not only is the restaurant just off of the 59 which should make it accessible, with the onset of evening traffic it's a tragic nightmare. It sits in a mini strip mall right next to an ice creamery so you can have the best of both worlds if Thai is your main appeal and ice cream a close second. It seems that Boraan's is a typical take out jaunt, when I dashed inside to pick up the order there was one person inside which I have a sneaky feeling worked there. The poor girl at the back desk had stacks of magazines with the trials and tribulations of Mariah Carey getting fertilized so at least she had some company, but it really was dead inside.
Food wise, it was alright but not in the fab favs. The calamari was overly fried and reminded me of onion rings instead of actual squid so I wasn't too impressed. The dipping sauce was mild but wasn't really what to be expected of with that type of appetizer. The panang curry was spot on, no complaints on it. The curry was just thick enough and had enough power to make a possible repeat performance.
Overall, it's a-okay and I could see how it's hit or miss but I had no troubles with the manner of service. The food made for a chilled night in and cured this nasty craving period for curries.Listed in: Cheapo in the 630
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Review from martini g.
Chicago, IL
3/18/2011
I was so excited when a "Vietnamese" place opened up in Naperville. I called to check their closing time and we came in about 30 minutes prior. The place was completely empty and they kept walking by, staring and making indirect statements about how they had to close.
I would think they would have wanted to KEEP customers but I have never returned since this first visit. -
Review from Ellen M.
12/14/2007
On a day off, I met my husband here for lunch. It was a blustery, rainy, cold autumn day - gray, dismal, demoralizing...the works. The pho with beef was just the thing to put warmth back into my bones, and it was quite yummy. I can't remember what my spouse had, but the vegetables were fresh and wonderful. I could have gone for more spice, but it was solid. Worth the drive.
We didn't experience the slow, lousy service that everyone else mentioned in their reviews - everything was fine, and the place was bustling.
Yelp Effect? -
Review from Emily Y.
Naperville, IL
7/10/2010
Went in for dinner tonight not sure of how the food was going to be, but I was pleasantly surprised that their Thai was really good. We had the pad Thai with beef, panang curry Kung with shrimp, and the crazy spaghetti. All entrees were very flavorful and the curry was a good blend of spice and coconut. We had a small mix up with our appetizer and it came after the entrees were out, but that was fine. We got the combination appetizer to get a good sampling of what they offer, but it was just ok.
Service was good and there were 3 other tables in there too so we weren't the only ones. For desert we had a sweet sticky rice with coconut sauce with mangos on top which wasn't on the menu but the owners made special for us.
Found out they do deliver but they are close to me so I will be returning and try their pho and to have more Thai dishes. The only thing is that they are priced a bit high. I've had good thai food in the city for less, but the food is good here and there's not many Thai or Vietnemese places around. -
Review from mike l.
Brooklyn, NY
10/4/2006
who would've thought.
Pho.
In NAPERVILLE. I don't know why, but I really can't stand that place.
Anyhows, Boraan's. Not bad. Popped in for our usual Vietnamese dinner - Bun with beef, fully-loaded pho and spring rolls. The Bun was good, quite basic. The pho was decent too. It had all the ingredients, but it was really light on the sliced beef and the broth wasn't beefy enough. At it's most basic, Pho is beef soup. And this broth felt like beef wasn't a main ingredient. The spring rolls were pretty good. Great job on the presentation.
My biggest complaint is that it just wasn't worth the money. Pho is working man's food. This meal was twice what we'd pay for better stuff in the city. If everything was spot-on, then I'd be happy with it. I could grab some delicious soup on the way home from work and not have to shlep to chinatown. But, this place simply isn't worth $35. -
Review from Natalie F.
Plainfield, IL
7/6/2010 5 photos
Ok I can't say I HATED this place but I have had better in Naperville. It does have nice, clean decor and it is in a good location. Luckily Oberweiss next door was not busy because they share the same lot. I went for lunch with a friend and it was slow at the time we arrived. This leads me to why did we have such horrible service? One waitress and she was slow and forgetful as if she did not want to be there.
Food wise I have to say I enjoyed the Thai egg rolls and I am normally not an egg roll person. The Pad See Ew was good and so was the chicken satay. It was a nice surprise to get a small complimentary chicken soup before our meal.
Not much else to say about the place. I am giving it 2 stars due to the service. I don't think I will be back. -
Review from Emily C.
Naperville, IL
2/9/2007
Small restaurant, the food is pretty good for vegetarians.
I enjoyed various curries and a fried rice with pineapples and veggies, with a hint of curry.
Everytime we go they are empty so the service is great!Listed in: Lovin' Locals
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Review from Bonnie L.
Chicago, IL
8/5/2010
Food was good. Had the bun with grilled chicken. Nice and light, perfect for lunch.
Server, on the other hand, was awful. She server was nice and friendly but that doesn't go very far when you want to get in and out for a nice lunch. The place was pretty empty so I don't get why she was so frazzled.
Food took forever and when it came, she spilled the dressing all over the table. Sure, things happen but then again she took forever in getting a rag to wipe up the table. Oh wait, she didn't bring a rag, she brought napkins, which left the table dry but sticky.
Getting the check and doggy bags was equally painful and I wound up getting up to look for her. -
Review from Niwa L.
Naperville, IL
1/25/2011 11 photos
Food was awesome !!!!
I love Pho noodle, Pad tai and curry here a lot ,, -
Review from Darryl S.
Burr Ridge, IL
6/30/2009
THE GOOD: Not much good to say about this place. The decor is pretty nice. The food have average portions, but I've seen places with bigger portions and better food. It's kind of cool that they do both Viet and Thai foods. Too bad the food isn't that great to begin with and the selection isn't much either. It's sad really. I don't even really want to waste my time with anything good because nothing was that good.
THE BAD: Service was pretty slow for just 2 bowls of Pho. They do the single can for soda thing, which is something I always hate. I brought my Pho expert friend over here, and he said it wasn't that good compared to other places. The broth didn't have much flavor and the soup just lacked substance. We looked at other dishes that a group of people had next to us. The food didn't look to appetizing or appealing.
THE UGLY: I guess the ugly would be me wasting my time going to this place. I suggest going to Tang Pho if you have that craving for something Viet. Naperville doesn't have many Viet or Thai places, but if you have a craving for both, I suggest NOT going to this place.
*I apologize for this not being like my other posts. This place just wasn't that great, and I didn't want to waste much time on it.* -
Review from Gwin C.
Plainfield, IL
9/17/2010
I'm kind of a resident expert on Vietnamese given my background. So I've been getting food from here for awhile now. I've never eaten at the restaurant, I've only ordered out.
The reason I'm writing a review is because they have changed their menu a bit and their pricing.
The food is authentic Vietnamese... I never order the Thai. We get the Bun or Pho with beef and spring rolls. I like the food. Have noticed that the portions have gotten smaller but the prices have gotten higher.
I'll keep coming back, but pretty disappointed that the economy is causing these guys to cut back. -
Review from Caitlin O.
Chicago, IL
6/22/2009
I don't love them, but it's one of the only places I can get suon com bi cha (Vietnamese grilled pork and rice) out in the suburbs anymore since some of my favorite places have closed down, but I'm open to suggestion. Parking somewhat difficult due to overly-popular Oberweiss next to the place, not bad decoration (nothing spectacular but nice and tasteful), middle of the road prices and fair portioning. The chicken lad nar that I got for my boyfriend wasn't half bad either. I'd give it something like a 3.5, really. The service isn't bad but the menu on their website is horribly out of date, so I recommend picking up a take-out menu if you plan to order anything on the phone.
Summary; nothing terribly fancy but I like 'em just fine.
EDIT : Well they updated the menu on the website so it's quite current and the food there is consistent and some more delicious than others (their yellow curry is pretty great and reheats for a delicious second meal quite well). -
Review from Gwendolyn H.
Naperville, IL
5/7/2009
I really enjoy the pho here. I like the beef pho. I sometimes come here by myself or with a friend. The wait staff are very attentive. However, lunchtime can sometimes be packed, so you might have to wait. Other times of day it is not too busy at all.
http://www.boraans.com/ -
Review from Tammy L.
3/9/2011
I've only been here for lunch, since I work close by. I get the feeling that there's usually just one person cooking in the back, since dishes tend to come out one by one! It's not bad, but not great. They have both Thai and Vietnamese food, but I think the Thai food is a little better. I've tried some of the noodle and curry dishes on that side, as well as some bun dishes from the Vietnamese side, and I think the Thai dishes are tastier, though they can be greasy. All in all, I only come here because it's close to work!
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Review from Chole L.
Villa Park, IL
5/18/2011
Came here for lunch with few friends on a week day. Food was okay but the price was pretty high. I think the pad thai at Noodles & Company tastes better than here....
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Review from Kathleen G.
Naperville, IL
3/30/2011
My other favorite Thai place in town. Seems pretty healthy for what it is too. I go back and forth between this place and another, but I do like it and the owner is REALLY nice and so is the staff.
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Review from Nelson S.
Chicago, IL
8/23/2006
If you are coming here, make sure you have time because the service here is slow, very slow (Minus 2 stars, seriously, it's slow). The food is good but I come here mainly for the Pho. I think it is the best Pho; you can get in the area without driving to Viet town (Uptown) in Chicago. I think it is also better than Joy Yee's because Joy Yee's does not give you the side of basil, bean sprouts, jalepanos, & lime. If you have never tried Pho;, stop what you are doing right now, drive there, and just try it, I mean, people traditionally eat this for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. When eating this, remember to make it your own!!! When you get it, it has the sides as stated above and different sauces (usually, a hot sauce, hoisin sauce, and fish sauce). Before just adding sauces to your Pho;, ask for a side bowl, scoop some of your Pho; in there and then experiment with sauces, you don't want to ruin your Pho;. See what tastes good to you and go to town.
Please do not let this deter you but it is served with thin slices of beef, tendon, & tripe. It really is not as bad as you think and it is not like Fear Factor. I have tried it and liked it and I think you might too.
Happy Eating! -
Review from Angela H.
1/8/2010
When I got my pho I was like whaa??? what is this? I'm pretty sure they take a can of beef broth and throw in onions to simmer to make it sweet. And I think they cook the meat in there too because it was well done by the time it got to my seat. I don't really want to go to Argyle every time I want pho. Help!
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Review from Jessica D.
Aurora, IL
6/19/2007
Overpriced, slow service, crowded evenings, and so so taste.
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Review from Traveling J.
Westchester, IL
8/29/2010
After reading some of the other reviews, I am glad we did not get to eat here. We walked in, were seated to a dirty table, with dirty tables all over the place and employees standing around doing nothing. the smell was horrendous, this is like one of those over exaggerated Vietnamese restaurants. I thought we were on MTV's "Boiling Points", if so I lost. We were disgusted. They finally wiped off the table as we were sitting at it, left 2 menus, and left us. My wife and I discussed and decided to get up and leave never to return. I am baffled that people find the decor nice and clean! DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY!
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Review from S S.
Broomfield, CO
3/4/2008
Visited for dinner. We were only the 2nd or 3rd couple in the restaurant and the service was a little slow (very nice though). I ordered yellow curry and my husband Pad Thai. My curry was pretty good, i would say it is in my top 5 but his chicken was very dried out. I was disappointed when I tasted it. I would give 3.5 stars but the service could probably improve a bit. I might be back to try the Pho
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Review from R P.
Plainfield, IL
3/27/2010
Will not be returning to this restaurant.
Our primary waitress was awful, but the back-up was great. T
he food is something I would rather not discuss but will do so in order to save any others that may wander in expecting something yummy.
I would normally tell everybody what was ordered and then review based on the order. However, in this case I was so stunned by what I actually received that I can't actually remember what I ordered. I thought I ordered grilled chicken with rice.
My husband order some kind of curry something or other. He indicated his food was mediocre which by my standards means "Not good". My "grilled chicken" came out yellow- which I do believe would be because they probably cooked his and mine on the same whatever the cook cooks on. On top of all of that I would really like to give them credit for most likely starting out with a real piece of chicken. What came on the plate though smelled like hot dogs, didn't look much better, and drew some unsavory comments from me post taste. How exactly do you start with a real piece of meat and make it taste like one of those pieces of processed meats (i.e. hot dog). Beyond me, but needless to say based on the near lack of a primary waitress (read this as "poor service"), the quality of the food,the dirty/food stained and still stuck on table cloths, and the needlessly lengthy visit staring at what I thought to be chicken- my family and I will not be returning. -
Review from Erica C.
Aurora, IL
7/20/2010
First time at Boraan's. Decor was very nice. Service was so so. Food was ok.... Spring roll was awful to me. Had to return peanut sauce dip which had a piece of hair in it. Ordered a passion drink which suppose to have rum in it. No rum in it or very very little in it where you can't taste it. And I'm not a big drinker and I can taste alcohol in a drink right away which I couldn't taste none at all. So I basically paid $5.95 for a fruit drink.
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Review from calvin y.
Aurora, IL
3/12/2009
i've been coming here since it opened. i go whenever i get the craving for some vietnamese food and don't feel like driving out to glen ellyn. the food is ok, the price is slightly high for what it is...but until there's another vietnamese place that opens up near here, i'll continue to pay their price. Tang is not an alternative.
their service has improved but still a little slow. i think they need more organization. -
Review from Howard W.
Aurora, IL
12/5/2009 1 photo
OK pho. Menu selection for pho is a little light, as was the meat portion in the bowl I got. Also the price for pho is a little higher than at a place that specialized in it, but otherwise OK. Beats driving to Lombard or Glen Ellyn from Aurora, though.
Wife enjoyed her pad Thai and the spring rolls were pretty good too.
Was nice to see distinct menus for both Thai and Vietnamese selections.
Service was much better than other reviews here indicated. -
Review from Mrs X.
North Aurora, IL
5/18/2011
It was ok, the food was edible, and it looked decent, pad Thai could of had more color and flavor, the padseew looked good, could of been better tasting too, the place is small, waitress took forever, I was late for work.
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Review from heather l.
Naperville, IL
1/19/2009
This was the best pad thai I've had in years. The kids had thai chicken fried rice, and it was delicious. My husband had some other noodle dish, pad kee something, and it was also wonderful.
The shrimp spring rolls were really good too.
It's clean, and the service was pretty good.
We will definitely go back here! -
Review from Cindy K.
Naperville, IL
1/11/2010
This was the worst Pho I've ever had! I had the chicken Pho and my boyfriend had the beef Pho. They were both flavorless. I've never added so much oyster sauce to my soup before! We won't be going back.
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Review from Christopher A.
Bartlett, IL
4/14/2010
the pho i had was kinda bland but the meats were nice and tasty. With a little bit if hoisen and hot sause was ok at best. The spring rolls were good and had a real tasty more peanut sause. I dont think id go back for pho......isnt there any other pho places in the napervile area.
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Review from Brita S.
Naperville, IL
10/16/2009
I LOVE this place. Been here 3 times now and every time the service has been great. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is clean and tasteful. The catfish in clay pot off of the Viet menu is melt in your mouth good. The crab rangoon is the best I've ever tasted and the panang curry with prawns was out of the world! I've always gone on Friday evenings and, as I said, the service has been fast and efficient. I have no idea how so many people have had a bad experience here.
