The interior of Hue, which is located inthe spot that formerly housed Magic Dann’s, received extensive remodeling. Awicker settee and chairs near the entryway serve as a waiting area duringdinner hours and lounge seating later on. The bar area seats 10. Along withsoothing wood tones, the dining room features colorful paintings of Vietnamesescenery, including a view of the charming town of Hoi An (also a great place for food).
The menu is said tofocus on Hue,but nearly all of the items are common to Vietnamese menus. Items include theusual spring rolls, pho, and noodle and rice dishes. Among the less-commonitems are banh xeo, addictive Vietnamese flour crepes.
Appetizers may beordered separately ($6-$7.50), but a nice introduction is to get a samplerplatter ($12.50), which includes a sample of most of the items. Tom chien areshrimp fried in a batter that resembles tempura. Cha gio are crisp egg rolls ofthe small size typically found in Vietnam. Bo thit nuong are bambooskewers of marinated beef seasoned with lemongrass. There also is goi cuon, afresh rice paper spring roll filled with rice noodles, mint, lettuce (lots ofit), carrot and cucumber. Shrimp and pork are promised but can barely be foundamid the vegetables. Two sauces are servedthe peanut sauce is quite good, butthe surprise is the sweet/sour sauce with its an unexpected spicy kick. Save itfor the entrees.
Pho is a noodlesoup, with many regional versions found throughout Vietnam. This menu offers threevarieties. The pho tai chin, bo vien ($8.50) has rice noodles, onion, cilantroand beef in three styles. Thin slices of sirloin are barely cooked; the utterlytender brisket is very well done; and halved beef balls have a springy texture.There is a plate with lime wedges, bean sprouts, basil and jalapeño slices. Thekey to a good pho is the broth. Whereas many broths seem plain and watery, thishomemade beef broth is exceptional. Adding a touch of lime makes sense, butwith a broth this savory, the optional hoisin sauce and sriracha aren’t evenneeded.
The banh xeo($8.50), a large crepe made of rice flour, has a yellowish hue thanks to a bitof turmeric. The crepe is folded and filled with shrimp, beef, mushrooms andplenty of bean sprouts. Unfortunately, the bean sprouts vastly outnumber themeat.
A dish that provesotherwise is bo luc lac ($9.50), which translates as “shaking beef.” Cubes ofsirloin in a sweet marinade are served over a salad of leaf lettuces with grapetomatoes, onions and garlic vinaigrette. A bowl of jasmine rice comes on theside. This is an item worth remembering.
Bun chay ($8) is avegetarian entrée featuring rice noodles with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, mint,bean sprouts, strips of marinated daikon radish and triangles of fried tofu.The menu promised a marinade with lemongrass, garlic and ginger, but it onlycame with peanut sauce or nuoc cham. The sweet/sour sauce saved from thesampler platter, however, proved great for the fried tofu. Ultimately, though,this sea of raw veggies had me enviously eyeing bo luc lac at a nearby table.
The service ispleasant and the kitchen moves at a nice pace. The wine list offers about adozen varieties served by the glass or bottle. But Vietnamese fare calls for abottle of beer, and the beer list is much more impressive (try a bottle of“33”).
Hue already has attracted a loyal following, so expect await on busier evenings (Hueis closed on Mondays). And if you run into a crowd, discover the pleasure thatcomes from lounging in the settee while nursing a bottle of “33.”
Hue Restaurant &Lounge 
2691 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
(414) 294-0483
$$
Credit Cards: MC, VS
Smoke-Free
Handicap Accessible:Yes
