Montclair Diva

My husband and I had a very quick late lunch at Binh Duong yesterday. Although we only ordered three dishes, it was pretty good and very reasonably priced. I would not put it on a par with Little Saigon, however. We had the hot, chewy spring rolls (interesting texture) and the grilled pork over vermicelli (sweet and tasty). We also had a very interesting steamed rice crepe stuffed with pork and mushrooms and accompanied by Vietnamese "ham". We would definitely give this place another try when we have more time and a bigger appetite.

The best chocolate I have had in New Jersey--which compares very favorably with others such as Bernard Callebaut, La Maison au Chocolat, Teuscher, etc.--is Chocolatier Anais on Bloomfield Avenue in Verona, directly opposite the park. I have purchased my husband's corporate gifts there for the past two years and everyone loves and anticipates them. When I need a fix, I'll run in there for delectable truffles infused with various liqueur, dipped fruits and excellent ganache. I believe they are priced around $30 per lb.--a good price for this level of chocolate making.

I had the pleasure of organizing my husband's first annual office party a few weeks ago. Since his office is in Mt. Olive, I decided to do it at one of our absolute favorite restaurants, Andre's in Newton. It was a very small affair (only ten people). We did a sit-down three-course prix-fixe luncheon. Andre gave us a choice of soup (carrot-ginger or onion) or salad, main course (swordfish, pork tenderloin or chicken) and a dessert sampler (caramel bread pudding, ice cream, apple crisp & cheesecake). Everything was beautifully executed and served. The carrot-ginger soup was rich with complex flavors. The swordfish was very simply seared and seasoned, crisp on the outside, mouthwatering on the inside, and was perhaps the best prepared I have ever had. The desserts were subtly sweet and beautiful. It was also incredibly well priced. He charged us $22.50 + tax per person and an automatically added 20% tip. He ran a tab on the alcohol. We had the option of adding one hour of hors d'oeuvres for additional $15.00 per person which we will likely do next year. An utterly delightful lunch!

After reading about Taste of Saigon on this forum, I decided to stop in after a singing engagement in Wyckoff a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. I found it to be roughly twice the cost of Little Saigon and Pho Van Tuan. The summer rolls were OK (my kids didn't like them). I also ordered a beef noodle soup, wonton soup made with chicken and shrimp, pork over noodles and (at one of your suggestions) the creme caramel. The latter, I thought, was pretty good. The rest were mediocre to inedible. Also at your suggestion, I guess about a month ago or so ago I tried Pho Van Tuan on a Sunday evening. When I went in to order, the person taking my order told me that they only had a few things left to cook in the kitchen! I assumed they meant that because they were closed on Mondays. Turns out I think my family got the very last meal period! And, it was delicious!! My kids inhaled the perfectly done egg rolls stuffed with I believe pork and shrimp. The wonton soup was heavenly. Fantastic beef and chicken noodle soups. We also got a grilled pork dish that was divine. I am tempted to drive to Englewood just to satisfy my yearning for Vietnamese. I am at a loss as to why there are no Vietnamese restaurants in my town where we have a bevy of almost everything else. Sesame was a big disappointment to me as I hoped for an interesting new Asian restaurant instead of the same old Cantonese, and not good at that.

Hi! This is my first post. I've really enjoyed and learned quite a bit from all of you so far. I am blessed to live in restaurant Nirvana--Montclair. My favorites of 2003 are: The Manor--never had a bad meal there although know people who have; Corso 98--service, food, everything great, except we were kicked out one Saturday night for staying too long; Aozora--duck with foie gras sauce..ummm; Little Saigon--I'm still in mourning; Andre's in Newton--impeccable in every way; 77 Walnut Street--very good all around; China Gourmet in West Orange--love the weekend dim sum; Liberte--in the summertime for their extraordinary outdoor garden dining. Off topic--my husband took me to Daniel for our anniversary--flawless.