Caren Poon started An Viet back in 2015, chiefly because she was inspired by how the Vietnamese used every part of the animal or plant in their cooking. In line with her vision to reduce food wastage, she started the restaurant to offer authentic, good quality Vietnamese fare and as a platform to promote her philosophy on cutting wastage.

A firm believer in using fresh and quality ingredients, the Sugarcane Prawns were made from 100% prawn meat wrapped around fresh sugar cane skewers, accompanied by a dipping sauce. Each delish bite yielded springy yet firm meat, subtly sweetened by the sugarcane skewers. 

From the seasonal menu, we also had Vietnamese Style Fried Chicken Wings coated in caramelised fish sauce, tossed with fried pork lardons. Sweetish and savoury, these were finger licking good.

The Mini Savoury Vietnamese Pancakes topped with minced pork and prawns were an interesting dish as it was supposed to be eaten wrapped with lettuce and with a dash of dipping sauce. These would make great appetisers.

We loved the Sautéed Tonkin Flowers fried with Black Fungus, not a common dish here. Just simply stir-fried, the freshness and crunchy texture of the flowers and fungus made this dish so fun.

Known for their bahnmi, An Viet’s Vietnamese Baguette with Grilled Iberico Pork Chop (add RM10 for Iberico pork) was filled with tender grilled Iberico pork slices, housemade pate, shredded fresh vegetables, amped up with zingy house sauce.

The Signature Clams in Coconut Broth (RM17.90), cooked with coconut water, was sublime while the comforting Vietnamese Style Braised Beef (RM22.90) braised with tomatoes, radish and carrots would be great with rice or baguette.

Hanoian Style Grilled Pork with Vermicelli (RM19.90) is a hearty meal by itself, with plenty of veggie and protein as was the Vietnamese Beef Noodles Special (RM24.90) which had premium raw Aussie beef slices and handmade pure beef balls – MSG-free – brewed together with bones and spices for 12 hours.

Must try new drinks include Iced Tamarind & Roasted Peanuts, Sparkling Vietnamese Plum Drink and Vietnamese Roasted Bean Tea.

There are 6 An Viet outlets, in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. Visit: https://www.anviet.com.my/