There was a time in the River Valley when food choices were limited. Sure, we had plenty of restaurants, but they all featured the same type of foods prepared or served in slightly different ways. It was simply life in rural Arkansas.
But the times, they are a-changin’.
An authentic and growing array of diverse food options has blossomed in our region. With so many new and exciting flavors available I’m having a tough time keeping up. It’s a delicious problem to have.
Asian cuisine has always been one of my favorites (who am I kidding, every cuisine is my favorite), but I didn’t realize that my experience in the genre had been so limited until I found Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine.
First up was a perfect egg drop soup followed by huge and delightful shrimp spring rolls. Next was the banh mi, which is a hoagie stuffed with pork, pickled carrots, cilantro and jalapeños. And then we had what is now my favorite Asian dish — hu tieu. It’s a type of pho, a rice noodle soup loaded with shrimp, crab, pork roll, three boiled quail eggs and more than a dash of heat.
I’ve never been so happy and sad at the same time: happy I’d finally tasted these wonderful creations. Sad that it took so many years to do so. But I’m making up for lost time quickly. My second trip to Linh’s happened the very next day.
Where have you been all my life?
