Vietnamese Cuisine (Maui)

You may remember when I tried lots and lots of pho places in seattle. A few were very good, most were fine, and a couple were distinctly not very good. Well Vietnamese Cuisine in Kihei was definitely the worst pho I’ve ever had. You know pho is not very good when I don’t even finish it. The broth was incredibly bland, with a slight plasticky edge to it that made me wonder if it was really hand-made. Even with some chili sauce and a lot more hoisin than I usually use in it, it was still tasteless and unappealing. And the other ingredients provided no rescue — they all seemed remarkably unfresh. The basil was sort of stiff, the noodles not quite right, and the beef flat and flavorless. Compared to Than Brothers, my previous worst pho ever, the broth was less in-your-face bad, but far more bland, and Than Brothers at least had fresh ingredients.
E had the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl, which was pretty good. The chicken was very flavorful and tender. My only slight complaint about that dish was that it seemed a little heavier and saucier than you usually expect from a vermicelli bowl. One nice touch was a complimentary tapioca pudding dessert. It was a nice light taste to end the meal (though probably not as good as the Than Brothers cream puff).