Delicious Vietnamese Cuisine in the Heart of Soho

We trialled the decadent dishes at Cay Tre, Soho

Did you know Cay Tre was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants in London?

The brainchild of Hieu Trung Bui, Hieu moved from Saigon to London over 20 years ago and was frustrated with the lack of good quality, authentic Vietnamese cuisine so he opened his first “phở” restaurant in Hoxton. With the mission to modernise the reputation of Vietnamese food in the UK, Hieu now also runs the Kêu Banh Mi Deli and Viet Grill among his Vietnamese Kitchen Restaurant family.

I can certainly attest to the quality, calibre and authenticity of the cuisine. We visited the newer branch which is situated in the heart of Soho. With a lot of quality Asian cuisine situated nearby, it was a testament to the team, how packed the restaurant was when we visited.

The venue is large, long and buzzy, alike to a cavern. The mixologists serve up some of London’s hottest cocktails and I would be crazy not to recommend the Lychee Martini, which was delicate, light and floral. A perfect start to an indulgent meal.

I dined solo at Cay Tre and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a similar experience. The staff were friendly, and I even managed to strike up friendly conversation with a couple of my neighbours who were debating whether or not to buy a Kindle (my personal dinner companion).

Wanting to try as much of the menu as possible, I probably over-ordered, but the food keeps well and is definitely just as yummy for leftovers the following day.

For starters I ordered the Green Papaya Salad, which was crisp and crunchy, with the most beautiful citrussy and peanut flavours. I topped this with huge prawns, but there’s the option to add beef or tofu too. I also had some of the prawn crackers which were deliciously morish and the Vegetable Spring Rolls which were stuffed to the brim with glass noodles, mung beans, kohlrabi, yam and Asian mushrooms – these were some of the best spring rolls I had ever tasted!

For mains, I was feeling slightly full, but went for the Shaking Beef, which was wok tossed beef sirloin, served with peppers, onion, Phu Quoc black pepper, garlic and oyster sauce. The dish was tender and tasty, and fairly large. The flavour was accentuated by the bold side rice dish of Garlic and Egg Fried Rice – the garlic really added a point of difference to this classic side.

Other highlights of the menu include a Vietnamese Beef Stew, King Prawn Curry topped with cashew nuts and coriander and some very impressive fish dishes. My neighbouring table ordered the Claypot Mekong Catfish which came steaming in a light caramelised fish sauce and smelt to die for.

Visitors are naturally encouraged to order the brand’s famous Pho dishes, and it gives me definite reason to return (not that I needed an excuse). The Pho is home made of course and simmered for 24 hours before adding a variety of fresh ingredients including seafood, BBQ pork, beef, vegetables and red chilli.

As mentioned, an ideal spot for solo dining, but certainly an impressive date spot, or a great place to bring visiting family for a standout Vietnamese dining experience.

Find out more at www.caytrerestaurant.co.uk