DINING AT THE PIG AND THE LADY
THE BRIEF
Building on the success of its farmer’s market stands and pop-up dinners, this culinary collaboration between chef-owner Andrew Le and his mother, Loan “Mama” Le, melds formal technique and homespun skill to create contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. They garnered such a big following that the decision was made to go brick and mortar, and as a result, Honolulu’s THE PIG & THE LADY opened in 2013, and quickly took off, winning multiple awards since, including the Best Oahu Restaurant at the Hale Aina Awards, two years in a row, as well as Restaurateur of the Year in 2017. The Pig and the Lady tucked away in Honolulu’s China Town is easily accessible from Waikiki in roughly ten minutes.
The hostess seated us quickly to a small table with matching chairs. The manager, Sean, came right over, introduced himself, and offered his assistance should we need anything at all. Very Nice! We got comfortable and took in the environment. Keenan, our server for the evening, brought over some menus and water for us to start.
I love to share plates, especially when it’s my first time at a restaurant, so that’s what we agreed to do this night and if you’re lucky enough to sit in Keenan’s section when you dine, be prepared for amazing service. We asked Keenan to bring out sharing plates of all the best dishes they were known for. As we went through the 5 or 6 courses the old napkins and silverware were taken away, the table was wiped down, and new napkins and silverware came out. Outstanding!
We had two in the party that were vegan, but the chef was happy to oblige with vegetable Pho and some other creative and very tasty dishes. I ordered a Pinot Noir, Close Henri, from Marlborough, New Zealand. Smooth and a nice finish. The dishes we ordered began to appear. MOM’S PÂTÉ CHAUD, CHÁ CÁ SPRING ROLLS, LE FRIED CHICKEN WINGS, KAUA’I SHRIMP, DIVER SCALLOP, AND DUROC PORK CHOP among others. The Spring Rolls were tender and complimented nicely by the mám tôm bác sauce and Diver Scallop was bursting with flavour in a wonderful curry and parsnip vichy. The Duroc Pork Chop was tender and the ginger scallion sauce and mushrooms added incredible flavour. All the dishes were delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed the essence of each and every one of them.
The prices for food and beverage are very reasonable here and you won’t find service like this in many other comparable restaurants. Dinner for five with multiple courses and wine with excellent service is around four hundred dollars.
THE DEBRIEF
If you’re looking for exquisite, creative Vietnamese cuisine, that is bursting with flavour and aroma, then this little restaurant nestled in Honolulu’s Chinatown is definitely worth a try, and tell them Captain Vic inspired you to visit, you won’t be disappointed!
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