By Mary LeFevre
Niagara Falls Reporter
www.niagarafallsreporter.com
I had the pleasure of bringing two dear friends to my inaugural lunch at Mii Restaurant. Both travel extensively throughout Southeast Asia, and one lived in Vietnam for many years. Who better to guide me through the complex maize of Vietnamese and Thai offerings from this new venue on Pine Avenue?
Cambodian brothers Mao and Sino Seng and their Laotian wives, Lai and Linda, who also own Southeast Asian Restaurant in Rochester, N.Y., thought that Niagara Falls lacked availability of authentic Vietnamese and Thai food. They decided to give it a try right in the middle of Little Italy.
I loved the space. It is clean and uncluttered. The lime-green walls are somehow very peaceful. The decor is Cambodian and Vietnamese, and Cambodian pop music plays unobtrusively in the background.
I wisely left the ordering to my guests. I started with a Thai Tea Smoothie at $3.50. It had the texture of a traditional smoothie, and the taste was a mixture of tea and oranges. Very refreshing.
We shared two Vietnamese appetizers: fresh springrolls and fried eggrolls, two of each at $3.25. The springrolls were filled with shrimp, pork, vermicelli noodles and lettuce, and were served with a lovely peanut sauce. The eggrolls were filled with pork, onions, carrots and clear noodles, and were served with a sauce composed of tiny slices of carrot, radish, hot peppers and fish sauce. Absolutely to die for.
My friends ordered two selections from the lunch menu, which came with white rice and soup of the day. The procedure is that you first select one of 11 sauces, and then pair it with your choice of vegetable, chicken, pork, beef or shrimp.
We had ginger sauce prepared with sliced ginger, onion, celery, scallion, mushroom and red pepper in a tasty brown sauce, paired with shrimp, at $6.75; and Phat Thai sauce prepared with broad rice noodles with crushed nuts and bean sprouts, paired with pork, at $6.25.
The former was fresh and filled with crisp vegetables and plenty of shrimp. The latter -- my favorite -- was screaming with flavors. But the best was the Thai soup accompaniment: Tom Yum Kai (chicken soup), which was light and refreshing, yet complex in flavors.
We ordered a large bowl of the most commonly served Vietnamese dish -- one that I learned is eaten at any time of the day. It is called Pho and is a traditional soup. In addition to the basic ingredients of scallions, onions, cilantro and rice noodles, we ordered ours to include a number of different types of beef. A plate of bean sprouts, basil, lime and chili pepper was served on the side. Large costs $7.75, and small is $6.75.
We split a most unique desert: Sankaya, which is sweet sticky rice with custard. I would never have ordered that on my own, but am I ever glad my friends did! It was fabulous. Sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy -- an odd combination that just plain works.
My companions agreed the food was authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, and all three of us thought it was outstanding. It is packed full of interesting and unusual flavors, is very light and refreshing, and just tastes great. Attention, vegetarians: There are over 25 vegetarian dishes, including appetizers, soups and entrees. I'll be back soon.
Niagara Falls Reporter
www.niagarafallsreporter.com
I had the pleasure of bringing two dear friends to my inaugural lunch at Mii Restaurant. Both travel extensively throughout Southeast Asia, and one lived in Vietnam for many years. Who better to guide me through the complex maize of Vietnamese and Thai offerings from this new venue on Pine Avenue?
Cambodian brothers Mao and Sino Seng and their Laotian wives, Lai and Linda, who also own Southeast Asian Restaurant in Rochester, N.Y., thought that Niagara Falls lacked availability of authentic Vietnamese and Thai food. They decided to give it a try right in the middle of Little Italy.
I loved the space. It is clean and uncluttered. The lime-green walls are somehow very peaceful. The decor is Cambodian and Vietnamese, and Cambodian pop music plays unobtrusively in the background.
I wisely left the ordering to my guests. I started with a Thai Tea Smoothie at $3.50. It had the texture of a traditional smoothie, and the taste was a mixture of tea and oranges. Very refreshing.
We shared two Vietnamese appetizers: fresh springrolls and fried eggrolls, two of each at $3.25. The springrolls were filled with shrimp, pork, vermicelli noodles and lettuce, and were served with a lovely peanut sauce. The eggrolls were filled with pork, onions, carrots and clear noodles, and were served with a sauce composed of tiny slices of carrot, radish, hot peppers and fish sauce. Absolutely to die for.
My friends ordered two selections from the lunch menu, which came with white rice and soup of the day. The procedure is that you first select one of 11 sauces, and then pair it with your choice of vegetable, chicken, pork, beef or shrimp.
We had ginger sauce prepared with sliced ginger, onion, celery, scallion, mushroom and red pepper in a tasty brown sauce, paired with shrimp, at $6.75; and Phat Thai sauce prepared with broad rice noodles with crushed nuts and bean sprouts, paired with pork, at $6.25.
The former was fresh and filled with crisp vegetables and plenty of shrimp. The latter -- my favorite -- was screaming with flavors. But the best was the Thai soup accompaniment: Tom Yum Kai (chicken soup), which was light and refreshing, yet complex in flavors.
We ordered a large bowl of the most commonly served Vietnamese dish -- one that I learned is eaten at any time of the day. It is called Pho and is a traditional soup. In addition to the basic ingredients of scallions, onions, cilantro and rice noodles, we ordered ours to include a number of different types of beef. A plate of bean sprouts, basil, lime and chili pepper was served on the side. Large costs $7.75, and small is $6.75.
We split a most unique desert: Sankaya, which is sweet sticky rice with custard. I would never have ordered that on my own, but am I ever glad my friends did! It was fabulous. Sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy -- an odd combination that just plain works.
My companions agreed the food was authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, and all three of us thought it was outstanding. It is packed full of interesting and unusual flavors, is very light and refreshing, and just tastes great. Attention, vegetarians: There are over 25 vegetarian dishes, including appetizers, soups and entrees. I'll be back soon.
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