Alexandra Chronicles: Dang, Check Out Tang!

604Menu
Jul 2, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Jul 4, 2024

Outside view of Saku — Tang Vietnamese Restaurant and Bar

July, 2, 2024

This week I visited Tang Vietnamese Restaurant and Bar! Another restaurant on Alexandra Road features classic Vietnamese cuisine with a modern twist. From relaxed afternoon gatherings with friends and family to lively late-night events like karaoke, Tang looks to "make the nightlife in Richmond fancier!"

Restaurant Background

Founded in 2008, Pho99 has enjoyed 11 years of success. Building on that success, the team proudly introduced Tang Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar, an upscale evolution of Pho99. Tang offers traditional Vietnamese flavours as well as cocktails and desserts to enhance the overall dining experience. Tang's is committed to providing a space where customers can relax after dinner and enjoy professional cocktails and fine desserts seven days a week. Their venue also hosts entertainment, sports nights, karaoke nights, and live music on selected days. Tang hosts Karaoke nights on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. With a minimum spend of $1000 and a group of 15 people, you can use the stage that is set up at the front of the dining area for your group of friends and family to use. It's an interesting concept however that price comes down to $67 per person which is quite expensive, definitely not something you would be looking to do every weekend. If you are someone with social anxiety, this may not pique your interest as you would be singing in front of the entire restaurant so make sure you get lots of drinks!

Location and Parking

Tang provides free parking at the back of the restaurant. From my experience, this parkade is not monitored heavily which makes it convenient to park here and walk to other restaurants on Alexandra Road without worries that you may receive a ticket unlike other parkades on this strip that also cost money and charge by the hour. (Don't share this tip with everyone, keep it on the down low!)

Special Guest This Week: Aidan Wong

This week's special guest is Aidan! Aidan comes from a family with a Vietnamese background and just recently visited Vietnam last month! Aidan is a work colleague from Richmond Aquatics and a friend of mine. Aidan is a fitness coach and a prolific content creator in the fitness and weight loss niche, consistently sharing valuable tips, workout routines, and motivational posts that inspire his followers daily. I have attached his socials below, go check out some of his content and follow him for interesting fitness facts. He also has a great passion for food and is extremely excited to share his experience with you down below, so keep reading!

Socials:

Atmosphere

The first thing that hits you when you enter the restaurant is the classic Vietnamese aroma. As you can see from the photos above, unlike your classic Vietnamese restaurants that could be considered "dirty" or "rundown", Tang combats the traditional Vietnamese restaurant norms by providing a space that is modernized through their unique neon decor as well as Korean pop music playing through their speakers and TVs. Just as Tang proclaims, their goal was to bring an upscale perspective of Vietnamese restaurants and that is exactly what you get when you walk into their dining area, it is NOT your typical Vietnamese restaurant and this helps them stand out. The bright lights and colourful decor can cause overstimulation for some and result in discomfort from too much sensory input, so if youre not into striking lights and dazzling colours, this restaurant may not be for you.

The Menu

Tang's menu is quite extensive so I'm not going to run through the entire menu. However, I would like to highlight the unique and special offerings that they have which many traditional Vietnamese restaurants don't offer. Outside of the traditional Vietnamese classics such as Pho and Bánh Mì, Tang also serves a plethora of elevated asian dishes such as seafood, skewers, and hot pot. Other unique dishes that may pique your interest are if you feel extra adventurous, you can try their BUtter Garlic Fried Frogs and Viet Snails. Yes, you heard it, Frogs and Snails! If you want to know more about their menu and to see what else they have to offer, I have attached a link to their menu on the photos above, click any of them to get redirected!

The Dining Experience

Appetizers

Spring Roll

Aidan's Rating: 7/10 My Rating: 6.5/10

Salad Roll

Aidan's Rating: 8/10 My Rating: 8/10

The spring roll had a crunchy exterior and provided a delightful contrast to the soft interior, while it was notably not too greasy. The filling had a good ratio, ensuring a balanced bite each time. Accompanied by a savoury fish sauce, the flavours were well-complemented. While it wasn’t particularly exceptional, it was delicious and a commendable addition to the meal.

The salad roll was wrapped in soft rice paper that was easy to eat, and the peanut sauce was simply amazing, adding a rich and savoury element to the dish. The noodles were firm, providing a nice texture, and the Vietnamese ham added a pleasant salty taste that complemented the fresh vegetables. Each bite was well-balanced, offering a harmonious blend of textures from the vegetables, noodles, and meat. Overall, it was a delicious, refreshing and light appetizer that enhanced the dining experience.

Pork and Vietnamese Ham Bánh Mì

Aidan's Rating: 6/10 My Rating: 6/10

The Pork and Vietnamese Ham Bánh Mì offered a delightful combination of textures and flavours. The bread was a perfect balance of flaky, crunchy, and chewy, with a soft interior that made each bite delightful. The unique and flavorful sauce had an umami taste that complemented the sandwich well. However, the filling could benefit from a bit of spice to enhance the flavours and add a kick; spicy peppers or jalapenos would be a great addition. While the current toppings were good, more filling would elevate the sandwich even further. The soft and crunchy textures worked well together, making it pleasant but slightly lacking in excitement.

Mains

Tang House Special Beef Noodle Soup

My Rating: 7/10 Broth: 6/10

The Pho left me with mixed feelings. The noodles were flimsy and broke too easily, needing more firmness. The broth, while still delicious, did not taste like a traditional pho broth, which was a bit disappointing. On the positive side, the toppings were good, and the beef tasted great. The portion size of the bowl was respectable, but it could benefit from either more soup or fewer noodles to balance it out better. While there were some shortcomings, the pho was still an enjoyable dish. If you're looking for an authentic pho broth, this is definitely not the place.

Aidan's final scores

Atmosphere: 7/10 Service: 6/10

Spring Roll: 7/10

Salad Roll: 8/10

Pork and Vietnamese Ham Bánh Mì: 6/10

Tang House Special Beef Noodle Soup: 7/10

Ryan's final scores

Atmosphere: 7/10 Service: 6/10

Spring Roll: 6.5/10

Salad Roll: 8/10

Pork and Vietnamese Ham Bánh Mì: 6/10

Tang House Special Beef Noodle Soup: 6/10

Overall Score: 6.5/10

Overall, my experience at Tang Vietnamese Restaurant was enjoyable but not exceptional. While the food didn’t stand out as anything special, the lively atmosphere and affordable prices made up for it. The prospect of trying karaoke night with a large group of friends seems like a fun option. If you enjoy loud music and a vibrant setting while savouring Vietnamese cuisine, this is the place for you. The price was relatively cheap for the amount of food we received, as shown on the receipt. Both Aidan and I agree that Tang isn’t our first pick, but we would return to explore more menu options.

Tang Official Website: https://www.tangvn.com/

Saku Richmond Phone Number : (604) 278-6363

Address: 8611 Alexandra Rd Unit 180, Richmond, BC V6X 1C3