15 Feb 2013
Staff Writer
Anna Frosch
Intern
Denton’s new Vietnamese restaurant, Viet Bites, lures customers in with their foreboding tagline, “have you been bitten?”
Viet Bites, 702 S. Elm Street, is a small, family-owned business and a nice change from the mass of food chains around town.
The décor is whimsical and fun. Modern, mirrored chandeliers illuminate the tables and bounce light off the bright green walls. Yellow and white accents add to the cheer of the place. Overall, the atmosphere is very chill and inviting.
Dentonites will love the prices too, as most of the dishes on the menu are less than five dollars.
The VB sampler is perfect as a meal on its own or to share between friends. It consists of two traditional spring rolls, two egg rolls, two crab rangoons and shrimp chips.
The spring rolls were a little bland but also depended on what sauce they were paired with. The sweet and sour created a salad like taste, and the citrus ginger gave the spring rolls a nice little kick.
The eggrolls were light and, surprisingly, not greasy. The rolls had just enough crunch without being overly done.
The best part of the meal was the crab rangoons. Shaped like shells, the small rangoons are bite-sized and filled with a savory creamy concoction of imitation crabmeat and cream cheese.
The shrimp chips were a new taste. They were crispy, yet dissolved after a bite. However, the wafer-like crisps were completely bland and did not have any shrimp flavor.
Most of the menu consists of spring rolls or pho noodle soup, but they offer other meals for a myriad of flavors.
Viet Bites has a “build-your-own-meal” option where customers pick a style of sandwich, noodles or rice; pick a protein from pork, chicken, shrimp, beef or tofu; and pick veggies and a sauce.
Viet Bites offers a mild taste of Vietnamese cuisine that is perfect for those who are new to the food.
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Cleanliness: 5 out of 5
Affordability: 5 out of 5
The Viet Bites sampler platter comes with traditional spring rolls, eggrolls, crab rangoons, and shrimp chips. Three different sauces accompany the platter including sweet and sour sauce, peanut sauce, and a citrus ginger sauce. Photo by Whitney Rogers/Intern
