La Veracruzana

La Veracruzana

Free Chips and Salsa - YUMS

I don't know about you but I love Mexican food. I think perhaps it started with my sister and her frequent trips to head house square's farmers market that started me down this path of salsa, and tacos. The taco stand there is awesome however since the market does not start again until May I have to get my Mexican fix at less transient locations.


Here are a few pics from my most recent meal at La Veracruzana on Washington Ave. This place is one of the first taquerias that I can remember in Philly. It's bright cheery and the servers are always friendly. The tacos are good and cheap. I think the platter is $6 for 3 tacos and you can mix it up. My sister ordered the enchiladas mole. Tasty and very very filling

Tacos platter - 2 al pastors and one chili rellenos

Enchiladas Mole

Le Viet

Le Viet


I am a big fan of Vietnamese food. Although I am ethnically Chinese, I grew up mainly on Vietnamese cuisine unbeknownst to me. It wasn't until I attended college and met my best friend (who is also Chinese but his parents are from Hong Kong) did I realize that a lot of my mother's dishes were in fact not Chinese as I had always assumed but instead Vietnamese in origin.

Bun Bo Hue

The food at Le Viet does not disappoint. Walking into the modern space I feared that the cool decor would somehow lessen the quality and the authenticity of the cuisine. However, this was not the case. The owners somehow managed to build a beautiful restaurant showcasing a large open kitchen that actually delivers good food at a great price point.




I had lunch with my family at Le Viet on a cold post snow storm Saturday afternoon after grocery shopping at 16th and Washington. My father who is ultra traditional when it comes to his food ordered the Bun Bo Hue noodle soup, I got the Banh Xeo, my mother ordered the house chicken and rice platter and my sister got the Bun Rieu.

Chicken Rice Platter

Overall every thing was tasty but the dish that stood out was the humble Chicken and Rice platter. The chicken was poached and served with the house special rice and a traditional fish sauce based chili vinaigrette.  The chicken had an excellent texture. It was moist and not too mushy as chicken sometimes gets when prepared in this manner. My mom (who is hyper critical of all viet cuisine) was very satisfied with her meal.

Banh Xeo

My Banh Xeo which is a viet version of a savory crepe was good but a little bit on the greasy side. And my sister said that her Bun Rieu was the best she's ever had outside of my mother's kitchen. Since we were dining during the lunch hour many of the traditional dishes were offered for a mere $5. I think I've paid more for a side dish in Center City. The regular price of most of the dishes hovered around $6-7. If you love ethnic food but sometimes skeeve the diveness factor of the decor then I think Le Viet is a great choice for you.