Minh Anh in a Snowstorm

Since moving to Cleveland almost three years ago, I have tackled almost all of the restaurants that "R" grew up with and raved about...and another one was checked off the list on Wednesday night (Yes, we voluntarily went out to dinner in the snow storm on Wednesday. That's what close to two months of being house-bound will do to you!).

I really like Vietnamese cuisine, and frequent #1 Pho for lunch, but I had yet to try Minh Anh ("R's" favorite) in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. My dad was in town visiting this week, so "R's" mom suggested that the four of us get together for a casual bite to eat. Without any discussion needed, Minh Anh was selected.

After a treacherous trek down West 25th Street, we turned onto Detroit Avenue and soon came upon the restaurant. The decor and atmosphere are what you would expect from a standard "American" Asian restaurant, but they did have comfortable booths- which has been key for me since the surgery. Since it was the first snowy evening of the season, the restaurant was empty except for a few other brave diners. But this did lead to attentive service and our food arriving fresh and quickly.

At "R's" mom's suggestion, we all started with a Shrimp Spring Roll served with peanut sauce ($2.95). This light, fresh, and large spring roll was one of the best that I've had. The peanut sauce was slightly sweet, and a great accompaniment to the flavors of the other components. We all thoroughly enjoyed the spring rolls, and my dad even jokingly stated that he would be happy ordering 4 of them for an entree. But he did end up with the Seafood Curry with scallops, shrimp, squid, okra and tomato in a yellow curry sauce ($14.50). The flavor was okay (not great), but the seafood and vegetables were overcooked and very soft. The entire dish sort of turned to mush in his opinion. "R" ordered the Seafood Szechwan with squid, scallops, shrimp, red peppers, pineapple and asparagus ($14.50). He was happy with it, but I just don't really enjoy szechwan so I wasn't a fan of the dish. "R's" mom swears by the Deluxe Singapore Noodles with curry-flavored shrimp, pork, chicken, egg, bean sprouts, green beans, carrots, and mushrooms ($11.50), so we both ordered the same dish.She wasn't kidding when she told us that the portion was large, but that just meant that I had delicious leftovers to bring home with me! After digging in, I realized just how many vegetables were included in the dish and they created great texture and flavor. I did add a little siracha for heat, but other than that I was happy with the subtle curry flavor. Overall, the dish was good but it didn't blow me away. I would probably try another dish off of their extensive menu on our next visit. But one thing is for sure- I'll be ordering my own spring roll. Hands off, no sharing!

Minh Anh
5428 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
(216) 961-9671