GumSeng

Update 1/8/08: GumSeng is closed. Details thanks to the Daily Cardinal (pdf).

In a word: Phở? Sure.

The specs: #0212
Address, hours & details via Isthmus.

JM ate the teriyaki chicken and an apple juice.
Nichole ate the chicken phở and a cherry Coke.
The bill was $17, or $8.50/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Gumseng an A- (see our grading rubric).

Latest GumSeng news and reviews

Gumseng on Johnson, across from Union South, makes some excellent Vietnamese food. It was perfect on this autumn night.

The dining room was welcoming & a bit shabby, in a good way. We loved the way the door decorations complemented the "Cash Only" sign and the Open/Close (sic) sign.

After the first couple bites, we found that "subtle" and "nuanced" were good words to descibe the flavors in both our meals. The freshness of the ingredients really came through, especially in the phở. Nichole chose chicken - perhaps not an absolutely canonical choice of meat - but was rewarded with big, tender pieces of white meat and a delicious, steamy-hot broth.

JM likewise yummed up the chicken teriyaki.  He was quite happy with the dish as the teriyaki sauce was in no way run of the mill.  It has styles upon styles.

The self-service water was nice to have. As was a Coke, as Nichole found out after letting her hot pepper steep too long in the broth.

We'd recommend GumSeng in a heartbeat for light, pleasant Vietnamese food (especially if you do not need to find somewheres to park).