Nom Eez and Donut Crazy

It is a fact that there is no meal on earth that is not made better by a donut on the side. If you agree, you will jump for joy at this little place that holds both the Vietnamese restaurant called Nom Eez and Donut Crazy (A single-purpose Donut Crazy in Stratford is reviewed here.) I say it is little as a warning because there is very limited seating inside. If you come at an off-hour, no problem; otherwise, the menu will be take-out.

Nom-Eez does brisk breakfast business. Locals line up for a container of Pho, the 24-hour comfort food made with oxtail, shaved short rib, lime, herbs and sprouts. Others swear by Congee, which is Vietnamese rice porridge with a sliced egg, shaved ginger and scallions on top.

Lunch and dinner menus share the same items. Listed as a snack is a stellar Banh Mi Slider, a small baguette of chicken liver mousse and roast pork spangled with sriracha aioli and pickled vegetables. Try the Nom Nom Buns (two to an order) with your choice of braised pork or raw tuna nestled in a traditional steamed bun with a generous hill of cukes and carrots, cilantro, and house made spicy sauces.

My favorite meal is Charcoal Beef. Over a bed of aromatic jasmine rice with sliced cucumbers are slices of beef that have been marinated in a garlic black pepper bath and then lightly grilled over charcoal. It’s truly delicious but not as over the top as the show-stopping Coconut Braised Pork Shank. The shank is the size of a State Fair turkey leg but far more exotic. It is spicy and fragrant, enough for two meals.

About the donuts: they are gaudy, gilded, and outrageous. Filled with jams and jellies, festooned with icings, and crowned with hunks of cookies or candy bars. While personally I love a good plain donut with my morning coffee I may change and start my day with Mango bubble tea and a Key Lime Donut oozing fluorescent pie filling.