Editor’s Pick: Cay Tre

With one flick of the chopstick, Cay Tre sends us back to Saigon.

Lena says:

Grilling beef tenderloin in preparation for the amazing wraps at Cay Tre. Photo Credit: Lilly LeClair

Memories of Vietnam conjure up smoky street vendors selling garlicky grilled beef, steaming bowls of pho piled with cilantro and fresh lime, and beachside mornings awoken to Vietnamese coffee. I anxiously await the drip of the coffee filter to fill my mug and create a sweet and creamy concoction of condensed milk and espresso.

One step in Cay Tre, East London’s hip Vietnamese eatery, and I am transported back to the smoky streets of Saigon. The room radiates with the smell of grilled meats, fresh mint, and fish sauce playing off of the black and white wallpapered walls and stark white furniture filled with hip Hoxtonites.

At Cay Tre I am in a Hanoiesque heaven overflowing with glasses of never ending wine and plates of grilled beef wrapped in rice paper (Banh Uot Thit Nuong). The table brims over with crispy sea bass and green mango, stuffed sea-crab, tender cubes of filet mignon paired with watercress, savory pancakes (banh xeo), and Vietnamese coffee accompanied by heaping scoops of coconut ice cream.

The taste is so authentic that I could be on any street corner in Hanoi—sweat dripping down my brow from the sweltering heat, drinking the mandatory Bia Hanoi, and relishing in my next culinary adventure.

Lilly says:

I didn’t think it could happen but it did. Under the previous assumption that I could out-eat any chick that came in my path, the title was quickly squashed as soon as I had Vietnamese food with Lena. I knew she was craving Vietnamese (she talked about it incessantly the entire afternoon), but I had no idea how much. There was only one thing to do: Cay Tre called and we answered.

The narrow space on Old Street was busy on a Saturday night – a good sign. We perused the menu while waiting for our table, and I had never seen my usually laid-back friend so wound up and excited. In less than a minute she had already picked at least 10 different dishes to try. We were seated downstairs at a tiny two-top; Lena with a restaurant view and me transfixed with the cool black/white Asian-print wallpaper.  

A bottle of Malbec (£17) was ordered, and we had some back-and-forth before deciding on five, yes FIVE dishes. Soon, a round grill and accompanying plates were set down at our table. After a quick demonstration from our server we used our chopsticks to transport thinly sliced beef tenderloin onto the grill where it cooked until it became a perfect medium-rare. Meanwhile rice paper was loosened with the bowl of water, then toppled with a layer of fresh julienne-cut vegetables, vermicelli noodles, a dabble of sriracha sauce and there it was: the best damn wrap I’d ever eaten (£6/person).

There was no room at the table, yet more food kept arriving. Next came the stuffed swimming crab (£5) and the pancakes stuffed with prawns & vegetables (£6). I had already thought heaven had found us, until the cognac “luc lac” shaking beef filet mignon arrived (£7.50). The meat was seasoned to perfection and so tender that it literally melted in my mouth.  Lena and I both threw out any sense of politeness (not that we really have any) and fought till the end for every last piece like a bad scene out of a spaghetti western.  The last dish to arrive was the green curry sea bass with elephant mango (£9). This dish was tasty, but the curry a tad too mild… or maybe my spice palate had entered new territories having overdone it with the peppers earlier in the evening. Nothing slamming a glass of wine couldn’t take care of.

We were beyond satiated, but had come too far to stop now. Three scoops of coconut ice cream sprinkled with crushed peanuts, and drip filtered coffee poured over sweet condensed milk finished us off. The conversation came to a halt. There was nothing left to say – we had reached nirvana.    

Cay Tre

http://www.vietnamesekitchen.co.uk/caytre/index.html

301 Old Street, London EC1V 9LA

020 7729 8662