We used to drive by this building asnd assumed it had local offices in it, it doesn't look like a restaurant, but then we discovered that it is a Vietnamese restaurant, Viet Hoa. Ever since then, this has become a normal stop for us when we stay in Ocean Shores. The food is always good, the prices are always fair, and we always have food to take back our to room. The entrance is on the side.
Viet Hoa is on the main drag of hotel row. The hotels and condos along with the streets (two: one way north and one say south) are parallel with the beach. The actual address 806 Ocean Shores Blvd NW, Ocean Shores, WA 98569 (one way north), which is just past Pirate's Cove and the animal hospital. We came mid-week for lunch. There were about six tables taken.
The owners are very friendly. Lunch costs less than dinner. We paid $8.95 for each main dish. Of course, we had BBQ pork and soup.
As soon as we sat down an older man joined a younger man at the next table. One look at the bald head and the hipster hat, I knew who it was, but I waited until I heard his voice to approach him . . . just to make sure. I hadn't seen Tom Fortt in years. Tom kept an old Cadillac in the basement of the building next door to our television studio in Tacoma. The buildings were joined by rolling fire doors. Although Tom used to be in real estate, he now is a "senior loan originator" with Fortt Finance and still based in Tacoma. I had serveral questions to ask him, but mostly "Did you get Cadillac out of the basement before the building collapsed?" He did. The build next door fell down and destroyed the building that our studio was in. We had moved out of it, but kept it for storage. It's a small world. I haven't seen Tom in over ten years and then we run into him in Ocean Shores. Puget Sound people love Ocean Shores. I remember family trips "to the oceean" when I was in first grade and beyond.
Back to the soup, it was egg drop, Not one of my favorites, but I ate all mine.
As always when Peg orders salmon she asks that it be slightly under-done. Over-cooked salmon can be dry. The salmon with this lunch at Viet Hoa, was absolutely perfect. The sauce with the onions, red peppers, and green beans was perfect.
We both ordered the fried rice, also. The sauce from the lunch blended well with the rice. Peg had leftovers which we took back to The Grey Gull.
We are not too big on adding soy sauce and other table top condiments to our food. Soy sauce is high in sodium, which I tend to stay away from. When she ordered, Peg specified "no heat," while I ordered my spicey. We weren't asked for star rating, but normally I would ask for three stars. Peg has a zero star preference.
My beef and green beans needed no extra spice from me. Actually, it disappeared so fast, there was not time to pour or shake anything on top. Now, when I'm eating Pad Thai, I will add chili paste.
We love green beans served as they did at Viet Hoa. They were crisp and delightful.
My greatest problem with favorite restaurants, is that I usually keep ordering the same item that I liked. Viet Hoa is one of those places where I will force myself to try new selections each time I visit. I do like a wide variety of foods and different preparations and what's nice about Vietnamese cooking is that everything depends upon the market that morning for the fresh vegetable in season. That gives me the incentive to keep coming back . . . and trying something new . . . and wonderful.
