song long

ok so i have been dying to go to song long for like a year. i absolutely love vietnamese food and it is the only place i knew of in cincinnati (other than cilantro, which is good and cheap and fast but not life-altering). it is kind of in the middle of nowhere (for me) at reading rd. and section rd. in like roselawn or something.

finally last night i went. it was sooooo good. emma and i got the bun bo hue (aka "the jim special" which beth told us jim loves), which is a lemongrass and beef soup. it was spicy and cilantro-y and limey and excellent. everything was very fresh and flavorful. we also shared the cold summer rolls (goi cuon) which had both shrimp and roast pork in them. they were ok but i thought the rice paper was a little tough and the pork wasn't that flavorful and i think i prefer them with just shrimp. i also had a vietnamese coffee which you really can't go wrong with i don't think.

celia got the bo xao dam, which is described on the menu as: "sliced beef cooked in a rice wine vinaigrette. this sliced beef tickles your senses of sweet and teases your knowledge of sour." the best i can describe it is beef in this slimy sweet-but-not-savory sauce with hard boiled eggs and tomatoes on the side. she and beth liked it, but emma and i thought it was gross. we thought that maybe the reason we didn't like it was because our food was so strongly flavored. i don't know. i wouldn't order it.

beth got pho dac biet, which was a soup with chicken, rice noodles, and vegetables. it looked good and she liked it. i didn't try it. becky got mi xao, which was egg noodles stir fried with a variety of meats (shrimp, chicken, and beef) and vegetables. she really liked it but again i didn't try this one.

i was very pleased overall with the food. i would like to go back and try some more things on the menu, especially some of the fish dishes, the pho, the bun salad, and the grilled beef. those are usually my vietnamese food all stars and i didn't try any of them. but i was really really happy with my soup, it was everything you want from vietnamese food.

the atmosphere was fun. they had all these interesting things on the wall (family portraits, preserved butterflies, paintings, etc.) and a fish tank. there were a lot of colors and plants and things going on. it was pretty empty when we got there at 5:30 (we are grandmas) but it filled up. the service was ok, nothing special, but not bad either. just average. prices were very reasonable, i think i spent around $15 for half an appetizer, soup, and coffee.

overall i definitely recommend song long and i know i will be back. they have tons more things i want to try and the flavors were very fresh, spicy, and interesting. they also have a chinese menu with regulars such as general tso's, beef with broccoli, etc. in case you go with picky eaters.