FOODSTYLE: Vietnamese(authentic?) FORMAT: «Hot Pot /Grill»(You kill it & grill it.) LOCATION: Very Hard to Find, but lots of parking. SPECIALNOTE: Very Social /Romantic — expect a long, slow dinner *** Aficionados of my reviews know that I define any«hole-in-the-wall» restaurant by three critical elements: 1.) The restaurant itself is either hard to find or uninvitingly shabby; 2.) The food is superb, a standout among its peers; and 3.) The place is a beloved local institution. Binh Minh qualifies in spades on points 1&2. But not being a member of the local Vietnamese community myself, I can only judge its strength of popularity by what I have observed over and over again — a joint packed to the gills on any given night of the week by families and romantic couples, nearly all with roots in Indochina. And there is no more emphatic«thumbs up» than a room full of happily feasting locals. .. so I’ll give ‘Binh the benefit of the doubt on the third element. Binh Minh is a hard place to find if you’ve never been. They aren’t aiming to pull in random traffic off the street. This place relies exclusively on word-of-mouth and repeat business from the local Vietnamese community — the community it was designed to serve. ‘Binh is located in the northwest corner of a strip mall anchored by an Albertson’s. The mall is on the northwest corner of Buckingham and Jupiter. Find the strip mall, enter the parking lot, and head for the very tip of the northwest corner. For those brave and intrepid souls who manage to find this hidden treasure in the heart of the DFW strip-mall jungles, there awaits a dining experience bordering on the divine. Although a printed menu is available, it serves only to entertain fools and Philistines. Binh Minh is, first and foremost, a «hot pot» joint.(Evenings only.) The«hot pot» is a simple concept. Each table receives a tabletop grill(about $ 14 a person) and an unlimited supply of butter.(More grills can be brought out if you need them at no extra charge.) Seasoned cuts of meat, fish and vegetables are arrayed in a buffet in the center of the room. Patrons light up the fire, forage for their own fixings, and grill the night away. There’s also a soup pot for a few extra dollars a person. The soup pot sits on a separate grill of its own. The bowl is divided down the middle into two sections, both filled with a basic Vietnamese broth. Patrons add whatever ingredients and spices they find at the buffet to create a soup of their own fevered imagination. And with two sections to play with, the table isn’t stuck with Fred’s Fiery Noodles or Suzie’s «Fish Surprise». Of course, this begs the question — what if I screw up? I’m not a chef; I don’t know what I’m doing! This will be a disaster! Hardly. The staff will show you how to operate the grills, which are easy to use. The meats are perfectly seasoned and thinly cut, so they cook quickly and taste marvelous every time. The sauces are pre-made, the veggies fresh and properly cut. Even the soup broth, if eaten plain, is a delight. Just throw a few things into the boil and presto! A savory wonderland everyone can enjoy! Even the biggest kitchen klutz in the group will feel like a gastronomic genius, ready to put that poser loser Emeril in his place. The best meats in the house are the cross-cut ribs. Unlike a traditional rib, these are cut across the bone to create bacony strips of rib with little bone«eyelets» down the middle. A little fatty, but rich with seasoned flavors, made as juicy or crispy as you like it. There’s also a variety of chicken, pork, and beef strips available(although, nothing is tagged at the buffet to tell you what it is), and fish. There are even fresh cuttlefish to grill or soup up.(And they are excellent; my second favorite to the ribs. Not just chewy, but with a real meaty texture and a distinct flavor that’s not overly«fishy».) As a bonus, the buffet also carries a few pre-made items. Real spring rolls, for one. Delicate, crunchy, and as fresh as a salad — nothing fried about these babies. Dip them in the peanut-butter sauce and you will remember that first bite forever. For dessert, there’s a loose pudding made of coconut milk, tapioca, and some kind of yam. Throw in some mint leaves and I never want to leave. ‘Binh is a very social place to eat. The grills are small, so you don’t cook a lot at once. You have time to chat between each batch of goodies, like at a tapas bar. A great place to have fun with friends, or with a date. Awesome for dates. The interior is dimly lit and decorated nicely with Vietnamese art pieces and a water feature. You grill, you talk, you laugh over your combos, it’s great. Go about an hour after they open in the evening. Gives them enough time to finish making the Spring Rolls, and gets you in before the evening crush. The wait gets LONG.
