BEN TRE CAFE
3146 W. TOUHY AVE.
CHICAGO  60645
(773) 465-3011
This single storefront restaurant in a stripmall has changed from a drab Hunan restaurant to a bright and cheery little gem in late 2005. There is no liquor license but you can bring your own wine or beer. The staff is friendly, efficient and accommodating. Among the appetizers that we tried were the Vietnamese crepe filled with shrimp and bean sprouts served with a salad of lettuce, mint and cilantro. We also had the onion wrapped beef skewers which were pungent and delicious,and the beef rolls, the chicken rolls and the shrimp rolls, all with peanut sauce.  We tried the stir fried thick rice noodles with the seafood combination of shrimp, crab sticks and perfectly cooked squid. Other excellent dishes are the simmered shrimp, the lemongrass chicken, the beef and snowpeas, the stir-fried green-lipped mussels in an oyster sauce, the crispy egg noodles with tofu & stir-fried vegetables,  the chicken curry and the broad noodles with tofu and vegetables. The menu includes over a dozen appetizers and nearly two dozen soups.  There are a variety of rice and noodle dishes with a choice of beef, pork, chicken or shrimp. There are also a choice of vegetarian dishes.  BYOB
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
TYPE OF FOOD  VIETNAMESE
PRICE RANGE     $  
RATING   

DATE OF VISIT   9/28/08, 8/23, 5/22, 1/11/08, 12/2, 11/3, 7/23, 6/9, 4/6,                                                           1/25/07, 12/26, 9/3, 8/15, 8/3, 7/27,  7/14, 5/25,                                                              4/7, 2/23, 2/8, 1/14/06,  12/22, 12/13/05
PARKING LOT
ANDREW COMENS' CHICAGO RESTAURANT REVIEWS