Pleasant surprises await at District One Kitchen & Bar

“Fish tacos don’t sound Vietnamese,” came the voice across the table, and it’s hard to argue with that. But District One Kitchen & Bar, while named for the main dining and entertainment district of Ho Chi Minh City, is not only pan-Asian but also, management says, influenced by Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.

We did gravitate to a few traditional dishes, because with a whole list of pho we’d be remiss to skip it. The pho tai rib-eye ($8.99) was fairly classic; because of the fat it contains, rib-eye is one of the most flavorful beef cuts and it contributed plenty here, to a broth that was so rich as to be creamy. Lots of rice noodles as well as beef, and while the accompanying vegetable platter wasn’t as extensive as some we’ve encountered in local pho restaurants, it certainly was all we wanted.

An authentic Vietnamese starter was the spring rolls ($5.99), sometimes called fresh or summer rolls. You know the type: a rice-flour wrapper is folded around a filling generally of pork and lots of vegetables, cilantro and basil and fine rice noodles, with a couple of shrimp wrapped in the translucent paper. All of those elements were present here (the shrimp particularly large and plump), but centered in each roll was a cigar shape that tasted like a rolled and fried wonton wrapper, a welcome bit of crunch in rolls whose only crunchy texture usually comes from the shrimp. On the side was the customary peanut-imbued sauce, this one better than most, and a spicy aioli that was a refreshing change.

Betel leaves are something you don’t find on many menus in these parts, and the beef and lemongrass wrapped in them ($7.99) was another winning starter, the minced beef carrying a whisper of the subtle flavor of the herby grass, rolled in the neutrally flavored betel leaves for a sort of Asian interpretation of Middle Eastern stuffed grape leaves.

From the “Rice, Rice, Baby!” part of the menu we chose the slow-braised pork belly in young coconut juice ($9.99). It was without a hint of the flavor of coconut juice, young or otherwise, but the pork belly was perfectly prepared and with its broth a great way to top the accompanying bowl of rice, the pickled vegetables on the side providing not only crunch but also a vinegary counterpoint.

Service throughout was very good, and the restaurant, which stands out among a strip center full of more traditional Asian businesses, is decorated with the quasi-industrial vibe that has become the fashion.

So no, District One Kitchen & Bar is not traditionally Vietnamese. What it is is a breath of fresh air among a sea of pho clones.

Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. E-mail Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at reviewjournal.com and bestoflasvegas.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.