Over the past 16 years that my family and I have lived in our present neighborhood on the east end of Cypress with a Houston address, we’ve seen a number of restaurants come and go, from our favorite pizza joint owned by a fellow from New Jersey to a space that has been a Chinese restaurant, barbecue joint and now a Japanese buffet.
However, no place has had more turn over than the corner restaurant spot in the Lakewood Forest Shopping Center. When we moved in, it was a Chinese restaurant. Then, it became a Filipino eatery, which we reviewed here in the Houston Press. Next it was a Greek restaurant and my thrill at having a good place for a gyro was dashed as it fell under the pandemic. A steakhouse soon took its place without much fanfare, followed by a highly-rated fusion bistro that I shamefully waited too long to visit.
In its place, Le Emperor opened up this past August and numerous rave reviews began popping up on social media from locals happy to have a nice Vietnamese restaurant restaurant in the neighborhood. I had to give it a try.
Part of the curse of the location is that it is out of the typical drive-by traffic that often keeps a restaurant in business. It shares the strip center with Rudy’s Cantina, a local Tex-Mex hotspot that is always hopping and has been for more than two decades. Maybe it’s the lure of Rudy’s frozen margaritas and tasty tampiquena that keeps new restaurants in the shopping center from competing on an even playing field. If the internet is to be believed (and when has that ever been a problem?), Le Emperor may be able to slice off a nice chunk of the local dining clientele for itself.
So on a Thursday evening, I took my husband and adult daughter with me to check it out. It’s barely a five-minute drive from our home. I have seen the different uses of the restaurant, from homey to elegant and everything in between. Upon entering the newly renovated space for Le Emperor, there’s an instant calmness inside despite the energy of the busy staff.. There is a variety of seating from tables in front to comfortable booths along the wall and interesting wooden bench seating in the middle. The tones are dark and soothing. The bench seating is separated from the front tables by a line of lush potted plants. A beautifully done mural of a Vietnamese village spans an entire wall, adding charm and interest.
We were seated at a booth along the wall. Our server returned with elegant menus that would fit in with a steakhouse setting. However, upon opening, the menus light up from what I suspect is a computer chip. That’s a wonderful amenity, especially for those of us whose eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be.
The server presented a drink menu, which wasn’t exactly compelling. There were a number of inexpensive grocery store wines at price levels normally reserved for more interesting bottles. The restaurant doesn’t serve liquor but it does have non-alcoholic mocktails, though $13 seems a bit pricey. We took a chance on a glass of house wine at $10. The pour was a good one and the wine was serviceable, but it didn’t encourage us to have a second glass.
We turned our attention to the food menu. Surprisingly, the dining menu’s prices were more in line with what one would expect. This isn’t a casual pho joint so it is a little more costly but the service and design are more in keeping with a fine dining experience.
We chose the Le Emperor Egg Rolls ($10) as our appetizer then turned our attention to the other items. My husband, Classic Rock Bob, loves soft shell crab in all its forms, a throw back to his Connecticut childhood. The soft shell crab at Le Emperor is served as an appetizer but he chose it for his meal. At $15, it was a good price for crabs.
I was torn between the Chicken Curry or the Prawn Curry. I was surprised to see that they were both $25. Normally, seafood is more expensive. I chose the prawns and my server declared it an excellent choice. My daughter was taking her time deciding between the fried rice or ramen with steak. I encouraged her toward the Special Ramen Noodles ($14) saying that she could get fried rice anywhere. Our dinner orders were placed, then our appetizer soon appeared.
The egg rolls were very crisp, very hot and not at all greasy. They were stuffed with ginger-scented pork and the lightly-seasoned fish sauce for dipping added a little brightness to the meaty rolls. We found ourselves pinching bits of the pickled daikon and carrot garnish with our fingers, enjoying the acidic bites. CRB tore off a piece of lettuce and dipped it in the fish sauce. I followed suit. Even a garnish can be tasty when there’s nuoc cham on hand.
The music in the restaurant was mostly instrumental versions of popular music including riffs on Adele. It was relaxing but also familiar to hear the melodies sans lyrics. The lights were soon dimmed and we turned on our little tealight sitting on the table. Though we had our daughter with us, this place would be perfect for a romantic date night.
The staff here is on point at this family-run business. I overheard the next table talking to the server about the family’s other restaurant in Sugar Land, V Lotus Bistro. A call to the restaurant confirmed this but I was told that the family had recently sold Old Saigon Cafe on Westheimer.
Much of the food is delivered on service carts, adding a little old school sophistication amid the contemporary decor. While the male servers sported white shirts and ties, one female server was wearing the traditional ao dai, a dress similar to a long shirt, over trousers.
The peacefulness of the interior seemed to make patrons speak more softly. There’s an atmosphere of thoughtful dining. The folks over at Rudy’s may be whooping it up with their margaritas and fajitas but at Le Emperor, the focus is on a more tranquil dining experience.
When two of our meals arrived, our eyes took in the beautifully plated dishes. CRB’s soft shell crab plate was two fried crabs on a bed of arugula and spring mix with a shiny glaze of sweet chili garlic sauce on top. Though he had ordered the spicy option, there wasn’t much heat but the sweetness of the sauce was perfect and it complemented the crispy crab well. He was content and even willing to share nibbles with the daughter and me.
My daughter’s ramen arrived by cart, tableside, and the broth was poured out of a pitcher into the large bowl. The steam sent a pungent fragrance of cilantro into the air and aye, there’s the rub. My daughter eats pho with her friends occasionally but she prefers ramen. And that’s where this mom got it wrong. I convinced her to get the ramen at a Vietnamese restaurant and though many of the elements were there, the broth was decidedly more pho-like, with the flavors of star anise and cardamom. And for my daughter, there was too much cilantro. The “cilantro’ gene must skip generations. My mother despises it, I love it, my daughter thinks it’s soapy.
Still, she liked the noodles and the thin slices of steak despite the sweetness of the broth. Bean sprouts and jalapenos slices were served on the side. It was like pho with ramen noodles. And the serving was huge. The leftovers made a nice treat for two of us the next day.
Our server apologized that my meal was taking a little longer than the others and he jokingly said, “The shrimp are coming from Vietnam.” I wasn’t bothered because I was stealing bites from my companions and the ambiance was so laid back anyway. When it did arrive, it was piping hot, the shrimp and vegetables piled in the center of a bowl of golden curry sauce.
I have never had Vietnamese curry before. I love Indian and Thai versions, the hotter the better. The Vietnamese curry gets its sweetness from coconut milk and ginger. I love coconut and Le Emperor’s curry is thick, creamy and mild. The lack of heat makes for a different flavor profile, allowing more of the subtle flavors to come through. I mixed in a little of the rice to soak up the sauce. There were six good-sized, perfectly-cooked shrimp, tails on, so it made for a little messy eating.
There was also quite a bit of broccoli. I am not a fan of that particular veggie, though the curry sauce was tasty enough to disguise the broccoli’s flavor. However, my dining companions love that particular cruciferous vegetable, so I loaded up the middle plate with the florets and let them have at it. Once my daughter tried the broccoli and tasted the creamy curry sauce, she was soon pleading for a shrimp or two as well.
I turned my attention to the other vegetables, mostly large shallot slivers and a green vegetable that I couldn’t place. It was similar in texture to a pepper but it didn’t have the taste of one. I didn’t think it was a bitter melon, so I was stumped as to what it could be. There were also several surprise bites of pineapple. I’m a fan of anything that puts pineapple and coconut together, so I was happy.
We were getting quite full so we asked for a couple of to-go containers. Our waiter instead took our dishes and wrapped them himself. When asked about dessert, we declined, though the idea of panna cotta or creme brulee was not too far from my mind. When our waiter returned with our leftovers, he presented us with a plate of three spoons of creme brulee. It was a perfect one bite, though my daughter was regretting not ordering a full order to take home.
We left feeling as if we’d had an actual experience rather than just a dinner out. The owners and staff have put a lot of care into the details and they are keen on making sure diners enjoy a well-paced, pleasant meal. Though the wine list is lackluster, the food and service were amazing and the ambiance was lovely and serene.
My personal knowledge of Vietnamese food has mostly centered around banh mi and the occasional bowl of pho, so having Le Emperor in my figurative backyard offers an opportunity to experiment more with the cuisine in an atmosphere of cozy tranquility and warm hospitality.
Though I might be tempted to try one of its banh mi sandwiches as well.
Le Emperor
11702 Grant
832-559-8761
leemperor.com
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
