present

wonderful experience! present was near our hotel and hadgoodratings, so we stopped in for an early sunday lunch. the service was lightning fast, the staff very attentive and accommodating, and the food. . . the food was amazing! try cow in an open field - succulent bits of flame-broiled tenderloin that melt in your mouth with an incredible burst of flavor. we love everything about this gem of a restaurant !

this place will rip you off !!!. i went to this restaurant the night before mothers day, i was asked to wait 30 to 40 minutes. that is no problem, since most places are busy on a a saturday night. my group of 4 were sat in just 20 minutes, great! the restaurant has a very traditional vietnamese look, very pleasant. i was disappointed when i saw the menu though. very expensive for the little bit of food they bring you. i ordered fried fish off of the menu that was $29.95, yet the waiter said "sorry, we only have the $50.00 version tonight", wtf?? bait and switch at it's best, so my guest and i split this and two other smaller entres and one pot of tea. the food was bland, i have had much better food at other places, there was no salt, no pepper, no sugar and the waiter did not refill our tea or anything. when we got the bill some of the things we ordered were much more expensive than reflected on the menu...warning......check your bill... !!!! i was very very upset, for 1 pot of tea, i main course and two appetizers it cost $119.00 for 4 people and there was not enough to go around. very very expensive, misleading menu and staff, poor food quality, and very little portions. the onlygoodthing i can say about 'present' is i will not be going back there.......

asgoodas advertised.. once again i have to start my review with a caveat, i'm allergic to most shellfish and i would say the majority of what was available involved something i couldn't eat. and with that…

to begin, the interior of the restaurant is very nice. there is nothing striking from you outside. it sits in the corner of a little strip center next to a tire place but when you walk inside it's adorned nicely and has some nice woodwork. we were able to walk right in and be seated on a tuesday evening but while there was no wait when we arrived the majority of the tables were filled by the time we left.

as for the food it was not disappointing. i started with veggie spring rolls and they weregoodbut didn't stand out over any other i've had. now… this was one of very few appetizers i could eat and i was really jealous of what i saw going on at tables around me. there certainly were more adventurous options. for my entrée i shared the "cow on the open field" and the "warm heart piglet." both were very tasty. i've had the "cow on the open field", aka shaky beef, before and i think this might be the best i've had. the beef was nice and tender. the onions and watercress were delicious with the sauce. even after i was full i kept picking at anything edible on the plate until they took it away. the presentation was attractive (see the picture).

i'd also like to point out that the service was nice. our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and even made a few suggestions that were helpful. in one case he suggested we get some steamed broccoli if we wanted some veggies because it wasgoodto dip in the sauce that was served with the "warm heart piglet." and he was right. overall i was very satisfied.

prettygoodfood -- well above the usual pho place. waiter was a little brisk but otherwise service wasgoodand rapid.

enjoy the present.. *highly recommended*

i'm half-vietnamese. i've eaten in just about every vietnamese restaurant in nova over the last 15 years. present is one of the best, if not the best, by far. great atmosphere, very comfortable, and fantastic service unlike most vietnamese places. you don't get your app and entree at the same time or, worse yet, your app after your entree. the food is delicious. clean, simple, fresh, and presented nicely. again, unlike most other vietnamese joints, your food isn't all crammed onto a plate or bowl without any room to dig in or even see what you're eating.

the exterior will fool you. you really have no idea that the interior would as nice as it is. the parking lot can get a little jammed at night, but it's not a real problem. all in all, definitely agooddate spot.

because of present and one other vietnamese restaurant in the area, i will never eat at eden shopping center again. eden is a nightmare anyway, and that's why the best restaurant moved out of there 2 years ago.

i've enjoyed everything i've had at present, but if i have to recommend one thing to convert anyone... autumn rolls. you have to try the autumn rolls. their grilled pork (every variation i've had) is also outstanding.

you can check out their menu at www.presentcuisine.com