Try ethnic cuisine for lunch in Shreveport

A Lady Who Lunches

It was not that many years ago in Shreveport, when our cultural choices for dining were very limited.

Not to date myself, but I remember when a trip to Dallas was required to satisfy a craving for Lebanese or Thai food. Now Shreveport can enjoy these and many more choices in our own neighborhoods. One of my favorite go-to lunch spots featuring Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese cuisine is Danh’s Garden.

Danh’s Garden is located in an unassuming little strip mall on Youree Drive just south of the Kings Highway intersection. Modest in décor yet comfortable, I find the pale blue walls calming on a hectic work day. There is ample seating to accommodate the lunch scene, including groups, without feeling crowded. Plus another asset, which is important for me, is their polite and attentive staff.

While the portions served are generous, and an appetizer is not necessary, we can hardly ever resist sharing an order of the Shrimp and Pork Fresh Spring Rolls (A2. $5.95). While the crisp cilantro, herbs and noodles wrapped in rice paper make any of their spring roll choices tempting, it’s the peanut sauce served with them I find irresistible.

Do not fret if you do not share my love of peanut sauce, the small jar of garlic sauce sitting on the table next to the large bottle of Sriracha is a perfectly acceptable choice for dipping, too.

Once I’ve found a dish I truly enjoy, it is a tug of war with myself to try something new over my current favorite, so I’m going to start with my latest greatest favorite dish that I discovered on my last visit. “Discovered” like an adventurer “discovering” a land that is already populated.

Determined to try something new, I ordered the Spicy Coconut Shrimp (T26 $9.95). The medium size shrimp, lightly fried in a thin coating that provided crispness without bulk, were a nice texture contrast to the silky golden sauce covering them. The peanut-coconut sauce was a perfect blend of savory and sweet flavors. Infused with red pepper flakes and whole red peppers, the dish had a delightful hint of heat. This meal was so delicious, I ate the whole plate. “No thank you, I will not need a to-go box today.”

My lunch companion ordered Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Salad (B1 $7.95). This included a beautiful combination of shrimp, grilled pork and egg roll served over a bowl of thin rice noodles, sprouts and julienned cucumber slices. A small bowl of delicate fish sauce is provided to be poured over the salad. While he is not particularly enthusiastic about fish sauce, on this visit he was offered a cilantro infused sauce that he found much more to his taste.

When I order Vermicelli Noodle Salad, the Lemon Grass Beef version (B6 $7.95) is a favorite. They also have a Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken version. Regardless it is the bright citrus notes of lemon grass with the crisp taste of cucumbers that make this dish so appealing.

Another recent favorite meal during the summer has been the chilled Thai-style Danh’s Special Combo Salad (TA $10.50). The bed of lettuce topped with chopped tomato, red onion and cucumber salad base harkens back to favorite southern summer salads, right until it is tossed with lemon grass, cilantro, tart fresh lime and a carnivore’s delight of thin sliced beef, chicken, shrimp and calamari. High in protein and healthy vegetables, it is a refreshingly cool lunch option.

Spring, summer, winter or fall, we consider the large steaming bowls of Pho (P5 Chicken $6.95) to be the perfect soothing pick me up if we start feeling under the weather.

There is something therapeutic in selecting from the fresh ingredients provided, adding them to the large hot bowl of broth, breathing in the aroma and slurping it from the traditional flat bottomed spoons.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention the specialty drinks. I look forward to a very decadent glass of Vietnamese Iced Coffee Milk almost as much as my meal.

A small French press filled with Café du Monde coffee is brought to the table perched upon and dripping into a small glass filled with a few fingers of sweetened condensed milk. Once the coffee has completely dripped, you stir it into the creamy condensed milk, sneak a sip then pour the coffee mixture over a separate glass of ice that has been provided.

For those who prefer fruit flavors or want to try something a little more exotic, the cold creamy Boba drinks are delightfully fun and refreshing. Don’t let the large dark tapioca pearls resting in the bottom of the glass deter you, they are quite sweet and tasty.

Be adventurous and experiment. The portions at Danh’s Garden are generous, so you will always be satisfied.

Favorable and Fresh. Experience a new culture and try Danh’s Garden.

Lynn Laird is a writer, fine artist and self-professed bon vivant living in Bossier. With “Flair for Cooking,” she seeks out interesting ingredients and techniques to help make everyday meals just a touch more fabulous. She can reached at flairforcooking@gmail.com.