Restaurant Review: Hollywood Vietnamese & Chinese

Houstonist makes the “long” pilgrimage to the outer-outer loop on Bellaire for our Vietnamese fix, so a hot spot in Montrose would rock our world. At first glance, Hollywood Restaurant (2409 Montrose Blvd) may seem like a video store by the same name, but keep reading the sign and you’ll see that it’s a Vietnamese restaurant…and a Chinese restaurant…oh, and as an afterthought, it’s also a French restaurant. The florescent, multicolored neon sign gave the impression that the restaurant would be cheap, cheesy and shady. Going through the double glass doors revealed a 20 foot granite bar and a sign with the day’s special…for $16.99. Wait. Neon sign plus Vietnamese food does not equal $16.99. Houstonist’s spidey-senses were tingling…were we going to get bamboozled into overpaying for mediocre Vietnamese food? The last time our spidey senses tingled this much was at Miss Saigon in Rice Village when we paid $9 for a bland vermicelli bowl.

It turns out that Hollywood, despite the tacky name, is actually a pretty classy joint. The décor is Asian chic, the patio is pleasant with a collage of hanging silk lanterns, and the flatware is noticeably nice. The menu is like a Spanish novella…it never ends. Our apprehension was eased when our waiter arrived; she was Vietnamese and spoke very limited English. Hey, if Hollywood is good enough for her, it ought to be good enough for Houstonist. After flipping through the menu, we finally ordered some dishes that would give us a good indicator of authenticity: spring rolls, imperial rolls, barbeque pork vermicelli bowl, egg noodle soup, and a curry beef dish. The appetizers were par for the course; the vermicelli bowl was tasty though the fish sauce could have been a bit stronger. The egg noodle soup definitely hit the spot. It wasn’t the best egg noodle soup we’ve ever had but it left us satisfied. The curry beef missed the target completely – the curry flavor was too strong and the glass noodles too soggy. Prices were a few dollars higher than Chinatown-Bellaire but definitely reasonable for the location, large portions and fancy digs. Lunch specials start at $5.95.

Since our visit, we’ve heard that the black pepper dishes, Vietnamese iced coffee and happy hour drink specials should not be missed at Hollywood. Houstonist will definitely return…just as soon as we get over the ridiculous florescent sign.

The Verdict: Proximity can’t be beat for authentic Vietnamese food. Prices are reasonable considering the location; food is satisfying though not mind-blowing; décor is classy and comfy; open late for the night owls.