Cheap Eats - Vietnamese dream

Grape Leaf Grill

Grape Leaf Grill is a Vietnamese eatery that’s well worth the trek to Marietta. The restaurant decor is a bit eccentric. A giant, open pagoda squats in the middle of the dining room, with garlands of fake ivy trailing down its four posts. Elaborate bas relief sculptures adorn the walls, and the ceiling tiles are black-and-gold lacquered squares. It’s a sight to behold. On a recent Saturday night, the music was even weirder, alternating between classical and ’80s elevator music. The Grape Leaf Grill wasn’t busy, but enough tables were occupied to give the place a friendly vibe.

Mint Condition: Many of the same ingredients — ginger, mint, cilantro and peanuts — found their way into most dishes we tried, yet each was distinctive. In the green papaya salad ($6.50), shreds of tart unripe papaya mingled with cooling cilantro and mint, refreshing counterpoints to the mildly spicy dressing. Char-grilled beef strips added another layer of flavor and texture. Our favorite was duck wrapped in grape leaves ($4.95). The bundles were grilled over charcoal, and each bite burst forth with an intense mix of sweet and spicy. The duck wraps had a burning heat that crept up and grabbed you. Yet everything else we ordered was relatively mild.

Wrap It Up: I’d never tried anything quite like the bacon and seafood spring roll ($6.95), an elegant presentation of grilled shrimp, green pepper and sprigs of basil and mint, bound together with a strip of bacon. Each bite had a gingery kick, adding a layer of complexity to the straightforward flavors. Also terrific was the banh hoi ($12.95), rice thread noodles flattened into a pancake and served with shrimp, salted peanuts and a choice of grilled meat. (I opted for chicken.) The shrimp and chicken were nearly blackened over a charcoal fire, resulting in a sweet, smoky flavor. Another plate was heaped with fresh herbs, julienned vegetables and pieces of lettuce to wrap it all up in. If anyone needs a great gimmick to build a restaurant around, Vietnamese lettuce wrap-ups could be the next big thing.

Rice and Shine: The house special rice platter ($9.95) offered the most bang for the buck: your choice of grilled meat served over broken rice with a shrimp cake, shredded pork barbecue and a fried egg. We opted for pork, and the two preparations (grilled and shredded) were both juicy and flavorful. The only item that gave me pause was the shrimp cake. The misshapen brown lump reminded me of Meatwad, the talking meatball on “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” Jabbing it with my fork just seemed too cruel.

But that was the only glitch. Overall, Grape Leaf Grill offers amazing Vietnamese food, and I’d happily make the drive to Marietta again and again to dine there.