If you after delicious and authentic Vietnamese food then Sen is an absolute MUST! Sitting on one of the quieter streets in Bahnhofsviertel, the bright yellow Lotus sign, synonymous with the name beckons you in.
The Story behind SEN
Quoc Anh Le owner and founder of Sen, originally hails from Hanoi, but he has been living in Germany for the last 30 years. Initially Le began his career working for Vietnam airlines travelling and experiencing food and flavour all around the globe. With a long family history of restauranteurs, he finally decided to follow his dream and his families tradition and headed into the restaurant business. And so it was that Le and his wife started Sen, some six years ago now.
The Menu and what makes Authentic Vietnamese food?
As previously mentioned Quoc Anh Le opened Sen some six years ago. His goal? To serve authentic Vietnamese food. And whilst this may seem a simple goal, it’s anything but. The challenge? Like any cuisine operating in a culture different than their own, locals may tout themselves as open but will often seek home comforts. So it is for this reason, that many restaurants will tweak menu’s to accommodate local palettes. And of course this good practice. However, it is for this reason that it is so often difficult to find authentic food of any kind.
What makes Authentic Vietnamese food?
According to Le, hands down it’s all about flavour! He goes on to explain that from a cooking perspective, Vietnamese food is relatively simple to cook. However, where it gets tricky is getting the flavours perfect!
Hanoi vs Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
Furthermore, the Vietnamese food that we all head out to eat is in fact the street food found all around the cities of Hanoi and Saigon. For instance, the ever popular Pho is not a dish that is ever typically cooked at home. In fact the phrase ‘my mom’s Pho is the best in the world’ will not be something that you will often hear from the Vietnamese.
The broth at Sen
Now here is the kicker, each dish has it’s own unique broth at Sen. Meaning beef, chicken and pork will each have a broth specifically made to hero them in the dish. Triple the broth, triple the work, triple the flavour!
Also, it’s worth noting that if you are vegetarian you will not find many vegetarian options on the menu. Why? Because this is not something that you typically find in Vietnam.
The Vibe
Simple and non fussy. The service is friendly and lightning quick!
A long narrow restaurant with a large brightly coloured mural that catches your eye as you enter. Canvases adorned with Vietnamese street scenes along with simple tables and chairs line the deep grey walls. Finally, simple bamboo light fittings hang from the ceiling to brighten the space.
What makes SEN special?
In a word. PASSION! In the 40 minutes I spent chatting with Le the thing most apparent to me was how utterly passionate he is about not just Vietnamese food but about authentic Vietnamese food. In our conversation he took me to understand Vietnamese food in a way I never have before. From exactly why he has chosen each dish to have it’s own to broth, it would certainly be easier and less work to have one. To why you will not find many vegetarian options on the menu.
Le is absolutely unwavering in his paying homage to the beloved street food of his home nation. And this means FLAVOUR, FLAVOUR, FLAVOUR which in turn means the highest level of attention to detail to consistently deliver it!!
Good to know:
- Lunch time on week days is incredibly busy, so arrive early! However, turnover is fairly quick as the business workers do not mull around
- Sundays are also busy so it’s worth making a reservation
- Vegetarian options are very limited
Address
Weserstraße 35
60329 Frankfurt
Germany
Hours:
Mon – Thurs: 11.30am – 3pm and 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri: 11.30am – 3pm and 5.30pm – 10:30pm
Sat: 2pm – 10.30pm (closed until September 18th, 2022)
Sun: 1pm – 9.30pm
