I went to Present for supper today. It was good and bad.  When it was good, it was quite tasty - when it was bad it physically hurt!

The good: I was seated right away, in a booth. The service was very nice.  The ambiance was rather high-end. I can totally see taking parents and in-laws here. The food: very fresh.  From the herbs and bean sprouts garnishes to the shrimp and everything in between, you can tell that the ingredients were all top-notch.  The nuoc mam was more on the sugary as opposed to tart side but I guess that's a personal preference.  They only gave me one lime wedge to make things right.  I ended up finishing a whole huge plate full of banh cuon (without the ground pork filling) and it was heaped over steamed bean sprouts, and dried shrimps, fried shallots and chopped fresh mint.  It was really delicious - each rice crepe was delicate but didn't tear apart too much when I picked it up with my chopsticks. The pork roll accompaniment was acceptable.  I only finished one shrimp-fried turnip cake.  My iced coffee with milk tasted more like espresso as opposed to the expected Vietnamese drip variety. It had distinct notes of caramel, and was very sweet.

The bad: I was strongly urged to get the "autumn veil" cha gio by my waiter as opposed to the goi cuon garden rolls I normally order.  They arrived very prettily plated, two per order, for 3.95. Instead of the regular eggroll wrapper, they come in a lacy net looking wrapper that looked like it was made of thin noodles pressed together. It was attractive and different. I took a bite and promptly grated the roof of my mouth into hamburger. ouch!  I wrapped up the rest of the rolls in lettuce and shredded pickled vegetables hoping that it would be less sharp and continued to abrade the inside of my mouth. Ow Ow Ow! Perhaps it was a good thing that the nuoc cham was not tart. That could have really really hurt if it was much more acidic! The taste itself is not anything to write home about. Of course, my mom's cha gio are the best in the land, so why even bother comparing?  I'll skip these next time I go. The other thing my waiter urged me to get was the Canh Chua with squid.  It's a sour soup with seafood and my mom (again) makes a pretty good one so I was interested in trying their version, especially since it came so highly touted.  It arrived in a big bowl with a side dish of sprouts and herbs to customize.  I took a sip of the broth and found it to be way too spicy for me.  On one hand, I was glad to see that they aren't completely watering it down for non-native palates. (practically the whole time I was there, I was the only Vietnamese customer) on the other hand, it was so spicy I couldn't stand much more than a few bites. I had them pack it up and saved for later.  The aromatics were there -- even my en fuego palate could detect the lemongrass and other fresh herb-y notes but it was just too hot. Someone who can stand spicy food better than I would have loved it... the only minor quibble is that while my squid pieces were admirably tender and fresh, my shrimp in the soup were a little tough and overcooked. 

Overall  though- a beautiful space. The lotus stalk salad I ordered to go has been delcious, the few bites of it I've had so far. The names of the dishes are a little too flowery and poetic - it gets kind of annoying. I'm trying to decipher who they want their clientele to be.  I will be back, but only for occasions where I will be with a mixed, high-end crowd. This is not a hole-in-the-wall with cheap good food.  The prices are not astronomical, but perhaps I am just a little sore mouthed - when my mouth heals, I'm sure all will be forgiven and I'll go back again.