Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/943494
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 26 MARCH 2018 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOEL LAINO Chè means "sweet soup" in Vietnamese; it is a vast category encompassing usually savory foods like beans, rice, and grains, tied together with coconut milk. At Soall Vietnam- ese Bistro in Marblehead, chè turns up on the dessert menu—a miracle of tastes and textures in the competent hands of executive chef Ra- chel Miller, who was hired last fall to elevate the menu and service at the popular restaurant. Sa Nguyen, who owns the restaurant with longtime friend Mia Lunt, says the Soall chè, which blends everything from Callebaut dark chocolate crisp pearls and adzuki beansto can- died hibiscus petalsand diced mango, perfectly encapsulates the restaurant's new direction, evoking the avors and textures of the Viet- namese original while elevating it and making it more approachable for American palates. "at's Rachel's magic," Nguyen says. "She is able to put so many dierent avors together and keep it light. Every bite is delicious." e task of taking Soall from a casual neigh- borhood joint heavy on takeout to a creative destination restaurant with a vibrant interpre- tation of Vietnamese avors is a dream job for Miller—and is also incredibly challenging. "I wanted the hardest job I could nd in the best possible way," says Miller, whose ne-dining pedigree includes Jason Bond's Bondir locations and Ken Oringer's much-missed Clio in Boston. BEYOND PHO A Marblehead Vietnamese restaurant reinvents itself. By Jeanne O'Brien Coffey Soall's ginger scallion lobster marries Vietnamese flavors with a New England protein. Bottom, Shaking beef dish and the sleek interior. / E AT+ D R I N K /