Review: Neuf

Huit Craft BBQ has “graduated to ninth grade” by way of Neuf (French for “nine”), as the Court Street barbecue restaurant has moved into the 709 Main Street space.
A friend recently texted me to ask whether I’d heard about this new Asian eatery. I hadn’t, so when I found my way “up north” (like four blocks) during lunch last week, I decided to give it a try during its soft opening. (Probably why there hasn’t been much fanfare to this point.)
The restaurant could be hard to miss if you’re not paying attention, but the sidewalk sign and awning lend a sort of “over here” to passersby. The color scheme — bright warm colors mixed with other neutrals — is harder to miss, and is a pleasant backdrop to an otherwise minimalist space.

I sat at the counter (my favorite) where I was greeted by a number of servers. In fact, the service was generally very great and friendly, though I went around 1:30pm and there were only a couple of others eating there at the time. Perhaps the slower hour lent itself to the overall congeniality of the wait staff.
I digress.
The menu wasn’t too extensive, but there were a number of choices to make. To start I got Hot & Sour soup (that and Creamy Corn Soup were being served on the house, presumably as a special in its soft opening week), which was spicier than I was expecting (I have a moderate tolerance for spice and, if on a scale to 10, I’d say about a 6). It was very, very good and I will be considering getting that as a starter every time I go (good job, Neuf).

For my entree, I had trouble choosing between a number of things. The Beef/Pork Curry Over Rice was $8 and the Stir Fried Egg Noodles was $9 on the daily specials menu; Spicy Seafood Pineapple Rice ($12), Not So Traditional Bibimbap ($10), Pork Spring Rolls, Veggie Rolls, wings, and ribs were all on the regular menu. I decided on the Beef Curry Over Rice, which was a huge serving of beef in a curry sauce with vegetables (onions, carrots, baby corn, broccoli, snow peas, and mushrooms). It was very good, and I probably only ate half of it.
Overall the food was very good, the space was nice, service was pleasant, and I was in and out on my lunch hour in about a half hour. My biggest “complaint” was price, which wasn’t expensive, but not necessarily a cheap lunch either. Therefore, I recommend not getting something to start or going with a daily special if you’re watching your budget. Other than that, this place comes recommended from me and I will be back.