Lê Madeline — Restaurant in Quincy

A modern and elegant twist on Vietnamese fare.

Taking over from the well-established Pho Linh, Le Madeline didn’t immediately strike me as an upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Its interior, barring the tables, bore more resemblance to a classic pho joint. Initially, hearing about its emphasis on modern Vietnamese cuisine, I envisioned a Vietnamese-French fusion akin to the styles seen at Nightshade Noodle Bar. However, Chef Peter Nguyen's approach to 'next-generation' Vietnamese cuisine was completely different: it was firmly rooted in traditional Vietnamese flavors, yet distinguished by the use of premium and non-traditional ingredients.

On our recent visit, we began with the Grilled Oysters and the Duck Breast Salad. Contrary to their name, the oysters arrived warm (rather than grilled), but their flavor was distinctly enhanced with a Vietnamese twist, thanks to peanuts and Kaffir lime vinaigrette. The salad was also great. The Mam Gung Dijonnaise sauce brought a creamy, gently sweet zing that nicely complemented the fatty duck breasts, and banana blossoms and crisps added interesting textures to the dish.

The Turmeric Coconut Cakes and Roasted Bronzino were also enjoyable. Both dishes were accompanied by a platter of fresh Vietnamese herbs. Uniquely, the turmeric cakes were recommended to be eaten like a lettuce wrap. Their exterior was satisfyingly crisp, while the inside remained fluffy. The intense heat inside slightly subdued the turmeric and coconut flavors, but these savory cakes paired well with lettuce and a dab of fish sauce. As for the Bronzino, it was flawlessly moist, its flavor enhanced by the tang of Green Onion Chimichurri and a pineapple-anchovy dipping sauce. Deboning process was a bit cumbersome, but the addition of steamed vermicelli and herbs transformed it into a dish akin to a classic vermicelli salad, which I occasionally enjoy.

The highlights of our evening were undeniably the two crowd favorites: the Fried Lobster Roll and the Cajun Crawfish Noodles. The lobster roll featured buns that were perfectly toasted to a buttery crispness. I had concerns about the combination of fried lobster with the toasted buns, thinking it might be too much of the same texture. However, the addition of tobiko brought a delightful brininess, and the tamarind sauce provided a balance of sweet and tangy flavors, which complemented the crispy elements. The most hyped dish at the restaurant, the Crawfish Noodles were also good. Maybe not as good as the hype, as I found the flavors subtler than I expected. Yet, toppings like the parmesan, salmon roe, and fried egg added depth and richness and enhanced the dish’s overall flavor profile.

Overall, Chef Nguyen's experimental Vietnamese cuisine at Le Madeline presents an elevated interpretation of traditional Vietnamese dishes, with incorporation of premium ingredients and sophisticated sauces and toppings. While authentic Vietnamese sauces and spices remain at the heart of each dish, Chef Nguyen infuses an inventive twist with unexpected elements like salmon roe and tobiko. Certainly a new breed of Vietnamese restaurant for the Greater Boston area, and one I highly...

I really wanted to like this place, as it is one of the few "fine" dining options that involves Vietnamese cuisine. Came here on a Sunday night without a reservation (apparently they are so busy that it's very difficult to get a table otherwise) and was able to get a table for 3 on a 60 minute limit. No problem, not an issue, we don't drink and we tend to eat quickly, as long as the food comes out. Asked for some server recommendations and was told the Cajun crawfish noodles with the braised beef add on was a great choice (only $42 for this dish), along with the duck salad (Goi Vit), lobster roll and Banh Khot. Also got an avocado smoothie. The ambience of the place is stuck between trying to be fancy but the layout is still one of the more traditional Vietnamese Restaurants you visit around the area. You'll feel a little cramped, but it's still laid back.

For the food itself, not great. Please note that I am writing this based on the food and experience. My family ended up getting food poisoning which we isolated to the braised beef as both my wife and I ate most of that and had very severe reactions while my 4 year old only had 1 small slice and had watery stool and had to wear a diaper for 2 days to make sure she didn't have an accident. The food itself wasn't terrible, but it was not worth the price point in quality or quantity. The $42 noodles cannot be shared, unless you want to have a tapas style meal. The beef itself was probably the size of an avocado, cut in half. The flavor was more sweet and savory, but the salmon eggs were a strange touch and did overpower the flavor of every bite it was involved in. The lobster roll was all sweet and crunchy, which helped to counter the rustic "chips" thst were a bit saltier than we would have liked. This and the Banh Khot were the best items, though again, a $31 lobster roll should be better than this. The Banh Khot was decent, it was the Vietnamese type of food we ate, with the cakes giving off a flavor reminiscent of a banh Xeo. The duck was okay bit portions are more of a small app than an meal. The avocado smoothie was decent, my daughter loved that the most.

All in all, this is not a place I would recommend. It may have the "wow" factor and as one of the few Vietnamese fine dining fusion options available in the Bosto. Area, there is a lot of hype for it. However, be prepared to drop a lot of money if you dont want to be hungry- or just opt for the Pho, though you can easily find better Pho than here and you didn't come here to eat Pho. If I wrote this based on getting food poisoning I'd have given it 1 star for having paid almost 150 to suffer thru 2 days of pain and diarrhea, but I wanted to be fair and honest. Try it for yourself though, this is just my...

Overall a highly enjoyable meal and wonderful experience made possible by an incredibly friendly and warm staff.

FOOD: Don't sleep at all on the French onion dip. It was tangy, had the richness that you'd expect but raises to the next level with the caramelized onions and what seem like charred green onions and the Smoky umami flavor to it. The only nitpicks we had was that it was quite salty so it made it hard to go back in multiple dips in a row even though our eyes and hearts wanted to. That and the shrimp chips that came with were quite oily. Frankly, we could have just used a plain warm banh mi baguette as the ideal vehicle to get it into our faces.

The lobster roll was a unique take on a lobster roll with fresh forward flavors. The addition of the herbs and greens helped it feel less heavy than the traditional rolls. Hard to say if it's better or worse - just different. The brioche bun was the ideal softness.

The garlic noodles with crawfish craw’d into our brains throughout the email, as we kept on going back to the noodles given it’s ideal texture of QQ and bounce. When you get a bite with the roe and chives combining with the noodles fresh = bliss. Pro tip, slather some of that french onion dip on the noodles and use that as the vehicle. You’re taste buds will thank you.

The Bo Luc Lac (shaking beef) had the most tender beef we’ve ever come across for this dish (here or in Vietnam). Flavor was on point as they didn’t marinade or sauce it too sweet (a common issue we run across in the states for Western flavor profiles). Combine that with quality cut of beef used (that isn’t too tough or chewy) and we’ve got a winner. The red cornish hen like rice was just fine so I’d actually see if you could just get plain white rice to let the beef flavor shine (or you know, just eat more noodles!)

The banana cheesecake was a clever take on a traditional Che Chuoi dessert. Good dense texture to the cheesecake you definitely get the banana flavor. Make sure you like banana though cause it’s not explicitly stated on the menu.

SERVICE: But what made the meal feel full of love and care was our server. The server was incredibly friendly, patient, and was just so thoughtful. He answered all our annoying food questions with patience, went above and beyond to ensure my surprise birthday meal for my partner was indeed so, and made the dining experience feel special. Truly left no stone unturned.

We can’t wait till our next chance...