text: Vietnamese food made by (lovely!) Vietnamese family. They value fresh ingredients and snappy service.\n\nEstablished in 2011, this restaurant serves many traditional Vietnamese dishes as well as a few popular 'East Asian' dishes. Plates are heartily-sized and reasonably priced.\n\nMy Tom Xao Ca Ri ($12.50) was full of fresh vegetables (not overcooked -- a rarity for this neighborhood's Asian restaurants!) and jumbo shrimp. The original house specialties include Banh Tom Ho Tay (lightly friend shrimp and sweet potato cake, $13) and Ca Kho To (caramelized fish, $10). Their curries pack a welcomed spicy punch. The Canh Chua ($8) are all made with a homemade broth (cooked daily).  \n\nThe chef is forthright in sharing his values. MSG disgusts him and so does the 'watery salty stock' that other restaurants use. He also said too many cooks substitute natural ingredient flavor with copious amounts of oil. \n\nPetite Tonkinoise's only downfall? The decor isn't much to write about. It looks like a confused zen kitsch mini banquet hall.