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01.20 | theburgnews.com | 33 e Red Boat sits next door to the longtime Garden Vietnamese Restaurant, but Doan doesn't see them as "competition," since their menus approach Vietnamese cuisine differently. Doan's wife, Dung Le, was a cook in Vietnam. A trained pastry chef, she previously worked at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Mississippi, where Doan was born and raised. It was a job with Direct TV that brought Doan to the Harrisburg area eight years ago, and he decided it was a good place to put down roots. "I love Harrisburg," he said. "It's beautiful with the river, and it feels like a big small city." nIce AnD LIght Now, it's all hands on deck—Doan's restaurant is bringing additional family members to the area. "We're very close," said cousin Khoa Nguyen. He greeted diners and took their orders behind the counter. e 27-year-old moved here from Mississippi in November to work at the restaurant. During opening weekend, he said the three most popular dishes were pho, "e Boat" ("because it's a healthy bowl") and "the dogs." "Harrisburg feels like a small town where everybody knows each other," Nguyen said. "Word is getting around fast [about the Red Boat]," said Nguyen. e seasonings were just right to Dan Furci of Hummelstown. He enjoyed an opening weekend meal with his wife and found his "boat" with lemongrass chicken "perfectly seasoned." He sampled his wife's chicken pho as well. "It was nice and light, with more of a ai basil flavor," he said. e couple said they'd be back—they already have their next dishes picked out. Seasonings and flavor are extremely important to Doan. "I want people to know we don't use MSG," he said. "Some restaurants use it. It's a cheaper way to add flavor without having to use more ingredients to make food flavorful." Capitol neighborhood resident Rick May stopped in during opening weekend, as well. "e bubble tea was a unique experience— delicious," he said. As for his chicken pho, May declared it "the best pho in town." He and his wife have lived in Harrisburg for more than a dozen years. "We like to support local businesses, and we've seen a lot of positive changes during the time we've lived here," May said. A rising tide does indeed lift all boats. "I'm very excited about becoming a small business owner," Doan said. "It's very exciting. It's lots of work, but we are getting lots of great feedback. So, we're very happy with the outcome." e Red Boat is located at 306 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Facebook page or www.theredboatfusion.com. hbg smALL busIness ArtIcLes Are ProuDLY sPonsoreD bY:

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