Local food blog Adelaide Food Central united with Mai Kitchen last Monday night to create a cracker of a dinner for local bloggers to see what people were raving about.
Hidden away in Ferryden Park on the corner of Warren and Wright Street is the Vietnamese restaurant – a gem you need to visit if you haven’t discovered it for yourself already.
Now, we will warn you, this is a very ‘hands-on’ experience – so prepare to get messy – and when they tell you ‘the sky is the limit’, they mean it, there are so many options on this menu.
So shall we get started on the food? We began our night with spring rolls, but not just any spring rolls. They’re Hanoi style which means they are wrapped in rice paper for that extra crisp. Next came the gigantic-sized Vietnamese Pancakes with Chicken, draping heavily off of their own plates. With a fluffy omelette filled with fresh bean sprouts, you’ll be feeling full and satisfied for about a week. Both were served with lettuce, pickling carrots, herbs and dipping sauce. But wait, this is the trick! You wrap your delicious omelette or spring roll up in the lettuce, along with the extras, and then experience the flavours that explode on your tongue all at once – genius!
As for mains, we were spoiled for choice. Having selected the Vegetarian Laksa, vegetables were plentiful and the bowl that lay in front of me was almost the size of a small swimming pool. With an abundance or leafy greens, tofu and noodles, I was almost put into an instant food coma. The Clay Pot featuring rice, chicken, mushroom, egg and pretty much every vegetable you can imagine was also an extremely hearty – and tasty – meal.
Okay, who can go past Fried Ice Cream at an Asian restaurant? If you like your desserts hot and cold, with maybe even a bit of chocolate sauce, have this. The crisp coating of the deep-fried goodness had us in dessert heaven.
If you happen to pass by this quality restaurant, be adventurous and try one of their concoctions from their drink list – alcoholic or not. With mysterious names like Longan Slushie, 3 Colour Bean Drink or the Soda (Egg) or (Lemon), you know you’re in for something different – and delicious, despite the unusual names. The staff also make a mean Expresso Martini right in front of your eyes.
So, the verdict? You’ll definitely be saving your dollars here. Prices are ridiculously cheap with meals barely ranging above $20.00 and dessert sitting around the $7.00 mark. You’re seriously getting more than what you pay for – the dishes are HUGE so make sure you request a container you can pack your leftovers in at the end of the meal, trust me, you’ll need it.
