There's something disquieting about food served within seconds of ordering it. What's going on in Bay Tinh's kitchen? Are there shelves of sprout-stuffed crispy pancakes stacked and ready to go, or is the sous chef jacked on amphetamines?
I'm not exactly a connoisseur of Vietnamese food so I'm not really equipped to declare this either abominable or a beauty. It was all very fresh. There were a lot of bean sprouts.
I was suspicious of the prawns - anyone should be when they're flavourless and you're in Sydney - while the salt and pepper tofu might have been nicer with some, er, seasoning. The Vietnamese beer was very good and the plate of garlic-soy greens was generous and tasty. The bonfire beef and prawns, a 'signature dish', was an interesting concept that had some flare, in that the waiter lit some metho underneath the pot at the table. Sadly that gesture didn't elevate it from being a bowl of tepid meat and onions you had to wrap up with lettuce and rice paper, inexpertly, yourself.
Don't get me wrong. I didn't have a regrettable experience - I appreciated most elements of the spread. But I see no reason to go back. Well, not unless I'm desperate for a sprout-stuffed crispy pancake and I'm in a real big hurry. read more