The food is traditional Vietnamese cuisine and is super fresh. We are Australian and our Vietnamese…read morefriends have bought us here in the past. You know it's good when Vietnamese families eat here! The tables have plastic table cloths and utensils in containers on them - but please don't be put off. It isn't meant to be a fine dining experience. It is functional, fresh, fast and fabulous!! The staff are super friendly and welcoming, they learn your name and remember you even if it's been a while since your last visit. They will help you order if you are new to Vietnamese - just ask!

There is no lack of choice for Vietnamese eateries in Bankstown! Having tried one that was close by…read moreto this one, we decided to give this one a try. Service was quick and we were seated immediately and orders taken in no time and food was delivered shortly after. We ordered the Rare Beef Noodle Soup (we ended up with Beef Noodle Soup With Fatty Beef), Rice Vermicelli With Spring Rolls & BBQ Pork (we ended up with Special Combination Rice Vermicelli). The only thing they got right was the Young Coconut Juice. The food tasted nice and had lots of flavour but it would've been lovely if they actually got any of meals right. We were charged the higher priced dishes of course. The guy who took our order could see what I had pointed out on the menu so unsure if they do a switcheroo on unsuspecting customers. It is cheap and cheerful for what they offer though.

This is basically one of those pubs that you go to if there really isn't any place else to go it,…read morewhich isn't really saying much when you consider that in Sydney there are plenty of other places to go, unless of course the bouncers won't let you in for one reason or another (which hasn't got anything to do with you being intoxicated). Yeah, this pub really doesn't really stand out and while I would suggest that it is rather unassuming, it isn't even that. Still, it certainly isn't as bad as some I have been to.

This is a nice place to get good quality pub style meals…read more And the new menu is delicious It's always full on Friday night but staff are friendly and efficient. The kitchen is efficient but the food is really nicely made and presented for the reasonable prices. The pizzas are around $14 and there is a range of meals to suit different budgets.

Where the hell did this come from?!…read more The other night as I drove along Victoria Rd I passed the sparkling lights of Ruby's new courtyard. Impressed, I decided to check it out - might be nice for an afternoon drink, I thought. Looks pretty, not too busy. In this statement I was both very right and very wrong. Ruby L'otel is extremely pretty. I'd never been here prior to the renovations, but any money says that it's a world above what it was. What's more, the staff are ridiculously attractive as well, so the entire joint is easy on the eye. As for quiet, I was way off. It seems that my friends are I were the last to find out about Ruby's, as the entire place was full by 8pm, swarming with crowds of all ages, most notably Balmain, Rozelle and Lilyfield's younger generation. The area's future MILFs seem to flock here in hoards, snagged by The Ruby's schmancy renos and the extensive and good-looking cocktail list, including $30 cocktail jugs and $8 cocktail slushies. The menu is pretty attractive too, hooking me simply with the snack food (Kumera chips with spiced sour cream and chilli fries with aioli and chilli sauce). This moved on to an equally attractive bar menu, followed by 'mains', sides and tacos ($3 on Trivia Tuesdays). Whilst there's to be no drinking or eating in the outside area after 6pm, luckily the back indoor courtyard feels as if you're outdoors, so you don't loose the beer garden experience. The eye candy alone makes frequenting Ruby L'otel an extremely good idea. However, an added incentive is that they sell pints of Monteiths Cider for only $7.50 (only 50 cents more than a schooner) and a sip of this elixir tastes like biting into a crisp Granny Smith. It is thus no surprise that Ruby L'otel quickly rises to 'local' status. Judging by the number of people at Ruby's you probably already know it exists. But, if you're like me and it has somehow managed to evade you, don't go another day in the dark. This place is great.

Came for dinner, service was fast but the portions of food were definitely not adequate for the…read moreprices that are charged. Fish and chips were $17, and received 3 very small pieces of extremely oily deep fried fish and were only given 4 hand cut oily chips that weren't cooked through, leaving them undercooked in the centre. Was a bit disappointing Service was friendly

A client took me out here for a quick meal and a catch up. 3 hours later i still wanted more…read more This place has excellent service and is a great representation of the regional cuisine. Keep in mind that the distinctive feature of Szechuan food is pepper and spice so if you have concerns they note if anything is particularly hot. Also the staff were without a doubt the most understanding in relation to my gf's gluten intolerance and as several courses were brought out they would clearly advise what was and was not gluten free. The food was extremely well prepared and tasted as it should - succulent and heavily spiced.

Very nice Chinese restaurant and great for a small to large group. We went there for our Christmas…read morework lunch and we're well looked after by the manager to all our requests.

Decent but nothing to write home about...oh, right. Had the vermicelli bowl. Not bad, but had…read morebetter. Portion was a bit small as well. Good place for lunch I suppose. Definitely caters to the big lunch crowd that comes to this area.

Went here twice to try their fresh rolls and mock pork banh mi but I doubt I'll be back. You'd…read moreexpect a perfect banh mi for $7.90 but they're not very big and the second one I had was missing the sauceand chilli, making it a regulation salad roll. Decent concept but at these prices they have to be getting the basics right.

It's always nice when you get recognised by people who you don't expect to recognise you. Like the…read morestaff at a restaurant you haven't been to in a while. "Have you been away?" the owner of Asakusa asked my friend and I last time we went in. "I haven't seen you in a while." Yes, we had been away. And yes, we do go there a lot. Asakusa is fantastic for inexpensive and fresh Japanese food. From the $6 Taco Yaki (fried octopus balls) and Togarashi Tofu (deep fried tofu with chilli, garlic and dried shredded tuna) to my favourite, the Asagao Dinner Box (sushi, futomaki, green salad & tuna maki) for $14.50, you leave Asakusa feeling full, healthy and happy in the knowledge that you haven't spent most of this week's budget. If you've got time, grab an Asahi and some edamame beans while you peruse the menu. Also, avoid making changes to the meals if you don't want to cause confusion.

We had dinner here last night…read more Shabu Shabu is so much fun shared. I introduced my other half to it, even after explaining to him repeatedly that it's not soup! I'm yet to have a bad meal here. The food is always very yummy. The staff are lovely. The decor leaves much to be desired, but I'm not there to stare at their walls, I'm there to play with my food!!!

A tornado smashed Bondi just as a burger tornado was smashing my face. That's a terrible analogy,…read morebut hey, any port in a storm. So. The Cowboy Burger. It's big, it's bad, it's got fried onion rings and smoky tasting bacon and a patty that you want to lay down on a bearskin rug and make sweet sweet Barry White love to and not with. They also do this super cool thing where they run a special limited edition burger of the week from recipes given to them by their customers. By the people, for the people. Sweet idea. Now. The Chilli Cheese Fries. What a delightful surprise. A bowl of shoestring fries drenched -swimming! - in chilli con carne chock full of tender chunks of brisket, piled with bubbling melted cheese. Look at my photos to see what I mean. Mind. Blown. Wide. Open. Have a chat to Gaudi the owner, he's a rad guy, and real friendly. This place has been open about 12 weeks or so and hopefully will be open for another 12 years, the food + service is bang on.

Saw a new burger shop pop up and obviously had to go, and went so with a friend…read more Paradise Road Diner is a new Americana diner opened by Bondi Iceberg's David Owen. The menu has stuff from burgers, to fried chicken and waffles, to bagels, to omelettes, and even some braised beef. They also sport some staple sides like mac and cheese. Well I obviously came for the burger...and thankfully you can add extras to it. I got the Cheeseburger ($15) and added a 2nd patty plus bacon ($5, $3)...each patty is 180g so it's not a small burger even without extras. We also ordered the braised brisket. The burger is pretty good...the best way to describe it is although it's messy, it's a "clean" burger. You can eat this burger and not feel gross afterwards...but then sometimes I don't know if that's a good thing, as part of the experience of eating a burger is that greasy heart attack inducing grossness you feel eating it sometimes, like at Mary's. It's tasty but it's missing an extra kick, or the X factor that makes it completely stand out. It's an awesome new addition to the burger scene in Sydney, and especially out in Bondi. Bonditony's has some competition now, though Bonditony's bread still wins, the meat here wins over Bonditony's. The braised brisket is alright, it comes with a side of sweet BBQ sauce, pickles, and cornbread. Would have preferred smoked brisket but alas no smoker here...they're also BYO at the moment but will have a license soon enough. Would come again.

Oh the delight of Yum-Cha goodies, makes my mouth water just thinking about them. For some reason…read morethis place is my kids' favourite Yum-Cha spot. Set over three levels means you don't have to wait long to be seated, even though it's peak hours. The dishes are tasty. You'll find most if not all your Yum-Cha favourites here. From the classic BBQ Pork Bun, Prawn Dumpling, Chicken Feet, Steamed Gai Lan, and more. To the adventurous Braised Offal. Finish off with Asian dessert favourites Mango Pancake, Egg/Custard Tart, and my new favourite Chinese Sugar Donuts. You have to try their Sugar Donuts! The only downside is the frequency of the cart is scarce, especially if you're seated on the third floor, so you might need to order some dishes instead of waiting forever for them to come.

Not one of the best Yum-cha's I've had. Food was ok but there was no variety or even vegetables…read moreserved. The waiters being Chinese of course didn't understand what chile was when I asked for it at least three times and then told me I had to pay an extra $2.00 for it. Presentation wasn't at all great and there was no menu to see what they had to offer. Never again. As we paid for the bill they tried to rip me and my friend off making out that they couldn't understand when we asked for the total amount. If you like to try out a real yum cha with value for money check out the Emperor's Choice Tea House (www.emperorsteahouse.com) in the Sydney CBD or New Flower Drum (ww.newflowerdrum.com.au) in Hoxton Park. I rest my case.