I came here to try the phở (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and left on a high note after tasting the bánh canh cua chạo tôm (Vietnamese thick crab noodle soup with grilled prawn paste).
The phở đặc biệt (Vietnamese special beef noodle soup, $9) here is a sizable bowl of fragrant broth laden with beef balls, tendons, tripe and rare beef slices. It’s not the best we’ve ever had but stacks up above average.
Meanwhile as the boys get their phở fix, my sister and I get the bánh canh cua chạo tôm (Vietnamese thick crab noodle soup with grilled prawn paste, $10). Thick starchy noodles made from rice and tapioca flour are interlaced with flakes of crab meat in a tasty rich soup. The noodles are slightly chewy with a lovely bite and the addition of the grilled prawn paste is divine. The chạo tôm (grilled prawn paste) has of course been wrapped around sugar cane and grilled, so it complements the noodle soup with a gorgeous natural sweetness and highlights the magnificent aromas of shellfish.
The garnish of fried and fresh shallots and coriander offers cut through and it is even tastier with a spoonful of fresh cut chillis.
Noodle soups FTW!
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Hoang Gia
2/98 The Crescent, Flemington NSW
Phone: (02) 9746 0166