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Monday, December 27, 2004

Duc Thanh, Cabramatta

Taking respite from the post-Xmas city sales crush, we took a scenic tour and ended up having lunch in Cabramatta, otherwise known as little Vietnam in Sydney.



We've eaten at Duc Thanh before--the coolest thing we like about this place are the photo album menus. Instead of vague imagined visions of "beef with ginger" or "spicy chicken", these photographic descriptions are your guarantee of minimal disappointment. Don't you hate it when what you end up getting is completely different to what you originally imagined?



We had a variety of dishes all of which were fresh, tasty and down-right bargains.


Cha Gio $6.00
Spring roll


Pho dac biet $7.50
Special beef rice noodle soup with beef meat and tendons and served with bean sprouts, lemon wedges and basil


Com chen suon chen don $9.50
Deep-fried pork rib and fried rice


Bun suon bi $7.50
Pork rib with vermicelli, shredded pork skin covered in sesame seeds and pickled vegetables


Com tam dac biet $7.50
Special three colour
rice served with pork chop, fried egg and Vietnamese pie (pork mince, vermicelli and shredded mushrooms).

Personally I think Pasteur in Bankstown probably has the edge in quality, particularly with the spring rolls and cold noodles. However the atmosphere here is a lot more reminiscent of the streetstall-style eating in Vietnam, where the decor is cheerfully plastic, handwritten signs abound, and locals relax and while away the afternoon.

We especially loved our drinks. The soursop shake was thick and creamy with a hint of tanginess. The salty lemon soda was actually cumquat drink, made from pickled cumquats. The taste was sweet, sour and salty--sounds bizarre but surprisingly refreshing and reminiscent of Chinese pickled salty plums.


Soda chanh muoi Salty lemon soda $3.00 and
Sinh to mang cau Custard apple (soursop) shake $3.50


Traditional DIY condiments and cutlery, Vietnamese-cafe style.

The surrounds aren't glamorous, and the restaurant does front onto a council carpark. However this is part of the charm, and with its simple homestyle Vietnamese cuisine, if you wish hard enough you just might be able to whisk yourself back to a cafe in bustling humid dusty Saigon.



Duc Thanh Restaurant
Shop 3, 20-22 Hughes Street, Cabramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9724 0411


Related GrabYourFork posts:
Cabramatta Food Tour in photos
Cabramatta Moon Festival 2006
Cabramatta Chinese New Year Festival 2007

Cabramatta - Hung Vuong
Cabramatta - Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant

Cabramatta -
Phu Quoc
Cabramatta -
Thanh Binh
Recipe - Avocado shake

Top 10 Sydney Eats for Tourists and Other Rewarding Food Adventures
4 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Anonymous on 12/27/2004 11:59:00 pm


4 Comments:

  • At 12/29/2004 8:20 pm, Blogger Reid said…

    Hello AG...

    Do you mind me calling you that? hehe! The food looks pretty good here. I just happen to love Vietnamese food and must eat it at least once a week. I'm suprised the house special pho (pho dac biet) has only tendons and beef in it. The one served at my favorite restaurant, Bac Nam (which means North and South), has tendons, rare beef, flank steak, beef balls, and tripe. Yummy!

     
  • At 12/30/2004 3:28 pm, Blogger Veruca Salt said…

    Hello H. Went to Thanh 3 last night and the Pho cost $10.50. Highway robbery! At least at Pho An, for $11.80 you get a huge bowl of Pho delivered to table within 3 minutes of placing order.

     
  • At 12/30/2004 9:07 pm, Blogger Reid said…

    Hi again! =)

    No I've never been to Vietnam, but I do really love Vietnamese food. My post on my favorite Vietnamese restaurant is here:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/2004/10/bac_nam.html

    Here are links to pics of other dishes that I've had there:

    bahn mi dac biet:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/photos/onogrindz/bahnmibacnam.html

    spicy lemongrass chicken:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/photos/onogrindz/spicylemongrasschickenbacn.html

    young lotus root salad with shrimp:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/photos/onogrindz/younglotusrootsaladbacnam.html

    pho dac biet:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/photos/onogrindz/phodacbietbacnam.html

    stewed beef:

    http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/photos/onogrindz/stewedbeefbacnam.html

    I've actually had many other dishes here but haven't taken photos. =( I like to go there unexpectedly, and most often times don't carry my camera.

     
  • At 1/18/2005 3:10 pm, Blogger Ms One Boobie said…

    I'm drooling all over..!! and i'm in the middle of snowtown.. and blizzard and the works.. so i can't even go get something to appease my stomach.. arrrghhhhhhhh... !! :P

     

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