Minh Hai, Sydney

Fried chicken with tomato fried rice $8.50

Famous fried chicken.

I couldn't count the number of times the outdoor signage at Minh Hai teased me. Stuck on a bus in the usual George Street traffic snarl, I'd lean my forehead gently against the window, peering at the strange but alluring fluorescent logo in the window, a frolicking dolphin leaping in front of a yellow setting sun.

And yet I'd always forget about this place, teetering on the very fringe of Chinatown. Forgotten, of course, until the next time I found myself on a bus heading up George Street and it would pull up at the bus-stop just outside the restaurant yet again.


Spicy sea jelly $6.00

But it seems like I'm the only one who struggles to remember its location, the restaurant quickly reaching capacity (predominantly students) on a weekday lunch.

The one-page menu is double-sided, laminated and helpfully illustrated with colour photos of each dish. There are 48 different dishes in all, moving from fried noodles to Hainan chicken, and noodle soups to hotpots.

We order the spicy sea jelly, or jellyfish to start. I've always enjoyed jellyfish, particularly as part of a Chinese wedding banquet cold platter starter. This version falls far short of expectations, a muddle of soggy jellyfish slices doused in a bland fish sauce dressing that leaves a strange and unpleasant metallic aftertaste that lingers on the tongue.


Fried beef with dried noodle $8.50

Fried beef with dried noodle is a little more lively, the strips of beef tender if a tad oily. A bowl of nuoc cham fish sauce dressing adds zing to a summery mix of lettuce, bean sprouts, cold noodles and crushed peanuts.

Even better is my order of fried chicken with tomato fried rice. The chicken maryland has skin that is crisp and burnished gold, the flesh beneath soft and juicy. Its moist and succulent, made even more hearty with its side of tomato-sauce rice and a sunny fried egg.


Jackfruit shake $3.50

We wash our meals down with jackfruit shakes, sweet and refreshing.

Trouble is, next time I'm stuck on a bus heading up George Street, the thought of that fried chicken will still tease me so.



Minh Hai Restaurant
615 George Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9281 1875 or +61 (02) 9281 5648

Open 7 days 10am - 10pm
BYO $1 per person per glass

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