The contents of this blog are matters of opinion formed over one more visits. There has been some artistry applied and metaphors and similes should not necessarily be taken literally.
I was on a banh mi kick recently, and Banh Mi Bay Ngo, very close to Nam Fong Hot Bread, was a natural option for a pre-work meal.
Like its nearby competitor, Banh Mi Bay Ngo’s traditional pork roll ($6.50) was packed with cold sliced meats at a very competitive price. I’d say that in comparison with Nam Fong, this particular roll had a greater and attractive crispiness to its pickled vegetables, which provide for nice intra-bite textural variation. Please note that the roll did not come wiht the grill marks – the bread was heated up in a sandwich press prior to consumption – a technique I learned from the SRMO who keeps making me feel jealous every time he has a banh mi at work.
The nem chua pork roll ($6.50) was less attractive to me, owing to the physically smaller quantity of meat, without much extra in terms of flavour. Still a good roll, but doesn’t beat the classic in my opinion.
Overall, both were good, and I can’t recommend either Banh Mi Bay Ngo or Nam Fong over the other.
Both the bun bo hue ($18) and the pho dac biet ($19) at Madam Ky were really good. The flavours were good, the servings were absolutely huge, and they were both jam packed with an extraordinary amount of meat, so much so that we, two hungry adults, really struggled to finish them.
My only complaint, which applies more to the pho dac biet ($19) than the bun bo hue, is that it wasn’t hot enough to really put in the bean sprouts without significantly dropping the temperature of the bowl, which is a problem for me because I LOVE my bean sprouts.
An added bonus is that Madam Ky does these pretty good boxes of frozen pho ($7.80), which you can heat up yourself with a microwave and some water at home. They come with not enough beef brisket, but the flavour is good and the price is as well.
Important note: This restaurant is now closed prior to the publication of this review. The same group owns Pho Vien at 283 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield, which as I understand is essentially the same restaurant with a different name.
RIP.
Madame Ky Shop 10/211 Canterbury Rd Canterbury, Campsie, NSW, Australia, New South Wales
Nhu Y King’s banh mis with double meat kept me going through never ending weekend ward rounds on the aged care inpatient team, and I thank them for that.
The size and price ratio was good, as was their 7-day opening schedule, something that XCel Roll could not compete with.
(I should note that as of 2024 the size and quality at XCel Roll Auburn has dropped off significantly, which is a shame, because they used to hold the crown. I don’t know if XCell Roll Parramatta has suffered the same drop in quality, as I’ve not been back in some time.)
Nhu Y King’s Hot Bread 23 Betty Cuthbert Ave, Ermington NSW 2115
As I was preparing to leave the safe confines of Western Sydney for a three month stint on the NSW South Coast my Thai friend and colleague told me about his favourite restaurant in the area, LEAF. This was high praise coming from a guy who has spent significant periods of time living and working in the Illawara, across both Wollongong and Nowra. Love Eating Asian Food, as unusual as it is as the name of a restaurant, does describe me well, as frequent readers of this blog will know. I came here with DTC and my partner for our traditional pre-handover dinner.
These crabmeat siu mai ($9.90) were really not bad. I was particularly impressed by the wrappers, which I can’t confirm but felt handmade. The filling was fine and crabby, and I can actually believe that it was crab.
The Malaysian Nasi Goreng Fried Rice ($18.90), complete with chicken satay skewer and a fried egg, was a completely normal staple. Doesn’t quite hit the mark of Sydney-based specialty Malaysian restaurants, but very edible.
Same vibes about the Malaysian Chicken Laksa ($18.90), though this was quite a difficult dish to share as we were essentially sharing a bowl of noodles between three people eating on plates.
In keeping with LEAF in Nowra’s theme of pan-Asian dining, the Vietnamese Pancake (banh xeo – $18.90) also has its country of origin in its name on the menu. It was not the most traditional rendition, but actually not bad, with good cripsiness of the thin crepe like pancake as well as good flavours and a bright and fresh sauce.
Apparently a staple dish for DTC, the Mango Sticky Rice ($9.90) was something new to me, and actually quite enjoyable. I’ve never had the combination of sticky coconut rice and mango before, and it was quite a treat. A bit odd about the little golden shovels that we got as spoons though, but maybe that’s traditional?
COMMENTS While I don’t think LEAF in Nowra particularly excells in any one dish when judging by international standards, you could certainly do worse if you’re in the area and looking for a vaguely Asian meal, of any persuasian. My friend GD was right, even if his recommendation was based on his experience as a guy who eats three frozen macro-balanced meals a day. Not bad. Rurality bonus.
LEAF in Nowra Unit 1 / Building B/111 North St, Nowra NSW 2541 (02) 4402 7286
This above pictured pork roll ($7) was not bad, with all the requisite components of Vietnamese mayonnaise and pate, with an extra sour liquidy sauce that I had never had before. The bread was good, crusty but not cutting of the mouth. It’s a solid option if you’re on the same street, but there is a certain lack of advanced alternatives like crackling pork that might mean a trip up the road to Dulwich Hill Pork Roll might be on the cards if you’re already in the car anyway.
