At the bottom of the new Quest apartments in the backstreet area of Woollongabba, many new things are arising. One of them is a family-owned Vietnamese eatery, which has gone in the course of a year from little upstart to being a bigger blip on the radar as we speak.
This had been one place on my dining buddy's agenda for weeks now, and it was all a case of aligning a time up that would both be suitable and that it would be open (the curse of businesses on Sundays). It had been ever since chancing upon the place when going to the cafe next door. Finally, after much anticipation, and biding time nearby for them to open, it was ripe for sampling and trying this place out. Was it worth it in the end? Short answer, yes. Long answer, read on.
The focus of the menu at My Street Kitchen is, again as I seem to have been running into a lot, simple. The cuisine is Vietnamese, with the angle of it being - as per moniker - street food. This is one time that effective deservedly follows as an adjective. Some items can definitely be eaten on the literal run, but the idea is you can find a place to crouch on the street and eat it there no worries. All of the items are made fresh on site, so you are guaranteed that they pay close attention to quality.
As for interior, it is pretty low key and plain. A long bench is inside for seating, and there are a couple of tables al fresco. For the most part, it is designed as takeaway but it had the atmosphere and character that could welcome a causal eat in. My dining buddy chose an outdoor table, which was shaped like the hawker-style pushcarts - kind of cute actually. Plus, the service is very lovely. It is really efficient, and you will be eating in no time upon ordering.
It is not a huge menu either; there are only about four items to it. From each item, though, there are several varieties. The items are the signature sandwich bahn mi, rice paper rolls, vermicelli salad, and crispy fried rice. In addition to that, every week they have a rotating special which could be anything from a crispy pancake to pho to fish cake; just come in and be surprised. A neat addition, which you can see from the counter, is that they have the menu in Vietnamese to make it easier for them to remember what is what - just say the number and all is good.
There were no surprises, and there was no hesitating with what my dining buddy went for. It is one of his favourite foods, and he likes to constantly find new places with it to compare them. That was none other than a bahn mi. Most people would have their own kind of food or other item in which they are particular about, that certain aspects need to be so et al. This is one he has grown his own thoughts about what it constitutes.
So, he went ahead with his order and got their "Lemongrass Pork Roll". One aspect about bahn mis that we says must be included is a good layer of pate; there was none to be found here - at least not on the variety he ordered. Instead, it had the usual combination of cucumber, coriander, and carrot with a mixture of mayonnaise and peanut sauce. Optional was the addition of chili, which he said yes to. In trying the split it, the service continued to be great where they were able to cut it in half no worries.
It was nothing short of delicious. The bread roll which they used was freshly baked, helping soak in the butter used on the roll. Contrasting with that, and a combination of it and mayonnaise, was a generous helping of the salad items - the carrot, the coriander and the cucumber. They all added a good crunch to them, and the coriander itself made its unique flavour known. Plus, the bite of chili is always welcome when it pops up. Making it go from a great, filling bahn mi to a fantastic, satisfying bahn mi was the presence of having crackling on the pork. That is basically what works with bahn mi in a nutshell - it is rich, it is fresh, it is spicy, it is wholesome, it is filling. It is complex and at the same time, straight forward.
When I went in for my order, my dining buddy pointed out to me what the special then was (or so was thought). It had been one that I had wanted to get into my reviewing list, and that was the classic soup "pho" - complete with several cuts of beef. However, they had sold out - and they were really nice about it, and additionally it reminded them to take the sign down.
That was no worry to me, just go back and order something else. For the sake of getting some diversity into the meal, I went for one of the crispy fried rice dishes. The one that I ordered was with spicy lemongrass chicken. This was served with a side of cucumber and pickles. It was very good as well. The rice had a bit of smokiness to it underneath the crunch, and the chicken was simply juicy, infused with a great combination of lemon and chili. This might have well been the pick of the meals that were ordered.
When it is an option at Vietnamese places, you can bet I will go for the coffee. This is always quite good, especially when gotten with milk as it is condensed and thus sweet. Mix it in with the more bitter taste of coffee, and there is a wonderful contrasting of flavours. At My Street Food, they serve it to you already to go - that is, no watching the coffee slowly dripping onto the layer of milk, shucks! It was shoved full of crushed ice, and was really refreshing.
Also to get on the side, I thought to get an order of rice paper rolls. I went for the pork patty one. All honesty with the flavours and textures here, it was a salad of items wrapped with fresh, good quality minced pork. And it was good. An order of these comes with two of them.
During the course of the meal, my dining buddy went back and got another order of rice paper rolls, this time the lemongrass chicken variety. All that has to be said about it, is what was already said about the other rice paper roll. This one was a bit crispier, had some crunch to it, but for the most part proved it was a tastier, healthier and thus more worthwhile version of the classic spring roll.
By the end of the meal, I was feeling both really full and completely satisfied. It was that preferable kind of full where your stomach is filled to capacity, yet somehow are not bloated. In fact, I was so full that for the rest of the daylight hours, I didn't have anything else to eat - that barely even crossed my mind until evening. So with that in mind, it is another aspect for why they are so good.
My Street Food is absolutely worth going out to find and try their food. It is almost as simple as it gets, with some of the most wholesome and filling food available for a cheaper than average price. If it is to be believed, during the work week, there is a line right out the door with the lunchtime crowd - plenty of office workers in the neighbouring area. Popularity certainly correlates to quality this time around.
For once, what gets the best, most authentic, most special result boils down to a simple, straightforward perspective of what they want to serve. It is fresh, quick and tasty. My Street Food does some of the best Vietnamese available in Brisbane and it is worth trying them already if it hasn't been said so yet.
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