This was a meeting with one of the frequent contributors to Zomato/Urbanspoon in Brisbane, iHo. Trying out a few messages back and forth over a period of time, a couple of more direct contacts were swapped, and eventually an arrangement was made to finally meet up for a meal. This was done with quite a bit of convenience to scheduling.
After he asked if there were some places I had in mind to try out, this was among the options that I suggested - and well, you know the ending. I'm not reviewing Maru here now, am I? This coincided well with a class I had in town, and after class it was right to here to finally meet him and share some food. iHo was a really friendly and interactive man, and I definitely enjoyed going to lunch with him. I look forward to many more of these in the future.
For location, Little Saigon does well for being out of the way, and it might be a bit lacking in any sort of atmosphere. Even scaling back the rowdiness of the lunch-time rush, the surroundings are a bit on the bland side. Coming from Rowland Arcade to a new location, this is a small pedestrian-only laneway adjacent to Albert Street, and just diagonal to the Myer Center. It is hidden from the street, prompted only by either a sign or a quick look in to see many ardent diners.
With regards to the actual eating area, many tables are strewn around, some bigger than others but nevertheless this resumes the trend of market-style eating. Some have condiments, others don't, some have menus, other's don't - it is really whatever happens happens. One table off to the side a bit, just outside the main area was found by the two of us, and ergonomically conversation was much better and clearer there. After ordering and getting the food, the rest is self service - the condiments (including sriracha sauce), utensils and straws are the diners' responsibility.
Here is the thing about the service: don't expect that much of it for a simple reason. They got to get dozens, maybe even hundreds of orders out in a quick succession during the peak hours, so they have to streamline it as much as possible. Go one end of the counter, after a big line up and place your order as efficiently as possible - menus will be strewn around the place, so pick one up and peruse if you are indecisive. Step out of line if need be (that's what the two of us did), then order and pay. They still will be friendly.
Next they give you a buzzer, which goes off when your order is ready. This is not that far off being like a food court, maybe a one-outlet food court. Anyways, find your seat and the buzzer will go off quite quickly. The entire order might not come at once, and bits and pieces come when they come, so you get to keep hold of it in case of that; I know this through how it happened. It could also be via getting a numbered ticket and waiting - depends on whether it is eat in or takeaway.
This is one of the biggest menus that I have encountered for a while. It is still on the manageable side, getting doubled side on an A3 sheet - but it close to guarantees that there will be something for you to order. Most of the options are street food. By the by, can you tell it is Vietnamese?
Starting off, there is a range of fingers foods such as meat skewers, crepes and rice paper rolls. These can be bought individually, or as a selection to share for starters. They can make for a good snack if that is all you want or you're low on cash.
Next is a number of "carts" or sections of the menu, which have the popular dishes from Vietnam: bun, bahn mi, com, pho and noodle soup carts. At the banh mi station alone, you can see the lady there working non-stop cutting open many baguettes in advance, buttering them with pate, and adding the ingredients before toasting it; she never seemed to stop to catch her breath. One thing the bahn mis have over other places is they are close to "make your own", and many meats can be put in them.
The bun stall is mainly, choose your meat to go with the rest. Going to the com stall, it is like seeing an array of Vietnam's greatest flavours and ingredients - a greatest hit list if you will. That alone is probably longer than most of the rest combined; you're spoiled for choice with it. Following up, the pho cart which is the signature soup and their house specialty, and one last stall is for the simpler noodle soups.
Finishing it all off, there is a refreshments cart which offers the beverages and desserts. If you are feeling game, the refreshments cart has a lot of exotic drinks and desserts which are hard to find elsewhere. There a smoothies with fruits such as jackfruit, custard apple and avocado, along with coconut slushies, fresh juices and coffee among others. Desserts can vary depending on what is available, so this is one place to check back for regular visits.
Phew! That's a lot. Then, if none of that is to your fancy, there is a further display cabinet for more options. Variety is the name of the game here. Dining in, it all comes in bowls and plates - you still feel like you are in a restaurant.
There was one thing - okay two things, but two things in particular that I was going to get from this place right from the get go. The first was a bowl of the country's signature soup, pho. From memory I might have had this once or twice beforehand, but think I definitely need to try it more with the ardent reception in which it has.
This soup is made with a rich marsala of flavours. In the broth alone, there is beef stock, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger. Following that, along with the choice of meat, rich noodles are added followed by a garnish each of mixed herbs (including coriander), pickled onions, fresh chili, lime juice, Srirachi sauce, and fish sauce. Then you have one of the richest (in flavour) of soups, that tastes quite light in spite of it all.
It was a combination pho tai, with bits of beef brisket, meatball, sliced beef and bits of chicken. This was a good soup to drink. The flavours are there, not quite distinctly in your face, but give them time and they will become more noticeable. Each bit of meat was deliciously tender, and about as soft as butter in the mouth. The flavours had really come out of the flesh, and incensed themselves into the broth. The noodles were delicious, tender and soft, plus all the vegetables in the soup made for a good crunch. It's flavour was strange, and everything went together well. It had a bit of sophistication to it, and was a meal in itself even at that smaller size. The broth was really hot, and made it all the better.
If there is a better place for pho within Brisbane, feel free to give me some suggestions as I will certainly attempt to check them out.
Then, the second thing that I was going to get was to try durian in some form. This was all pre-meditated, and known about beforehand - durian is not a given anywhere in this nape of the woods. The menu of exotic fruit smoothies contained several options, including this infamous fruit. So, on the side I ordered a durian smoothie.
Okay, what has to be said about durian that has not been said already? It was not to iHo's liking particularly, and this is an acquired taste to be sure. I had given it a bit of a go in Singapore, but the smell eventually put me off a bit; still, to give the indication I have finally tried it - I would eat almost anything to prove it here. Trying it in a drink, this actually has a pretty pleasant taste. You might just need to either eliminate or get over the smell and all is good (as I've been told, the infamous smell is in the skin).
This was the perfect sort of drink on a hot day. It was ice cold, literally using ice as one of the ingredients. Additionally, the beverage was also very thick that it required getting one of the thick straws instead; and having it thick actually makes it better for hot days. Face it, how often have you gotten a cold drink and it was gone before you knew it in the heat? Kind of sucks, right? Well, with the smoothie being extra thick, and kind of big as well, it lasted long enough to be satisfying.
With a combination of ice, condensed milk, regular milk and the choice of fruit, this goes down a treat and is one beverage I actually don't mind forking the cash out for the price tag - I feel it is worthy, decent value and has a bit of a novelty act to it. Both the milks made it very creamy, with the condensed variety taking the place of ice cream, and the smooth nature of the durian blended well making a slightly sweet drink. It makes me tempted to try out the other exotic fruits.
Seconds were certainly on the agenda, and iHo suggested to wait it out due to the really quick service. He seems like my sort of guy, big eater and always willing to make room for dessert. iHo just went for a coffee, but for me I though try something else - something a bit unusual to me. This ended up being sticky rice with sugar banana.
I liked it, but it is a bit difficult to explain how. This is sort of an acquired taste, mixes of an odd gluttonous texture combined with a different sort of sweet. The banana has a different taste to the ones that are found in most supermarkets. They were big bits of banana, and the rice was soft and gooey (it reminded me a bit of a risotto in all honesty), making for a simple finish to the meal.
How on Earth was I going to go to a Vietnamese place, and somehow not weasel out one of the characteristic iced coffees? It's coffee, what do you expect? Sometimes the coffees from these places can be underwhelming. Often there is not much of the coffee flavour, or it is a bit on the weak side. Not here, as both the strength of the coffee and the sweetness of the condensed milk are in for equal measure. That makes for one real sugar rush, and a big hit of caffeine as well, along with a combination of sweet and bitter and not too much ice. Win-win-win! Heck, in the meantime I have come back just to get a coffee; the hot weather suits it.
There are cuisines where when you try them, you get reminders in different ways for why you like them so much. Vietnamese is one of them for me, and Little Saigon Grill managed to awaken me once again. Some places well and truly get their reputation for quite an obvious reason, and here is another one of those. It knows fully well what it is. The food is both fresh and tasty, it is done quickly and on-the cheap plus I think I might have found the perfect, guilt-free place for brief lunches between appointments in a busy schedule.
Thumbs go up to Little Saigon Grill. I might not have tried you at the original location, however I do believe that this new locale is going to suit you well for a long time.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes