Where the height of style and quality can be attained without having to fork out too much of an outrageous price for Vietnamese (even with the price tags, you won't feel shortchanged - believe that), Red Lotus is a darling of the area. Complimenting in some ways to its sister a few doors down, the whole experience is something that is definitely worth the visit. A must for anyone staying in town to get a bite to eat, its popularity should - and does - speak for itself.
It had been a while since I had seen a friend of mine, and she was a lot more free now having being able to get around with a car. Arranging to find a place for dinner one night during the week, it was a whole matter of where. Mostly from my way, since she is generally easy, a few suggestions were put forth including somewhere to get pho (I did have a place not so subconsciously in mind - not this place) and she had remembered from so many times going here from living and working in the area. She herself is quite a fan of Vietnamese cooking as well, and from the suggestion that I had made she thought of going here. Well, this turned out to be an excellent idea as it became one of the more memorable places that has been in recent memory.
All that needs to be shown that this is not just another Vietnamese place is by getting a look at it once you enter the door. This place just looks pretty. Comparatively it is fancy, however word has it the other location is a lot more flash in the aesthetics department. I'll take what I can, but decor is not as important as the food to me - take that as what you will. What might have helped is that it was at night, since there was mood lighting abound. The lights above are shaped like lotuses, and they emit a pink colour when turned on. These go nicely with the dark hues, and down to the bone it has a pretty simple set up - plus a good mural to Saigon on the far wall and some plants to give it a good vibe.
What can I say about the service other than that it is brilliant? When the waitstaff are on fire, they will rarely miss a beat. This is a place will thrive on having an actively busy night, and that was the case that night. It did die down a little bit towards the end as some people went out the door - but it was nothing that a little beckoning could not help with. To put it in perspective with how diligent they were, during the meal I dropped a chopstick and picked it up; a waiter saw this and immediately went to retrieve a fresh pair.
Red Lotus does Vietnamese cuisine as it could be deduced, however this is not anything run of the mill. It is not the common array of street food, nor is it the vaguely Chinese place that pays lip service to Vietnamese cuisine with a section of its own. Instead, Red Lotus has its own identity through the food selection that is on offer. While quite extensive, it does not get to the point of being overwhelming and there is more than enough to satisfy every palate and demand.
To begin, the starters section is notably smaller. A few of the favourites are around just to pique interest in a full experience. Going from there, salads and vegetables is the next section - they do not recommend them as full meals, but rather accompaniments to meat and rice. Following that, they come to one of their biggest trump cards - pho. This is one that they take seriously, and make it with all sorts of quality ingredients.
For some less famous dishes from Vietnam, what follows from that one is charcoal meats (and that is something not found anywhere else in Brisbane if what they say is anything to go by). If you have got the time, these are quite ideal. A bit further down, a more simple barbecue range of the beloved meats appears - some subject to availability.
Their next array of dishes are ones that they refer to as "new", and are combinations in influence of claypot, curries and stir fries. This lot is possibly their most tempting selection, using the ideas of simplicity in cooking but having something unusual to tempt those with an adventurous palate wanting to get a meal that is a bit different from the norm (and I can absolutely relate to that). If the two that follow - which require a pre-order - are not already that (and I almost thought to book in from the looks of them) with anything to go by.
A vegetarian selection follows after all of that, then we have ourselves dessert. Most of it is ice cream, however many unusual (i.e. Asian) flavours can be gotten by the scoop. And to top it all off for a night out, they also have quite the wine list. This is a perfect time if any to say it; the portion sizes here are massive and will have you feeling full.
In addition to being some of the finest, and tastiest Vietnamese, this place also has something of a paean to fantasy literature and video games going throughout the menu pages. Many of them either have names that relate to the medium, or there are quotes that are similar in vein while describing the items. Whether you follow it or not, it is still worth having a look and kudos either way for the dedication. Not many places would be this dedicated without being up front about it or falling into kitsch.
So, let us get started with the food, eh?. Beginning the meal, there was the usual discussion of whether or not to get a couple of things to begin the meal. It might vary from person to person, but I myself think these little entrees (or sides) are a good way to arouse hunger for the main part of the meal. Get into the real spirit of anticipating it. That may be only me, but I think that was worth sharing. I keep forgetting that most others don't have the big stomach, and this friend is one of them. Whoever ordered it, I can't remember, the starter that was chosen was none other than salt and pepper squid. This was a delicious starter, that was pipping hot like it was fresh from the fryer. There were a handful of pieces (very generous, and very nice) and as well as the salt and pepper seasoning in the batter, there was also heaps of garlic sprinkled around the plate. Garnishes of onion and shallots were also in the mix. Each piece was fantastic, hot, tender and with a bit of bite from pepper in each bite. As usual, this was more or less the perfect snack and one that is always guaranteed a return on the order. Really, when it comes down to it you cannot go wrong with salt and pepper squid. Some of them are better than others - and by that, some are good and others are fantastic - and what we had here continued that trend.
What never changes in my view of a Vietnamese place is whether or not they do the signature iced coffee. If it is on offer, I order it - plain and simple. And if it were not on offer, that statement would not have been typed up. The better bonus is when it arrives not quite done, and you get to see the coffee dripping onto the bed of condensed milk - it is just something I like to see, and it helps you wait and realise there is no real place to be soon. All it needed to be was sweet - that was met - plus a good buzz from the coffee does not hurt either, and that was also met here. So far, it is getting my tick of approval.
Well, the suggested place was for pho. That is what my friend ordered, since it is hard for her to go passed. From what I remember, it was definitely a beef pho that she got and it might have been the extra beef - that I can't remember. Complete with the whole array of flavours - cinnamon, star anise, coriander and whatnot - this was a flavoursome soup, albeit one that is somewhat subdued in nature on the palate. On the side to season it were beansprouts, a lime wedge and fresh basil. The beef was plentiful and tender, the broth had a complex and multi-layered taste, and there were plenty of well cooked noodles. Did I mention that the serving sizes here were huge? Heck, I probably had most of it since - as it has been said - my friend can't fit that much into her stomach. I do not consider myself to have much of a knowledge for pho, but eventually this might come into being among the best that are on offer.
The dish that I ordered was the caramalised claypot, which was one of the newer additions on the menu. These were twice-cooked pork ribs, sticky from the caramalisation in the sauce, and complete with a complex array of flavours. As they mention, nothing subtle comes from that dish and I am not one who really stops for subtlety anyways. It could have been any number of dishes, this is the caliber of the offerings that they have. The pork was delicious, and like butter - even the bits of fat were so soft they could easily be eaten down fast. The sauce was thick, sticky, sweet and slightly spicy - that could not be a more perfect combination for me, if I had to be completely honest. Fatty meat, not much, vegetable, and sauce with a flavour that comes out of nowhere - sign me up. It was pipping hot, will get not only my tick of approval but go on to become a recommendation.
Before even coming here, I knew it was not going to up to negotiation to try some of their ice cream. With a few unusual flavours on offer, including jackfruit, taro and whatnot, that was the reason why. One of the flavours, one in which I have been getting accustomed to recently, was none other than durian. They even mentioned on the menu to not order it if you have no idea what it is - but, where is the fun in that? Getting a couple of scoops, there was definitely durian and the second choice was a green tea flavour - the fancy name escapes me at the moment. Both of these were really good, with the green tea having a milder flavour than is usual and the durian being creamy and sort of sweet. There was the unique flavour in parts there, but nothing overwhelming like it can be. Also, it is ice cream - a perfect way to finish off any kind of meal.
Without mincing any more words, this place was pretty darn good. Everything that needed to be good was done brilliantly. We are talking about food, service, the looks of the place, and the attention to detail. This place would definitely be suited to an inner suburb like New Farm, since it has the trendy look all to it (yes, I know there is one in Fortitude Valley - that is a testament to the statement). Without any doubts, this is one place I definitely see having multiple returns to in the future - not only is it that good that I must recommend it to those I know, but also the sheer variety that was on the menu - that has to be seen in person. There is a whole heap of great Vietnamese around the suburbs, so it is no small feat to say that this might be the best, or at least be in the top five that there is to offer.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes