VIET QUAN is clearly doing something right.
Since opening at Hawaiian’s Melville Shopping Centre in November last year, it’s consistently packed to the gunnels.
I’ve often traipsed by with my low-fat milk, cholesterol-reducing spread and other middle-age band-aids, peering in jealousy at people wolfing down pho and enjoying mountains of roast duck.
This week I decided it was time to ditch Coles’ fountain of youth and live life on the edge.
On a cold rainy Tuesday night, I was expecting the Vietnamese restaurant to be dead, but it was pumping and I almost didn’t get a table. The main dining area is quite narrow with limited seating, so probably a good idea to book (ask for a table away from the sliding door, which can let in a wind colder than Thor’s g-string).
The menu was a sprawling affair with everything from lemongrass chicken and savoury squid to beef curry and roast duck.
There was an excellent variety of dishes and it wasn’t just a variation on a theme like beef satay, chicken satay, prawn satay, satay satay, Pauline Hanson satay, quantum physics satay, the meaning of satay, Channel 7 satay, I hate satay satay.
I was all set to try their signature beef pho, but on a chilly night I couldn’t go past the seafood laksa ($24/chicken $20) from the winter special menu.
I had barely closed my menu when the steaming bowl of goodness arrived. Service was quick. Einstein-defying quick.
The murky broth was flavoursome and had a spicy kick, but I would have liked a bit more coconut milk to round off the spice and provide that comforting, creamy reprise.
The delicious tail-on king prawns were juicy and plump, and weren’t overcooked. Always a bit of a danger in a broth. There was lots of scored squid, but it was a tad on the firm side, though still enjoyable.
Rounding off the dish was a generous swamp of hokkien and vermicelli noodles with beansprouts and tofu parcels.
It was a solid laksa, especially for the price, without setting the heather on fire.
Across the table, my daughter was peeking over the top of her huge mound of mi xao egg noodle chicken ($22).
She wolfed it down, but couldn’t finish the steamy mission, so I helped out.
The dish has a lovely sweet-smoky tang with plenty of shredded chicken. A comforting and hearty dish on a winter’s night.
My son brought up the rear with his crispy chicken rice ($18).
Two large pieces of bone-in chicken with salad, hoisin dipping sauce, fried rice and a clear soup.
The tender chicken had a nice crispy skin, and it was a great value dish with lots of different flavours and textures to keep your palate interested.
The service was extremely efficient, polite and quick. The older staff were especially friendly and I could hear them nattering away to regulars behind me.
The clientele included everyone from tradies in hi-vis to families, young couples and pensioners.
I can see why Viet Quan is so popular—a lot of the dishes were hovering around the $20 mark.
In these tough economic times, that’s great value for a very decent sit-in meal with generous portions. Next time I’m back, I’ll try their signature pho.
Maybe it’s the elixir of life?
Viet Quan
380 Canning Hwy, Bicton
instagram.com/vietquan.perth
by STEPHEN POLLOCK