I have been baffled by the influx of restaurants opening in Canley Heights recently. In my opinion, I reckon it's becoming the Surry Hills of South West Sydney rivaling to the culinary eats of Cabramatta. The main difference is that Canley Heights is where you can go for a late night dinner while most of the restaurants in Cabramatta close at around 6pm or 7pm. One thing that annoys me about the Heights is the parking. While there were times when I was very lucky to get a spot, it's generally just a nightmare.
While there are countless restaurants and cafes with different cuisines popping up lately (Holy Basil, V Lounge, WTF desserts, Chi Chi, Fat Panda...to name a few); it's the older Vietnamese restaurants that sticks out for the older generation like my parents. When they are not in the mood for home-made cooking, they always head out to Canley Heights for a nice bowl of pho and other authentic Vietnamese food at the long-running Vietnamese establishments, which was why mum wanted to go to Bau Truong on the night before she went to North America to visit our relatives.
The service at Bau Truong is quick and prompt which is just how we liked it. While the folks were set on what they want to get, I was generally indecisive because of the immense options that they offer. Many of the items on the menu were quite cheap but there were a few that were also quite expensive (and not just to Cabramatta/Canley standards!). The menu itself reminded me of being at Chat Thai due to some of the more unusual choices that were unavailable at many standard Vietnamese restaurants. However, my parents' main intention for coming here was to try out our favourite Vietnamese feast - the Beef with Lemongrass Hot Plate DIY style (Bo nuong vi).
The DIY plate was such a feast that it took up the entire table - and there were only 3 of us! This consisted of salad, bean sprouts, fresh vermicelli noodles, raw beef to cook on the hot plates, onions, chilli and rice paper sheets to make your own rolls however you like it. Personally, I thought that the rice paper rolls were quite small and even stickier than how I'm used to at home. Then again, I always overload my rolls so it ends up being a messy experience for me. Still, it was enjoyable cooking the meat on the hot plate and making your own rolls with its many fresh and delicious ingredients with the likes of pickled carrots and radishes, cucumbers, herbs, bean sprouts and lots of lettuce.
After our feast, we were treated with a complimentary serving of mandarins. They may not look pretty but once peeled, the taste was still fresh and juicy.
On the menu, there were some of the dishes were on the cheap side with some of the entrees and starter dishes at less than $10 and most of the main sized dishes such as pho and rice dishes listed between $11-$15. There were also dishes that were expensive especially on this side of town with the seafood dishes and feast-sized plates like the DIY Hot Plates being as high as $38.00 (or even more with crab dishes listed as 'Market Price'). Despite that, the food was delicious and enjoyable. I look forward to making more visits at Bau Truong at the Canley Vale, Cabramatta and even the Marrickville branches to try more of their unique Vietnamese dishes in the near future.
Bau Truong Canley Heights
250 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights
(02) 9755 7099
http://www.bautruong.com.au/
While there are countless restaurants and cafes with different cuisines popping up lately (Holy Basil, V Lounge, WTF desserts, Chi Chi, Fat Panda...to name a few); it's the older Vietnamese restaurants that sticks out for the older generation like my parents. When they are not in the mood for home-made cooking, they always head out to Canley Heights for a nice bowl of pho and other authentic Vietnamese food at the long-running Vietnamese establishments, which was why mum wanted to go to Bau Truong on the night before she went to North America to visit our relatives.
The service at Bau Truong is quick and prompt which is just how we liked it. While the folks were set on what they want to get, I was generally indecisive because of the immense options that they offer. Many of the items on the menu were quite cheap but there were a few that were also quite expensive (and not just to Cabramatta/Canley standards!). The menu itself reminded me of being at Chat Thai due to some of the more unusual choices that were unavailable at many standard Vietnamese restaurants. However, my parents' main intention for coming here was to try out our favourite Vietnamese feast - the Beef with Lemongrass Hot Plate DIY style (Bo nuong vi).
Free tea!
The DIY plate was such a feast that it took up the entire table - and there were only 3 of us! This consisted of salad, bean sprouts, fresh vermicelli noodles, raw beef to cook on the hot plates, onions, chilli and rice paper sheets to make your own rolls however you like it. Personally, I thought that the rice paper rolls were quite small and even stickier than how I'm used to at home. Then again, I always overload my rolls so it ends up being a messy experience for me. Still, it was enjoyable cooking the meat on the hot plate and making your own rolls with its many fresh and delicious ingredients with the likes of pickled carrots and radishes, cucumbers, herbs, bean sprouts and lots of lettuce.
Beef with lemongrass hot plate - DIY ($38.00)
Raw beef and onions made to cook on the hot plate - yup that's butter...
I was planning to order something smaller but I couldn't help but notice the Pipis in XO sauce dish that was available at Bau Truong (is this even Vietnamese? Meh don't care *shrugs*). I hastily order this knowing that he serving will be generous in addition to the DIY hot plate feast that we have already ordered.The pipis were plump and juicy which complemented well with the crispy vermicelli noodles and the thick and savoury XO sauce. It was also a bit too oily which was what the folks noticed but damn it's still very tasty.
Pipis in XO Sauce ($20.00)
After our feast, we were treated with a complimentary serving of mandarins. They may not look pretty but once peeled, the taste was still fresh and juicy.
On the menu, there were some of the dishes were on the cheap side with some of the entrees and starter dishes at less than $10 and most of the main sized dishes such as pho and rice dishes listed between $11-$15. There were also dishes that were expensive especially on this side of town with the seafood dishes and feast-sized plates like the DIY Hot Plates being as high as $38.00 (or even more with crab dishes listed as 'Market Price'). Despite that, the food was delicious and enjoyable. I look forward to making more visits at Bau Truong at the Canley Vale, Cabramatta and even the Marrickville branches to try more of their unique Vietnamese dishes in the near future.
Bau Truong Canley Heights
250 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights
(02) 9755 7099
http://www.bautruong.com.au/
Totally agree that parking in Canely Heights is simply horrendous!!
ReplyDeleteOMG I want to try that lemon grass DIY rice paper rolls! OMG MMM~~ hehee!
- Cassie
i seriously cannot stand the parking there. so many delicious restaurants to check out though.
Deletehaha those little pats of butter!
ReplyDeleteseriously epic stuff!
Deletelove xo pipis! i rarely venture out that way but with the influx of new eateries, i think i should!
ReplyDeletei love pipis in xo sauce! cannot get sick of them. lol i think i feel the same way regarding eateries in north sydney and chatswood
Deletei'm suprised as a local you havent eaten here more often?
ReplyDeleteactually ive been back here and at the Cabra branch more often since this visit :). so much to try on the menu! can never get sick of the pipis though...
DeleteI love cooking those beef slices with generous pats of butter, and seeing how much you can stuff into your rice paper without it exploding it half the fun! lol
ReplyDeletehehe so messy but so awesome! definitely one of my fave viet foods :)
Delete