Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant, Cabramatta

I remember when Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant opened in Cabramatta many years ago. I could still remember the initial disappointment when I realised that it doesn't relate to the popular Japanese TV show on SBS. Despite that initial confusion, this Chinese restaurant has since been a hot spot for yum cha cravings with countless hungry people coming from all over Sydney. On a very hot day, we were planning to head to Vinh Phat for our yum cha feed but the queues and parking was insane (as always). The only space we could find was the parking lot behind this restaurant, which was conveniently located on the quieter side of the station away from all the busy action on John Street.

Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls

Although it was the weekend, we managed to get seated pretty quickly (after getting the attention of the staff though). We were craving for the usual yum cha favourites so we were pleased when the first trolley that strolled past us had various types of rice noodle rolls and dumplings.

While the prawn rice paper rolls were often too slippery to handle, they were delicious especially with the soy-based sauce and the juicy and firm prawns. There was also a balanced texture with the rice noodle wrapped around the prawns as it wasn't too soft despite being soaked with the soy sauce.

Pork Siu Mai Dumplings

One of my all time fave yum cha dishes has gotta be the Pork Siu Mai dim sim dumplings. Always liked the steamed won ton pastry wrapped around the pork as well as the roe splashed in the middle.

Seafood and vegetable dumplings

I really wanted to enjoy these dumplings but this ended up being my least favourite so far. The filling was too lumpy and creamy for my personal liking however I did enjoy the fish roe (?) scattered on top of each dumpling in this basket.

Prawn Har Gow Dumplings

Another fave of mine that had to be ordered at any yum cha restaurant was the Har Gow dumplings. While they got really sticky to the point where a bit of the chewy dumpling skin tore when I picked it up, they were still nicely shaped and juicy in terms of taste, which was what mattered the most for us.

Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce

Some of you might get turned off at the sight of chicken feet. I know I used to but then it ends up growing on me especially when one of the close friends was obsessed with this dish during our study sessions in the old uni days. I often prefer having chicken feet coated with a spicy black bean sauce that gives off a reddish colour as well as a boost of flavour.

Mango Pancakes

While I'm personally not a fan of the white creamy filling inside the pancakes, I've found that Iron Chef's version of the mango pancakes to be yummy. Especially with the decent balance between the chopped mango pieces and cream as well as the sweet pancake wrapping the fillings. Looked so pretty on the plate too.

Egg Tarts

One of the sweets that I cannot resist at yum cha has to be the egg tarts. Biting into that crispy, flaky and buttery pastry encasing the smooth but slightly firm egg custard just feels like a splendid way to end this lunch.

Depending on what time you have lunch at Iron Chef, there may be times when you get a wide variety of trollies containing different plates as well as times when you only spot the same two or three trollies rolling around the restaurant. As with most yum cha restaurants, the service was poor particularly when we tried to get their attention on seating us at the beginning as well as the overall attitude but I was pretty much used to it by now. What mattered the most was the food that satisfied our yum cha cravings. Would recommend coming here with a large group so you can order more dishes to share around and you can still pay less with more people splitting the bill.

Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant
84 Broomfield Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
(02) 9723 6228
http://ironchef.com.au/
Mon-Fri: 10:00am - 3:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:30pm
Sat-Sun: 9:00am - 3:30pm, 5:30pm - 11:00pm

Pho Viet, Cabramatta

One thing that I love about Cabramatta is the many gastronomical options whenever you are in need of a good and cheap feed that will surely fill you up. On the other hand, the one thing that I don't like about Cabramatta is how early they tend to close with most restaurants shutting its doors at 6pm or 7pm. Pho Viet is one of those few restaurants that actually close at 9pm in this part of town and very close to the station. It has been around for at least 30 years and the decor remains mostly the same as it was when it first opened. And that's the way the locals like it.

We all have our favourite pho restaurant whether it's Pho Tau Bay, Pho An, PHD or one of the Vietnamese restaurants in Flemington (been getting recommendations from mates to try the pho there). Pho Viet is actually Luke Nguyen's (Red Lantern, various SBS cooking and travel shows) favourite pho restaurant, which hasn't really been a secret. Surely if a well-known TV chef praised the pho at this restaurant higher than the usual faves then it must be really really good right?

Complimentary lemon, bean sprouts and Vietnamese basil

At $10 for a small bowl of hearty rare beef noodle soup, this will get you full as you dig into the meal. The thin slices of rare beef were plentiful while the silky noodles appeared to be thinner than many pho establishments I've experienced. Depending on your preference, a squeeze of lemon and a handful of leaves and bean sprouts adds a bit of flavour and texture. I've noticed that the broth had a stronger soy sauce flavour thus it tasted quite salty (and I usually do not add any soy sauce to my pho when dining out). Still I managed to polish up the bowl which is always a good sign.  

Pho Tai - small ($10.00)

Recently, I returned back after being intrigued about Pho Viet's signature dish according to Good Food Month's Cabramatta Signature Dish flyer and even on the signage at the front. Surprisingly enough, this isn't pho dac biet or any other pho dish. It's actually the Prawn, Crab Meat and Pork with Handmade Noodle Soup (Mi Quang). I fall weak over the sight of hand made noodles and crab meat on the menu so this is perfect for me. At $12.00, this was an amazing dish that I wouldn't mind coming back for. The handmade noodles were flat and thick with a bitey texture. The broth was spicy with a touch of peanut and a generous amount of pork and crab meat for a well-balanced and mouth-watering bowl to enjoy. 
 

Mi Quang ($12.00)

Like the pho, you also get a complimentary plate of various condiments including bean sprouts, lemon and lettuce. Ended up making good use of the crunchy lettuce for some much needed greens in my diet. There was even a complimentary prawn cracker to scoop from the bowl. It wasn't as crunchy but still satisfying.

Complimentary Prawn Cracker

Complimentary lettuce, bean sprouts and lemon

The service experience was fast and furious with no fuss or nonsense, which is what we expect for most restaurants in the area. There are plenty of other authentic Vietnamese dishes to enjoy including bun bo hue, hu tieu, various rice dishes and even bull's penis. Not joking there guys - it really does exist as a dish here. Wouldn't mind coming back here to make the most of their evening trading hours whenever I have a craving for the Mi Quang dish. With most (if not all) dishes priced at less than $15, your hunger will be satisfied with huge servings that will fill you up no matter what you order.

Pho Viet
11-15 John Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
(02) 9728 6657
Mon-Sun: 8:00am - 9:00pm

Pho Ann, Cabramatta

If there's one thing I know about Cabramatta (in relation to food of course!), it's that they do have their fair share of best kept secrets. Pho Ann is one of those places. While there are barely any coverage about this pho joint on Urbanspoon and even Google, it still gets incredibly busy during the weekend peak lunchtimes. Although the address said that it's on John Street, it's actually located on the further end of the Belvedere Arcade alleyway across from Cafe Nho. Pho Ann is a relatively newer establishment having only been around for about 5 years or less (I remember seeing the opening deals during my uni years) compared to the long standing Vietnamese eateries like Pho Tau Bay, Pho 54, Pho Viet, Pho Minh, Tan Viet and Bau Truong which have all been around for decades. 

It's easy to confuse yourself between this establishment and the much more famous An Restaurant in Bankstown from the similar names to the way the pho is made. The main difference is the price. While Bankstown's An Restaurant serves up a small bowl of Pho Tai for $13.00 and a large bowl for $14.00, Pho Ann does the same but for $8.50 - small and $11.00 - large. If you want a bowl of Pho Dac Biet (Combination Noodle Soup), you can get a small bowl for $9.50 and a large bowl for $12.00. That is the most expensive item on this menu.

While most Vietnamese restaurants serve a variety of different food from fresh spring rolls to bun bo hue and egg noodle dishes; Pho Ann concentrates on pho noodles with its limited food menu displaying only beef noodle soups (Pho Bo), chicken noodle soups (Pho Ga) and a selection of drinks.

In all of my visits at Pho Ann, I often have the waiter asking if I would like to have my bean sprouts cooked or fresh. Decisions decisions!!! Definitely something I don't encounter at any other Vietnamese restaurant but it's good to know that you get those options.

Personally, I like them fresh

As part of Good Food Month, the restaurants in Cabramatta and the Canley region are showcasing their signature dishes. Pho Ann's signature is their Pho Bo Dac Biet (Combination Beef Noodle Soup). That is pretty damn special when there is so much competition in the area. Pho Ann's version uses a generous combination of various meats from their pho-focused menu including rare beef, cooked beef, brisket beef, tendon, tripe and even thick slices of spicy beef roll...to name a few! The broth was rich that it was quite hard to finish the entire bowl. It wasn't too sweet so I did had to rely on the usual condiments like the lemon and mint. The noodles that Pho Ann restaurant uses was slightly thinner than what I often see at most Vietnamese restaurants around Sydney. It gets you incredibly full but it satisfies the pho cravings. 

Pho Bo Dac Biet - small ($9.50)

Food porn!

I also tried the Pho Tai (rare beef) on another visit here. Again, the broth was rich and the serving size was generous for a small bowl. I loved how soft and tender the beef was once it was cooked in the broth. Add the usual crunchy onions, coriander, spring onion, Vietnamese mint and a dab of lemon and you got yourself a yummy, fragrant bowl of beef pho. Oh yesss! 

Pho Tai - small ($8.50)

As usual, I always like to have a cold, refreshing soya-bean milk to drink on the side. This version however seemed to be a bit more milky than how I usually enjoyed. 

I wouldn't jump the gun and pronounce this as the best pho in Sydney (yet) because there is still so many other pho joints that I haven't tried yet including Pho Viet and the many Vietnamese restaurants at Flemington and Marrickville. My parents reckon it's one of their favourites which is saying something because they can be a bit elitist with pho. Plus the service was friendly in all of my visits. It may be one of Cabramatta's best kept secrets but it sure gets people lining up outside the door on a very hot day. I even had to share my table with a couple of strangers in one of my visits because all the other tables were full. Judging from my visits at Pho Ann so far, I would say that it does satisfy my tastebuds with the tender and flavoursome meat. It's also nice to see an uncomplicated menu where all you need to choose is what bowl of pho, beef or chicken, suits you on the day. Will certainly return again soon to try one of the many other pho bowls yummm!
 

Pho Ann Restaurant
Shop 10-12/70-72 John Street Cabramatta NSW (enter via Belvedere Arcade between Subway and Tan Ky Noodle House)
(02) 9723 2529

Vinh Phat, Cabramatta

As a kid, I used to go to Vinh Phat at its old location with the red curtains very often due to Mum's yum cha (also known as dim sum) cravings. There were times when my family and I went there every month or sometimes every two months but especially every single Mother's Day and Father's Day lunch. To be honest, I wasn't much of a yum cha fan when I was a kid, but then I was a fussy eater back then too - I didn't even like pho until I was around 12 years old! (true story). Plus I didn't like getting squashed between the crowds of hungry diners waiting to get a table inside the infamous red-draped, cramped restaurant. Late last year, Vinh Phat moved to a much bigger location across the street where Retravision used to be at (anyone remember that shop? lol). As I got older, my visits to Vinh Phat decreased due to my weekdays and weekends spent in the city but my own cravings for yum cha have certainly gone up. 

Since I have only been to the old, much smaller Vinh Phat, it was time to check out the revamped version. While the location has changed, my memories were still there with the trolleys, quick and fairly cheap service and the fish tanks at the back. While there were still moments of trolleys bumping into each other, the location itself was much bigger and spacious in comparison. When I got in, it was getting close to the end of lunch at 2pm but there were still lots of people inside the restaurant and trolleys roaming around asking keen diners if they want to try certain dishes.

Free tea!

One of my fave yum cha dishes are the dumplings especially Siu Mai dumplings wrapped in won ton and packed with pork mince. Vinh Phat's version definitely does not disappoint my taste buds. It was well-steamed to my liking and is often a hit at the table. Wouldn't mind getting another serving for myself hehe. 

Siu Mai dumplings

This is another favourite dish for me at Yum Cha. The prawns were succulent and the thin wrapping has a nice bite. Wouldn't mind ordering this again. 

Har Gow prawn dumplings

My parents loved eating chicken feet. I wasn't too keen on the other hand back then but this time I gave this a try. It was actually quite tasty. This version was braised and dipped in marinated spicy sauce. Very flavoursome and juicy. 

Fung Jow - chicken feet

This was the main reason why my parents often come back to this restaurant again and again back in my youth. They always rave on how Vinh Phat does an amazing job with this particular dish and it has never ceased to amaze us. The steamed rice noodles were cooked at the right texture (not too hard and not too soft) and the plump prawns were equally satisfying. The hero was of course the soy sauce which added loads of depth in flavour to the dish. 

Har Cheong Fun - steamed prawn rice noodle rolls

These were another childhood favourite of mine everytime I'm at Vinh Phat. I just adore biting into the spring roll and pouring the plum sauce over it. Piping hot but so tasty and quite crunchy. 

Seafood spring roll with plum sauce

After all those dishes, I was craving for something nourishing to take away from the heat and the oil. This salad contains shredded chicken, grated carrot and cucumber, coriander and jellyfish dosed in fish sauce. It has the crunch and the zesty tastes that was muchly needed after all those greasy dishes. Definitely recommended if you want something different.

Chicken and jellyfish salad

Soy sauce and chilli sauce for dips

Was getting full from those dishes but there is still room for dessert! Sure enough a trolley full of custard egg tarts arrived to our table. Needless to say, we cannot say no to this. The pastry was flakey and crispy while the custard filling has that soft and wobbly texture. I almost forgot that I was so full after getting my hands onto these treats.

Egg tarts

The atmosphere was still noisy when we left the restaurant. Bonus points for quick and efficient service and the prices aren't too bad especially if you are splitting with other people. We thought that it would be fairly pricey with the amount of dishes we ordered but it actually came down to about $35 altogether (sorry I didn't pay too much attention to the price but it was around that amount...definitely less than $40!). It's no wonder that my folks keep going back here after all these years especially with all the other yum cha options in Cabramatta. Great place to go with your family on special occasions or just for a catch up with your friends in the area. Just remember to head there during lunch if you want the yum cha menu. The dinner menu is much different but from what I can recall, they have a decent selection of Chinese and Asian specialties. Will definitely head back to Vinh Phat very soon to try more dishes as well as checking out the dinner menu.

Vinh Phat
Shop 8/7 Park Road, Cabramatta NSW 2166
(02) 9726 2720

Pho Minh, Cabramatta

I have already mentioned a few times on this blog on how there are numerous restaurants in Cabramatta that have been going on for a decade or two (or three!). This is in stark contrasts to many restaurants that have opened only a few years ago and have closed within a year or less. Makes you wonder how do the restaurants in Cabramatta do this? Pho Minh is one of the former, having been around for as long as I can remember.

Like most Cabramatta Vietnamese restaurants, Pho Minh is one of those places that doesn't need a major design overhaul to draw the crowds although it did have a makeover a few years ago but the local, cheap and cheerful atmosphere is still there with pop music playing in the background. Sure it's not as famous as Pho Tau Bay but it is a great meeting spot for lunch with families and friends.

They have a generous selection of pho noodle dishes. They even have satay pho! Should be very very interesting to try. The menu also includes the usual favourites like vermicelli noodles and rice dishes as well as some dishes that aren't often seen at Vietnamese restaurants such as congee and udon noodles.

If you are opting for something healthier, Pho Minh's version of goi cuon (or rice paper rolls) are superb. Each roll is filled with small prawns, slices of pork, a small bundles of soft noodles and spring onion sticking out of the roll. These are really light and fresh to have on a hot summer day. Perfect with the dipping sauce or even the complimentary chilli oil. 

Goi Cuon ($8)

There is only one size available at Pho Minh and it's a pretty generous bowl of pho. The beef is incredibly soft and easy to pull apart. Also, the noodles are slightly thinner at Pho Minh and the broth isn't as sweet which should be good for those who aren't a fan of those sweet broths in pho bowls. 

Pho Tai ($9.50)

Affordable prices for a restaurant in Cabramatta with friendly and fast service. It costs an additional 50c for take away which is not too bad. While it is located on the quieter Arthur Street rather than the much busier John Street, it is local favourites like these that makes Cabramatta what it is today. Definitely worth a try when you're on a budget, finding somewhere to go for a quick lunch after seeing lengthy queues at many hotspots or just simply searching for some good pho and local, hidden favourites.

Pho Minh
42 Arthur Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
(02) 9726 5195