Windsor

by

Hanoi Hannah – Windsor – Friday 27 January 2017 – Lunch

img_6591

Lime ‘n’ pepper squid

Discovering the fresh and clean flavours of great Vietnamese food still feels like a recent experience for me, even though it is now over a decade ago. When memories are that vivid, there is something special about them.

Having enjoyed a good amount of quality pho, and rice paper rolls in the past, my first time at Hanoi Hannah a few years back triggered an even more passionate spark for the modern slant on Vietnamese that is prevalent around the world. There is no denying that an excellent bahn mi, a firm rice paper roll containing a quality protein, or a deeply flavoured pho, are some of the most comforting dishes available.

This is weird, but I would have eaten at Hanoi Hannah only about once for every ten times I think about it! For some reason it is never convenient, often not through distance but the knowledge that it’s popularity means I’m a good chance of making the journey only to be turned away. Today is different because Catherine has a late lunch, meaning that a 1.45pm start is as easy as pie, or the Vietnamese equivalent.

img_6590

Porkbelly sliders

There is some added pressure though. With only a short lunch break, I am in charge of getting a table, and ordering everything early. Metaphorically eating pressure for lunch, I order the lime and pepper calamari, yellowfin tuna rice paper rolls, and porkbelly sliders, along with a homemade lemonade, and a can of Bia Hanoi. I would take credit, but in my experience you cannot go wrong with any dish on the menu, so it was a piece of cake.

The calamari is very tender, needing only an extra dash of lime to be perfect. With a hint of wasabi mayo, the yellowfin tuna is wrapped in a firm rice paper, exhibiting all the freshness and quality you would hope for in this less usual offering. The porkbelly sliders are housed in a brioche bun for a some more richness, and are great, but overshadowed by the former dishes.

img_6589

Yellowfin tuna rolls with wasabi mayo

There is a vibe at Hanoi Hannah that is hard to duplicate. The staff are energised, even on the day following Australia Day celebrations. They enjoy their time, and must be proud of the product they get to sell.

Any time is a good time to eat at Hanoi Hannah. While there might be a wait on many occasions, it is undoubtably worth it.

Hanoi Hannah Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

by

Hawker Hall – Windsor – Friday 27 November 2015 – Lunch

Hainanese BBQ chicken with rice

Hainanese BBQ chicken with rice

Risk is all relative. The team from Chin Chin must have realised that the risk of opening a monstrous restaurant on Chapel Street in Windsor is inherently risky, but given their success across the board, Hawker Hall seems the next natural step.

While it is one very large room, there are various areas of seating, including comfortable booths that seat up to six where we are today. Our rapport with our main waitperson was not amazing, but when dining in a group over a quick hour lunch, that isn’t so important.

Not long after sitting we are ordering collectively, choosing Hainanese BBQ chicken and rice, Malaysian beef rendang curry (with rice), stir fried sweet and sour squid, yellow curry egg noodle with tofu and green beans, and some prawn and ginger dumplings. For drinks they have an excellent selection of both bottled and tap beers which is the go. My Cavalier Brown on tap is quite delicious. The mule on the other hand, naturally on the cocktail menu, did not reach similar heights and was a bit too sweet.

When the dishes came out, especially the rendang curry, they appeared on the small side. However, given their flavour content and richness, this was quickly forgotten. The randang in particular was superb with deep flavour and really tender beef. The other dishes were all nice and had good amounts of spice, with more sophistication than you would expect of “hawker” food. The only relative let down was the Hainanese BBQ chicken which had only marginal flavour, but was still a decent dish.

While we could have probably gone for one more dish between the five of us, and had to get two serves of the dumplings as upping the serve of four to five was not allowed by the kitchen, this was a nice meal, reasonably priced, in a good looking venue that suits the area. As we left there was a line of around ten people waiting. A full monstrously sized restaurant sounds like success to me.

Hawker Hall Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato