Viet Trung at Cabramatta
Viet Trung serves the best Banh Canh in Cabramatta. I might even go far to say that it is the best in Sydney.
Finding the best is quite easy, due to the fact that this dish is rarely served at Vietnamese restaurants.
What the hell is Banh Canh? It is a soup with thick broth, either cloudy or clear, often mixed with Tapioca flour.
It can be paired with any protein you like, but seafood seems to be more common.
VIET TRUNG - THE OLD, THE NEW
Like all Vietnamese restaurants in Cabramatta, this one has been around as long as I can remember.
It used to be just a hole in the wall restaurant, along an alleyway. The eating area was only the size of a small bedroom, or even less.
Our mother always used to take us here to have Banh Canh soup. We were poor and could not really afford much. This was a place that we frequent, for, it serves tasty dishes at a very cheap price.
There used to be a fruit and vegetable shop next to it but it seems Viet Trung has done so well during the years that they bought it.
It is now spacious with more room to eat with a big group of friends and family. The size have more than doubled.
Looking at the signs, you can clearly tell which place is the old and which is new. The modern graphics, bright colors on dark backgrounds, is much more appealing.
AMBIANCE
Before they bought out the place next door, there wasn't really much room to eat with a big group of friends or family. It really was very cramp.
You can now eat with big groups without feeling claustrophobic. There's a lot of room for a pram, if you have little ones.
Eating here before with a baby and a pram was a no no. It is doable, but it was a mission.
There is no music but the clanging of plates, people talking and Vietnamese people walking by the small alleyway, creates a great Vietnam vibe atmosphere.
When you need to go to the toilet, you have to ask for the key from one of the staff. I was surprised at how clean the toilet was.
It may not be as clean as a hatted restaurant, but compared to other Cabramatta restaurants, this was sparkling clean.
STAFF
Their customer service have always been top notch. Every order we take are always on point.
They serve your dishes gently and not just bang it on your table like some restaurants I won't mention.
Rarely, if they do make mistakes, they humbly apologize and quickly fixes the problem.
What kept people coming back, other than the food, was their humility and focus on customer service. It makes for a great eating experience.
FOOD
Did I say that this place have the very best Banh Canh? Other than that, Chris actually thinks that their Crispy Chicken, $12, is almost as good as the Crispy Chicken from Tan Viet.
Tan Viet? What? This restaurant serves the famous and well known Crispy Chicken in all of Cabramatta. I must admit that it is quite crispy.
But, the crispy chicken in Viet Trung does not disappoint. The skin is as crispy as you can get it and very flavorsome.
Although not served with tomato rice compared to Tan Viet's, it does not matter, because it's very tasty.
The rice is a little oily but balanced with the coriander, tomatoes and cucumber. The aroma of the green scallion and coriander entices the nose as well as the taste buds.
The pickled carrots and radish gives a lot of texture and sharpness. It's yum, said Chris.
I ordered my usual seafood Banh Canh, $12. The taste has never changed after so many years of coming here.
It still has that velvety, cloudy colored broth that I love.
It is fresh, creamy, sharp and pungent. The soft noodles, the textures of the added vegetables and the proteins works so well together.
Other than the fresh chilies and vegetables that I added, the soup was so yum, that there was no need to add any other ingredients to it. Adding so, may disturb the beautiful balance that my palate loves so much.
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
They do not serve so many dishes compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in Cabramatta.
Your choices are very limited but flavorsome. I prefer this to a menu with too many choices to choose from. This way, they are more focused on the things that they do so well.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I have not tried other dishes other than the Congee, Crispy Chicken and the Banh Canh and they are all good. I recommend them all.
If you can only have one dish and if you are like me that loves tasty and fresh soup, then don't pass up the Banh Canh.
Chris is more of the rice boy type and wants to always eat something very filling. The Crispy Chicken is your best bet.
Had a big night out? Congee will fill you up without it coming back out. Have the Vietnamese coffee too. Chris had two cups and it kept him up all night.
WHERE IS VIET TRUNG?
It can be hard to find because it is hidden in an alleyway. The alleyway to go into is the one where there are public phones. With shops that sell pork rolls and green pancake. The other shop sells sugar cane juice.
105 John St
Cabramatta
NSW 2166
Australia
+61 2 9754 1708
To listen to the audio version of this article click on the play image.
Brought to you by @tts. If you find it useful please consider upvote this reply.
love vietnamese food. we have some incredible viet restaurants in paris
Paris 13e!!!
I bet they are good. Parisians know their way around the kitchen. Paris, home of culinary arts.