Daily Choice - Adelaide, South Australia

Daily Choice in Southern Cross is the original spot for Vietnamese rolls (banh mi) around Rundle Mall. The staff at Daily Choice were churning out sandwiches to queues of hungry customers long before the trendy Soonta Rolls and Miss Mai came along. Since the arrival of these new competitors in nearby James Place, Daily Choice is definitely less busy than in the past, but you may still need to line up with loyal customers for one of their old school Vietnamese rolls. You won't wait long though because staff are efficient and the line moves quickly. If you do go down the banh mi path, you can choose Lemongrass Chicken, BBQ Pork, Stewed Beef, Vietnamese Ham, or Crispy Skin Roast Pork for $4.50. Or if you can't pick just one, go for the Combination Roll for $5.50.



If you're keen on a lighter option and/or want to skip the queue, walk straight up to the little fridge on the left and go for my favourite - a pack of their awesome cold rolls. You can get Chicken, BBQ Pork, Prawn or a combo pack. 2 rolls costs $4.20. A pack of 2 Vegetarian rolls is only $3.30. These are not your average cold rolls - they're jumbo sized. They also come with a choice of either Hoisin or Sweet Chilli dipping sauce.


Chicken & Pork cold rolls ($4.20)

The quality and freshness is consistently good, the sauce is tasty, the price is right, and they're both filling and relatively healthy so the cold rolls from Daily Choice are in my regular rotation for city lunches.

Protip: Due to the ginormous size of these cold rolls, I recommend dipping prior to the first bite, then carefully pouring a little bit of sauce prior to each subsequent bite. This pour method avoids the contents of the roll ending up in the sauce. Just make sure you ration your sauce so you don't run out before you finish the second roll. Enjoy!

Tan Nhu Y Restaurant - Adelaide, South Australia

The area around Hanson Road offers some great Vietnamese options, but Tan Nhu Y (meaning "as you wish, as you like") is at the top of our list. Tan Nhu Y was closed for a couple of years for renovations and reopened in 2010. The new building has large windows facing Hanson Road, letting in plenty of light. Guests are warmly welcomed by owner Hang, a bright and bubbly personality who takes the place from good to great by ensuring her guests always enjoy their experience here.



The restaurant owners are Vietnamese and the chef is Chinese so the menu has an expansive range from both of these cuisines. We've tried a few Chinese dishes which were excellent, but the Vietnamese lunch specials and drinks are what have kept us coming back. The cold rolls are very fresh with a both prawn and pork fillings in every roll. A serve of 3 Cold Rolls is $6.20.



I reckon half the fun of eating at a Vietnamese restaurant is exploring the drinks menu and one of my favourites is the classic Three Colour Bean Drink ($4).



They also offer a nice and thick Avocado Milkshake for $4.



But the absolute pick of the drinks menu is the Tropical Fruit Drink for $4.50. It comes in this bowl of a glass with a spoon and a straw so you can both eat and drink it to your heart's content. The drink contains actual fruit pieces such as jackfruit and lychee plus coconut cubes and various jellies in pretty colours with sweet coconut milk and shaved ice bringing it all together. I haven't seen this drink anywhere else, which is yet another reason why I'm a big fan of Tan Nhu Y.



On to the food...the lunch specials are awesome. Here's the Special Broken Rice (small - $10). You can get it with Pork Skin if you want, but we usually go without. I've not had a better broken rice plate anywhere. It's top notch every time.



A new favourite dish of mine is Rice Vermicelli with Prawn-Pie on Sugar Cane (small - $12). If you dig under the noodles you'll find sliced cucumber, lettuce, and herbs. Pour the sauce and shredded carrot over the top and mix around for a great feast. This dish is also available with Spring Rolls or Steak instead of the Prawn-Pie if you prefer, but this one is my pick of the three.



The pho (beef noodle soup) is also fantastic. If you're new to pho, I'd recommend the standard Sliced Rare Beef (small - $9). The broth is divine with great depth of flavour and has minimal oil. It's a very cleansing meal and leaves you feeling refreshed. Here is the Sliced Rare Beef & Cooked Beef Brisket Pho (small - $10).



A nice finishing touch is the complimentary Vietnamese jellies, which are brought to your table. These are not overly sweet, but rather a more subtle flavour with the emphasis on the texture.



Pay a visit to Hang and her staff and you're sure to have an enjoyable meal. If there's anything you're unhappy with, just let her know and she'll happily replace it for you. Tan Nhu Y is open 7 days for dinner and Fri-Tues for lunch.

Thanh Thanh - Adelaide, South Australia

Thanh Thanh is officially our new favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Adelaide. They're located just off Gouger Street, across the road from the Central Markets. Thanh Thanh has a lot going for it: really fresh and great quality food, heaps of seating, light and bright decor, friendly service, and super cheap prices. There's an extensive menu to choose from, but here's a selection of what we've tried so far...


Small Beef Noodle Soup ($8)

Delicious pho with plenty of nice spring onion flavour in the broth...the Small was plenty. I saw the Large and it could easily feed two people.


Small Combination Broken Rice Plate ($8.50)

Definitely the best quality broken rice plate we've had anywhere in Adelaide. Great flavour, juicy and perfectly cooked pork. Comes with a nice veggie broth soup. Again, if you go for the Large you will need a jumbo stomach.


Three Colour Bean Drink ($4)

The picture doesn't do it justice. This was one awesome Three Colour Bean Drink! Delicious and a meal in itself!


This is where you go to pay your bill

With such good food and cheap prices, we will definitely be eating here often! I can also report that we felt great after each visit so I'm confident they don't use MSG in their food. Another big tick in the box for Thanh Thanh in my book...or blog, as the case may be.  :)

Update 1 July 2012: Thanh Thanh has sadly closed due to "internal conflicts". Hopefully they will re-open soon!

Vietnamese Three Colour Bean Drink

Most of you have probably heard of pho (pronounced fə̃), which is Vietnamese noodle soup. But one of the other joys of Vietnamese restaurants is the assortment of drinks you are unlikely to find at other restaurants. For example, Longan Drink, Soda Egg with Milk, Ginseng Mixed Nuts Drink, Jackfruit Smoothie, Young Coconut Drink, Guyabano Smoothie, and more. Yes, you could order a Coke with your pho but you would miss out on the opportunity to experience some unique flavours that you may never have tasted before. And you never know which one you might fall in love with. I particularly enjoy the Three Colour Bean Drink, which is quite filling in its own right. The three colours are made up of red kidney beans, yellow mung beans and green jelly strips. The drink also contains crushed ice, sugar and coconut milk. Here's a recipe. You are supposed to mix it up and then eat/drink it. If you haven't tried this concoction before, definitely ask for it next time you're ordering Vietnamese food. Best Vietnamese drinks (and food) we've found so far here in Adelaide are near Hanson Road. Here's the Three Colour Bean Drink before & after mixing at Hoang Gia Quan, on Hanson Road near the Arndale Shopping Centre.



Edit: Forgot to say that if you are going to visit the Hanson Road area, it's a good idea to stick to daylight hours only.