Full house at Mama's Buoi on day 3

aI have been watching this space at the corner of Holt and Devonshire in Surry Hills, As I was involved in this new building. I was the first to post the sign on Facebook and I was really looking forward to what was about to happen there. I tried to have lunch there on their third day of operation, and as you can see above, no chance in a month of Sundays. I managed to talk to the Maitre d', Jorge, who kindly suggested I booked myself in for the following Thursday, which I did. The elegant but simple decor by Giant Design is enhanced by the stone clad brand new corner building design by Benson Partners and brought to life by Growthbuilt, both regular clients of mine.
This is Southern Vietnam food, lighter than the - maybe - more Chinese influenced Northern cuisine. French influence is visible and carried through at Mama's Buoi with complementary French slightly grilled baguette served with your meal. Being there for lunch, I would have normally chosen to eat only one course and indulge in a glass of wine. But Jorge had other plans for me, as Quintin Mansell, the GM of the Group just happened to be there when I walked in and took the time to walk me through all the menu's options and when he was satisfied with his presentation, he let me choose my meal. I decided for the Smoky Eggplant and a glass of Pinot Grigio, which happened to be the House wine. I was promptly told that I had to try the Lemongrass Chicken Curry and that my wine has been magically transformed into a Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a much better drop for sure. 

A well stocked pantry for all to see

Open kitchen and nice crockery are already a good sign for things to come

I usually like the concept of an open kitchen, and this one doesn't disappoint as you can sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen if you are so inclined, and I can tell you that it is where I will seat at my next - incognito - visit!. The waiters and waitresses are all very nice and diligent and the establishment (to speak in Michelin parlance...) is well run. Mind you, they have been opened in Melbourne for a year, so that is a baptism of fire in itself! Like they say in Milan, if it is open for more than three weeks then you can trust the place!
I also like the long central table that can be configured to accommodate one big group or several smaller ones, as it makes the sharing of food easier and there was no shortage of that as well as plenty laughter on both visits! That is to be commended.

Now let's talk about the food: My Vietnamese cuisine calibration has been done time and time again at Le Mint in East Sydney, a slightly more French than Vietnamese affair and certainly a notch up in terms of decor and comfort, but also at a different price point.
So, I was delightfully surprised by the quality of the food, the freshness of the ingredients - brought the restaurant daily, as they usually run of ingredients by 9.00pm and can't guarantee they will have everything on the menu available: that's a very good sign!
The price point, specially for lunch, is reasonable as most main courses are around 15$, but you can have soup for 9$ and small plates for less. All desserts are 10$. So very good value and great choices of To Bun (vermicelli salads), Pho - well you can't have a Vietnamese restaurant without it - Goi (salads) and Lau (hot pots and curries).

Smoky Eggplant, rice and Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc - a good start...

Smoky Eggplant
I love eggplants, so it is no wonder it was my first choice off the menu! Quintin explained to me that the recipe is a three step process to get the smokiness and the texture right. The last step is to broil all the chillies, onions and other bits and pieces in the wok and reheat the eggplants by tossing them into the fragrant mix just before serving. It was tasty but not fiery and the layers of flavours as well as the silkiness of the eggplant make it a winner in my book!

Some baguettes for taking care of these beautiful sauces

The very generous portion of Lemongrass Chicken Curry

Lemongrass Chicken Curry
This is Quintin's favourite dish, and it will certainly be very high on the list of mine as well. This is Southern Vietnamese cuisine at its best: subtle, layered flavours, the chicken perfectly cooked to fall of the bones it is served with. The sauce is light, fragrant and blends all the ingredients into a lovely broth where the lemongrass is the star obviously and the chillies in the background: superb!
On a final note, I was enticed to try the Vietnamese coffee, a new thing for me, and I was very pleasantly surprised, and so will you!
If I were to tell you more, I would have to kill you, and that is not going to happen, my dear readers!
Thanks to all the team for looking after me so well - I will be back, like Arnold would say!

I did manage to do justice to the Lemongrass Chicken Curry