Music Saturday - Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

Heart beats fast

Colours and promises

How to be brave

How can I love when I’m afraid to fall

But watching you stand alone

All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you

For a thousand years

I’ll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still

Beauty in all she is

I will be brave

I will not let anything take away

What’s standing in front of me

Every breath

Every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you

For a thousand years

I’ll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed that I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand years

I’ll love you for a thousand more

One step closer

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you

For a thousand years

I’ll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand years

I’ll love you for a thousand more

Music Thursday - Sara Bareilles - Hold My Heart

Sara Bareilles - Hold My Heart

I never meant to be the one to let you down

If anything, I thought I saw myself going first

I didn't know how to stick around

How to see anybody but me be getting hurt

I keep remembering the summer night

And the conversation breaking up the mood

I didn't want to tell you you were right

Like the season changing, oh, I felt it too

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

I'm not the kind to try to tell you lies

But the truth is you've been hiding from it too

I see the end sneaking in behind your eyes

Saying everything no words could ever do

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

Is anybody listening?

'Cause I'm crying

Is anybody listening?

Does anybody know how to hold my heart

How to hold my heart?

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon

I want to tell you so before the sun goes dark

How to hold my heart

'Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you

Restaurant Review - Funky Bar (Newtown)

They say never judge a book by its cover, but if it weren't for the 'cover' being changed, I would never have noticed Funky Bar in Newtown's noshery-heavy King Street. An erstwhile unprepossessing cafe-slash-deli called - what else? - Funky Cafe & Deli, a recent refit which included a swish new modern logo has funked up the place, pardon the pun. Never doubt the power of a makeover, nor a neon-lit logo. Especially in Newtown.

Funky Bar aims to be all things to all people. Well, the bohemian people of trendy Newtown and surrounds anyway. Firstly it's a bar with an impressive list of cocktails. Secondly, it's a restaurant with a bistro-style menu. And thirdly, it's a live music venue for up-and-coming local artists. It balances the three in a small dining room-cum-bar that includes a tiny open kitchen, which mitigates the coolness and the atmosphere of the bar. On the food side, the menu's contents of ubiquitous share plates and mains are yet another indicator of Sydney dining in 2011.

The 'famous' meatballs were certainly spiced and herbed, with a moreish blend of flavours that leans more towards the spicy side, but the unusual texture of the meatballs was puzzling. They were neither soft nor dry and were cooked well, but something odd stopped us from truly enjoying them. They were still very good though and the grilled bread came in handy to polish off the superb Napoli sauce.

Alas, the ubiquitous salt and pepper squid was a disappointment, with a mushy coating that easily flaked off the rings, even though the squid was cooked well enough. The lime chilli and sweet soy mayo were lacking, and as for the lettuce 'basket', it was a piece of lettuce. Whoopee.

The pork belly main was presented beautifully - for a bistro - highlighting the four chunky cubes of pork in a pool of red wine jus, but the pork lacked finesse with some pieces bigger than others. As a result the smaller pieces were more dry and tougher. Crackling was perfectly crispy however, giving an audible and satisfying crunch. The lyonnaise potatoes were tender and flavoursome while the small serving of sweet and sour red cabbage balanced the savouriness of the other components without being too cloying. Fine dish as this is, it is clearly not slow-baked on this occasion since it came out fairly quickly.

So should I still judge this book by its cover? Yes and no. While Funky Bar has been revamped into a hip new drinking destination, a few negatives mitigate its potential as a foodie mainstay on King Street. The incongruous positioning of the kitchen spoils the cool vibe generated by the decor and chandeliers, but it's probably not a deal-breaker after becoming half-soused on Citrus Hubba Bubbas. The food demonstrates skill but also shows a little tardiness, with well executed components let down by sloppiness. However, with an area populated by run-of-the-mill Asian-centric eateries, a bistro-style bar serving better-than-the-average-hotel-standard fare such as this has a chance. Just lower your expectations, enjoy the chick lit calibre experience rather than a Pulitzer Prize winner and everyone's a happy camper.

The good: Napoli sauce on the meatballs packs heat; balance of the pork belly main; chandeliers; reasonable prices; location in the main part of King Street is good; new logo

The bad: salt and pepper squid; execution of the pork belly main; the curious positioning of the open kitchen

What the?: lettuce basket

www.funkybarsydney.com.au

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Music Saturday - Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason

Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason

There ain’t no reason things are this way

Its how they've always been and they intend to stay

I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday

Preachers on the podium speaking to saints

Paupers on the sidewalk begging for change

Old ladies laughing from the fire escape, cursing my name

I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same

A window and a pigeon with a broken wing

You can spend your whole life working for something

Just to have it taken away

People walk around pushing back their debts

Wearing paychequess like necklaces and bracelets

Talking about nothing, not thinking about death

Every little heartbeat, every little breath

People walk a tightrope on a razor's edge

Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons

It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pen

Or a thought or a word or a sentence

There ain't no reason things are this way

It's how they've always been and they intend to stay

I don’t know why I say the things I say, but I say them anyway

But love will come set me free

Love will come set me free, I do believe

Love will come set me free, I know it will

Love will come set me free, yes

Prison walls still standing tall

Some things never change at all

Keep on building prisons, gonna fill them all

Keep on building bombs, gonna drop them all

Working your fingers bare to the bone

Breaking ya back, make ya sell your soul

Like a lung that's filled with coal, suffocating slow

The wind blows wild and I may move

The politicians lie and I am not fooled

You don't need no reason or a three-piece suit to argue the truth

The air on my skin and the world under my toes

Slavery stitched into the fabric of my clothes

Chaos and commotion wherever I go, love I try to follow

Love will come set me free

Love will come set me free, I do believe

Love will come set me free, I know it will

Love will come set me free, yes

There ain't no reason things are this way

It’s how they've always been and they intend to stay

I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday ....

Music Thursday - Taylor Hicks - Just To Feel That Way

Taylor Hicks - Just To Feel That Way

I feel you letting go

Holding on, caught in between

Could you risk the pain

Take the chance your heart might bleed

Just to feel that way

Can't keep running in circles

I'm standing right here

Could you rewrite the story

But trade all the tears

Oh it's not too late to feel that way ....

Take a walk on the wire

I won't let you go

We'll follow the streetlights down this jagged road

We'll break it all open finding our way

We might end up broken and wounded

But baby it's worth it for even one day

Just to feel that way

Let this moment unravel and we'll be all right

The world might be gone tomorrow

But we're here tonight

Oh it's not too late just to feel that way ....

Let's walk on the wire

I won't let you go

We'll follow the streetlights down this jagged road

We'll break it all open finding our way

We might end up broken and wounded

But baby it's worth it for even one day

Just to fall apart

I don't care

I'm not going anywhere without you being here by my side

Yeah I just don't feel right

We'll follow the streetlights

Let's walk on the wire

I won't let you go

We'll follow the streetlights down this jagged road

We'll break it all open finding our way

We might end up broken and wounded

But baby it's worth it for even one day

For even one day

Just to feel that way

Just to feel that way

Restaurant Review - The Abercrombie Hotel (Chippendale) - Come fry with me, let's fry, let's fry away ....

Talk about taking one for the team.

After word filtered through regarding the four new specials on the menu at the rejuvenated Abercrombie - home of the much maligned* Deep-Fried Golden Gaytime - the frisson implored me to haul my arse down there the very next day to vet their worthiness.

The Abba's American-British-Scottish fast food menu has already made waves amongst the juvenescent sodalities (thanks Mr. Fry) of proximate universities, so it comes as no surprise the new items are in the "If it ain't broke" category. Trying all four would have been extremely hazardous to my well-being, so I lift the death knell a smidge by eschewing the one item that isn't deep-fried, the Pork Banh Mi Roll ($9.50).

Deep. Fried. Pizza. Three words that would give a gaggle of cardiologists conniptions. Surprisingly, deep-fried pizza ($9) is a popular dish available in many chip shops in Scotland. Who would have thought? And who would have thought one would get eight slices for nine bucks? Sure, they are not the biggest slices one's ever seen but it is still a hell of a lot of grease for the buck. But are they any good? YES! At least for the first two slices, after which it becomes stodgy, greasy, and disgustingly filling, especially with the thick gravy provided for dipping. Duh. The best way to describe these is to imagine a potato scallop. Then imagine cheese and pepperoni as the filling. Got it? That's it in a nutshell. If one likes potato scallops (who doesn't?) and pizza (again, who doesn't?), then this should provide some (or a lot of) enjoyment. Just bring a friend to carry the burden. Or two. Eating all eight slices by oneself is akin to cardiac torture. Don't. Do. It.

Chicken Fried Steak ($20) had me confused in a Jessica Simpson "chicken or fish?" moment; is it bloody chicken or is it actually beef? Turns out it's a beef steak schnitzel, but because it resembles fried chicken, the Americans have decided to nonplus the food world with the nomenclature. Thanks. Not. It does taste great though, with the beef tender and the crumb coating crispy and moreish. But what's this green stuff? VEGETABLES? What sort of evil trickery is this? But hang on a mo, there are bits of diced ham or other salted meat to null the collard greens' salubrity! That's the spirit. Not mentioned in the menu description and hidden in the pic above is the Southern American specialty of grits, which tastes like a gritty mix of mashed potatoes and cous cous, and hence the name. There's a distinct lack of good Southern American comfort food in Sydney, so this dish's appearance is welcome, especially as the authenticity and quality is surprisingly great. The only black mark against the authenticity is the red eye gravy, which is supposedly a "thin sauce .... made from the drippings of pan-fried country ham, bacon, or other pork, mixed with black coffee". The gravy we are given is the same thick gravy that comes with the deep-fried pizza. Delicious as the gravy is, I highly doubt it is red eye gravy, and that's a shame.

Forget the Deep-Fried Golden Gaytime people, there's a new kid in town, and his name is the Deep-Fried Twinkie ($8). Don't know what a Twinkie is? Shame. On. You. It's a finger of sponge cake with a creamy filling, and it has my name on it, even without it being deep-fried. The deep-fried version is even tastier (duh), and it tastes almost identical to a Chinese restaurant deep-fried ice cream, without the ice cream of course. It is light and airy (just don't look at the calories), and smothered with a thick gooey marshmallow creme and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands, it looks like a Mardi Gras dessert, but gayer. Needless to say, it tastes wonderful with the different textures and temperatures, but if one is a sugar-phobe, avoid at all costs. Go eat a goji berry instead you party-pooper.

The age at which my life will end if I keep eating at the Abercrombie (I'm currently 37-years-old)

The Abba's four new specials may hit the arteries hard with all the finesse of a sledgehammer, but the kitchen finds inspiration from different parts of the globe in the creations. From the Scottish deep-fried pizza to the Vietnamese banh mi to the soul food of America's south, there is something (heart)-arresting for everyone. Compelling they may not be, but for hunger-busting and wallet-sparing gourmand goodness, it's hard to beat the Abercrombie's current focus, intention, and desire to please. What a team player.

Too late, this is my last view before I collapse and depart the mortal coil.

The good: Deep-Fried Twinkie; new specials are reasons to return; Deep-Fried Golden Gaytime is still on the menu as well

The bad: there is only so much deep-fried pizza one can stomach; red eye gravy authenticity

What the?: all the specials are (still) heart attack-inducing

*But not by me, are you crazy?

www.theabercrombie.com.au

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Music Friday - time to party with Tove Styrke - White Light Moment

Tove Styrke - White Light Moment

I want a perfect moment

I want to go tonight

I want see the star shoot out of a pitch black sky

I want to start a fire

I wanna burn tonight

I want a world in motion

I want to see the signs race through my mind

All I want now is a white light moment

Come with me tonight

Monochrome city the colour's fading

Watching the world in your eyes

Take me around the planet

Take me through space and time

Paint me a perfect picture and make sure you cross the line

Don't let the colours scare you

It's just a state of mind

We'll stay out of sight

All I want now is a white light moment

Come with me tonight

Monochrome city the colour's fading

Watching the world in your eyes

I want a perfect moment

I want to go tonight

I want see the star shoot out of a pitch black sky

I want a world in motion

I want to see the signs race through my mind

All I want now is a white light moment

Come with me tonight

Monochrome city the colour's fading

Watching the world in your eyes

Music Wednesday - time to reflect with David Choi - Love

David Choi - Love

What's going on?

I still see the frown in your face

It's so out of place

All you can remember

Is how you felt the other day

You let the small things in your way

But you know that will just keep you down

Loosen your grip, and drop it on the ground

Love, love, love, love, love

It's all you need

It's everything

To keep it all together

Love, love, love, love, love

It perseveres

It always steers

To keep you in the right direction

Left here undiscovered

I want to share this gold

With people of the world

Abundantly filling

Every single heart

And here's the best part

You know that love never brings you down

Let it all out, and shout it all around that

Love, love, love, love, love

It's all you need

It's everything

To keep it all together

Love, love, love, love, love

It perseveres

It always steers

To keep you in the right direction

Let me tell you something here today

Living life here on the rough terrain

You can lose hope, you can get lost

But you are not that far apart from

Love, love, love, love, love

It's all you need

It's everything

To keep it all together

Love, love, love, love, love

It perseveres

It always steers

To keep you in the right direction

Golden Chopsticks (Athens)

When in Greece, do as the Greeks do. Or is that Rome and Romans? I can't remember. Whoever it refers to, I gave it my best shot. But. I. Failed. Miserably. Despite my best efforts.

After two days in central Athens eating nothing but souvlakis, gyros, and Greek salads, I was suffering withdrawals, and my palate was suffering. Pining for comestibles of the non-Greek variety, I turned futilely to my first choice: aimless wandering. When that failed, I turned to trusty Tripadvisor to solve my culinary woes. Among the neverending listings of Greek, Italian, and Mediterranean nosheries, I finally found something suitably close to my heart: Chinese. Sort of.

Golden Chopsticks - situated near Syntagma Square in central Athens - is as retro as it gets, with a name as 80s as puffy shirts, big hair, and Madonna combined. Would any Asian eatery worth its MSG be so tackily named in 2011 Australia? Maybe in bucolic parts of Australia (Moe and Great China Inn, I'm looking at you), but surely not in metropolitan Sydney. The name Golden Chopsticks even brought back memories of those God-awful Diamond Chopsticks Chinese restaurant ads on Aussie TV in the 80s. Cringe. And the cliches don't stop there, as Golden Chopsticks also uses the cliched Shanghai typeface, serves a complimentary bowl of prawn crackers pre-meal, and a foil-wrapped fortune cookie for afters. It made me feel like I was ten-years-old again. Hooray for nostalgia!

Not that Golden Chopsticks is a simple Chinese restaurant either. Aiming to kill three culinary birds with one stone, it is a blend of Chinese, Thai, and Indian cuisines. Hopefully not all in the one dish though.

The proprietor of Golden Chopsticks is Greek (and one waiter is also Greek-Aussie), but all the chefs visible in the open kitchen are from the subcontinent. Authentic Chinese and Thai food? Doesn't look promising. Despite the Indian chefs, we order dishes from the Chinese and Thai parts of the menu. And it's a huge menu at that, not surprising given the merger of three cuisines, with 106 dishes on offer.

The san suian spring rolls (€4.30) are in fact Thai spring rolls, and they ain't half bad. Deep-fried well and containing a good amount of mince and vermicelli, they are better than some I've eaten in Sydney, so that's a shock. The ubiquitous sweet and sour pork (€8.10) comes with the standard chopped onions, green and red capsicums, and pineapple chunks, but having had the dish at London's branch of global Chinese fine dining chain Hakkasan, it is not an easy dish to reinvent. There is a slight difference though with the pork, where plain fillets are used rather than the battered-then-deep-fried kind, so the loss in crunchy texture is quite noticeable. The sauce is also generic, being more sweet than actually sour. Still an agreeable dish even with the amount of pork being swamped by the excipients. The chicken Thai fried rice (€4.90) turns out to be the least successful, due mainly to its lack of Thai-ness. Thai fried rices are generally super-fragrant and a little sweet, but this one resembles ordinary Chinese fried rice just too much with no personality, and with the chicken fillets barely making an appearance, it seems a total rip-off. There is a surprising redeeming element though, with fresh diced carrots being used instead of the frozen kind, giving it a snappy crunch.

The savouries certainly surprised, so the desserts might be okay too, and they are. The fried ice cream (€4.50) is massive, and for the first time in my life, I fail to finish it. It is also the first time I've had one where the ice cream isn't vanilla (it's chocolate here), and now I know why vanilla is used almost exclusively: because it's a better compliment to the golden fried exterior. The chocolate ice cream isn't as suited, and that also probably contributed to my non-finishing of one of my favourite desserts. The fried banana with ice cream (€4) is as expected: banana fritters, and it's also quite reasonable. Hot, crunchy, and with a suitably mushy sweet banana innard, it satisfies.

Golden Chopsticks may not be the pinnacle of Asian cuisine, but being one of the few eateries in Athens which serves Chinese, Thai, and Indian food, it serves its purpose adequately. It may be retro everything, from the name to the schlocky decor to the food's dubious authenticity, and it may not be as popular with locals as it is with tourists, but as a respite to the Mediterranean food monopoly, it is more than welcome. The most important element - the food - is above average and good enough in most cases, especially for those palate-weary and undemanding travellers such as yours truly. And for that we have to thank Zeus. Or Jupiter.

The good: Asian food in Athens; inexpensive; food quality is surprisingly acceptable and in some cases above average; friendly and efficient service; huge menu

The bad: the name; fried ice cream using chocolate ice cream; parsimony of proteins in the sweet and sour pork and chicken Thai fried rice; no toilets; not the easiest place to find

What the?: Indian chefs

www.golden-chopsticks.gr

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Music Friday - time to party with Beyonce - Halo

Beyonce - Halo

Remember those walls I built?

Well, baby they're tumbling down

And they didn't even put up a fight

They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in

But I never really had a doubt

Standing in the light of your halo

I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened

Every rule I had you breaking

It's the risk that I'm taking

I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now

I'm surrounded by your embrace

Baby I can see your halo

You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more

It's written all over your face

Baby I can feel your halo

Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun

Burning through my darkest night

You're the only one that I want

Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again

But this don't even feel like falling

Gravity can't forget

To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened

Every rule I had you breaking

The risk that I'm taking

I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now

I'm surrounded by your embrace

Baby I can see your halo

You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more

It's written all over your face

Baby I can feel your halo

Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now

I'm surrounded by your embrace

Baby I can see your halo

You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more

It's written all over your face

Baby I can feel your halo

Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo

I can see your halo halo halo

Music Wednesday - time to reflect with Bruno Mars - Count On Me

Bruno Mars - Count On Me

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea

I'll sail the world to find you

If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see

I'll be the light to guide you

Find out what we're made of

What we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one, two, three

I'll be there and I know when I need it

I can count on you like four, three, two

And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends

Are supposed to do, oh yeah, ooh, ooh

If you toss and you turn and you just can't fall asleep

I'll sing a song beside you

And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me

Everyday I will remind you

Find out what we're made of

What we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one, two, three

I'll be there and I know when I need it

I can count on you like four, three, two

And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends

Are supposed to do, oh yeah, ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah

You'll always have my shoulder when you cry

I'll never let go, never say goodbye

You can count on me like one, two, three

I'll be there and I know when I need it

I can count on you like four, three, two

And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends

Are supposed to do, oh yeah, ooh, ooh

You can count on me 'cause I can count on you

Restaurant Review - Yen For Viet (Marrickville) - yen uncertainty

Thanks to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, everyone now has a disseminating public voice. Whether it is regarding the latest trendy noshery opening or the merits of a new Justin Bieber haircut, people have an easily accessible opinion outlet. But without a solid foundation of food knowledge or hairstyling prowess, these impressions hold no sway. However, when someone as experienced and influential as Sydney Morning Herald food critic Terry Durack says Yen For Viet has the best beef pho in Sydney, people pay attention.

An unassumingly small eatery in the heart of culturally diverse Marrickville, it has gone about its business quietly and without much ado. Terry Durack's salutation changed that instantly, and now the restaurant is bustling with diners eager to test out the pho and other Vietnamese dishes.

Yen For Viet is in a small cluster of predominantly Vietnamese eateries on Illawarra Road. Its blood red interior, minimal decor, and simple stylings are similar to others in Marrickville such as phd and Bay Tinh. It has a similar menu too, consisting of an assortment of rice paper rolls, rice dishes, noodle dishes, and grilled proteins, and all at very reasonable prices.

Pho bo ($12) - sliced beef noodle soup

Our initial lunch visit has us ordering simple one bowl/plate dishes. The praised pho bo is first, and it is a disappointment. The soup is tremendous - beefy, flavoursome, and strikingly herbaceous - but unfortunately the beef is a boiled, chewy mess while the rice noodles are almost mushy. Not the best pho in Marrickville, let alone Sydney, not by a long shot.

Com tam suon trung ($12) - flame-grilled pork chop and fried egg with steamed rice

Grilled pork chops are a Vietnamese specialty, but this too is a letdown of epic proportions. The main attraction pork is dry and far too well-done, and this overcooking also strips the juicy flavours. Apart from the failure in cooking it correctly, the chop is not properly cut into pieces, and because we are only supplied a spoon and a fork, it made for some socially awkward use of the fingers. The shredded pork 'terrine' is much better handled - light, tasty, and texturally good - while the fried egg is perfectly done with a pinch of white pepper on top for flavour.

Usually such a poor lunch would dissuade us from returning, but there has to be something in the food for Terry Durack to be excited about, so we return for dinner on a different night.

Goi cuon ($5) - prawn and pork rice paper rolls

The prawn and pork rice paper roll is a great example of a simple, healthy dish, with prawns, slices of pork, lettuce, vermicelli, and garlic chives rolled tightly into a compact cigar, while the hoi sin dipping sauce gives the otherwise unseasoned rolls flavour. This version is neatly presented, unfussy but average.

Canh ga tam bot chien bo ($6) - butter-coated chicken mini drumsticks

Butter-coated mini chicken drumsticks are a less naughty version of KFC and multiple other deep-fried chicken dishes currently on menus around Sydney, but no less tasty or crunchy. All it needs is a devilish dipping sauce.

Muc don thit chien don ($12) - golden brown squids stuffed with prawn, pork mince, and black fungus

The pork mince and prawn-stuffed squid is surprisingly light, with an external layer of crispy batter; alas the squid is a smidgen rubbery, as they often are when deep-fried. It is rather meaty and flavoursome though, and it is an engineering marvel how they manage to keep the stuffing intact so neatly when the pieces are sliced so thinly.

Thit kho to ($12) - caramelised pork in clay pot

The lone main of the caramelised pork is not in a clay pot but it needn't be, as it is rich, tender, delicious, and a bargain for twelve bucks. Caramelised pork belly with a marinated boiled egg is a classic Asian dish, and this one is done well with generous chunks of gorgeous porcine belly coated in a slick aromatic broth.

It is difficult to know what went wrong with the lunch meal, but both dishes we tried - Vietnamese eatery staples no less - failed to live up to expectations. Maddingly, our second visit for dinner was the polar opposite, with everything of a standard expected from a Terry Durack pick. With such a wild variation in the quality of the food and execution, it is difficult to recommend wholeheartedly, but why listen to me?

The good: caramelised pork in clay pot; butter-coated mini chicken drumsticks; efficient and amiable service

The bad: pho bo; grilled pork chop very overcooked; dinner is almost always packed so bookings are recommended

What the?: the table we sat at for dinner was an old table from the restaurant's previous life as a Korean barbecue

www.yenforviet.com.au

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