Messages of understanding and encouragement are lifting the spirits of the state’s hospitality community
Small acts of customer kindness and special stories are lifting the spirits of Adelaide’s restaurant community, writes Simon Wilkinson.
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He sported a stylish tuxedo and she wore a beautiful velvet dress. No lousy virus was going to stop this couple celebrating their anniversary in style, even if they were only calling in to pick up takeaway.
Stories like this, along with constant messages of understanding and encouragement, are lifting the spirits of the state’s hospitality community when they need it most.
Perhaps it’s a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, but restaurant owners and workers are seeing first-hand how much customers appreciate their hard work.
Everyone wants their favourite places to be there when this crisis is over, so they are ordering extra serves, buying vouchers for meals in the future, sharing the love on social media, finding any way possible to show their support.
GOLDEN BOY
The anniversary couple were dressed up to collect their special meal from Thai hotspot Golden Boy.
“It was such a lovely surprise,” reports co-owner Sondra Deering, who also tells of customers printing out menus and downloading a playlist “to have their own Golden Boy experience at home”.
“We’ve had to cancel so many bookings,” she says, “but we are staying in touch with everyone and encouraging them to have a bit of fun.”
The same principle is helping to brighten the mood of Golden Boy staff.
“It’s pretty confronting coming to work and seeing no table or chairs, particularly when we are such an experience-based restaurant,” Sondra says.
“So we’ve turned the music up and the neon lights on to make sure we still have that positive energy.”
Golden Boy has pared back its normal menu to ensure meals can be produced efficiently and quality is maintained.
Salads and dishes featuring fragile soft herbs are some of the items to be put on hold. Still, there is plenty to love, starting with pieces of chicken in a knobbly fried coating that on first impression is full of friendly, fragrant spicing but finishes with a fiendish tickle of kampot pepper. It’s not hot, mind you. For that, add a decent dollop of a green chilli nam prik.
The jungle curry of pork conjures up its own peppery notes in a broth also entwined with verdant aromas of galangal, kaffir lime and holy basil.
In its murky depths are pieces of slowly braised shoulder meat, along with beans, baby corn and Thai eggplant.
In contrast to those bright sparks of flavour, the beef and potato massaman is as smooth and soulful as a Barry White song, without ever losing balance and falling for the sweetness that is so common in sauces of this kind.
Both curries will be just as good (if not better) the next day, Sondra says, so don’t be worried about over-ordering.
309 North Tce, city, 8227 0799,
golden-boy.com.au. Open for pick up and delivery Tue-Sat, from 5pm
NGHI NGAN QUAN / LITTLE NNQ
Bringing home the DIY cold rolls from Little NNQ is like arriving with Christmas presents: everyone has a parcel to unwrap.
We’ve ordered the version with aromatic grilled pork skewers that are packaged in their own container with vermicelli noodles. Then there is a plate piled with carrot and daikon pickles, salad and a mix of herbs; a tub of thick, glossy peanut dressing; and the rice papers, of course.
Fill a bowl with warm water, briefly dip the wrappers and watch the family go to work creating their own combinations.
Cold rolls are one of the satisfying options from the still extensive menu at city Vietnamese restaurant Little NNQ and its suburban mothership, Nghi Ngan Quan, at Woodville.
Other recommended dishes include Hanoi-style spring rolls filled with chicken and water chestnut, a prawn and jellyfish salad, beef pho and the slow-cooked pork belly and whole eggs in a caramel sauce.
Jennifer Luong, who runs the restaurants with her family, says they are trying to find new ways to keep the business ticking over.
They have expanded the zone for deliveries, developed hotpots to take away and created a range of frozen foods, including spring rolls, caramelised duck and lemongrass chicken.
“Everyone in the family is doing their little bit,” she says. “We’re seeing a lot of each other, more than we are used to. We have all had to pitch in a bit more and you get to know the business more.”
Jennifer says the Woodville community have been particularly supportive.
“People are tipping where they can and leaving us nice little notes. A lot of regulars are coming for pick-up as opposed to delivery… I think it is people wanting to get out of the house and have a chat.”
Little NNQ, 125 Gouger St, city, 8211 8558, littlennq.com.au is open for takeaway and
delivery Wed-Mon, 5pm-8pm. Nghi Ngan Quan, 65 Woodville Rd, Woodville,
8244 6003, is open for takeaway and
delivery Wed-Mon, noon-8.15pm