Simon Wilkinson: Viet Next Door is one of a kind
Children of the family behind one of Adelaide’s best Vietnamese restaurants have opened a venue of their own, writes Simon Wilkinson
Ever since young Ugg asked to go on his first tyrannosaurus hunt, parents have been balancing a deep-seated urge to protect their children with the need for them to make decisions and learn from their mistakes.
Dinh Phan and Suong Thi Ho, the venerable owners of Vietnam in Addison Rd, must have faced exactly that dilemma when children Ben and Linda, already heavily involved in running the family restaurant, announced they wanted to open their own place.
Especially when the new business would be under the same roof but offer a very different impression of Asian dining. Cheeseburger spring rolls! Wings of Glory! Fried rice arancini balls, for goodness sake! Why wouldn’t they stick to the grilled quail, hot pots and other old favourites that still draw a crowd night after night after night?
There’s a lot riding on Viet Next Door, then, particularly given that its development has coincided with an upsetting time for the family, as Dinh fights an ongoing battle with cancer.
The new venue had sat finished, but empty, from 2017, when it was the recipient of a major award for its quite beautiful and personal design, until it opened earlier this year. The space isn’t large but it is full of meaningful stories and surfaces that demand to be touched.
The tabletops, for instance, are inlaid with fragments of eggshells recycled from the kitchen at Vietnam, the incredible mosaic detail only hinting at the work involved. The bar counter is a slab of granite, its edge rough and unfinished as if it has come direct from the quarry. The chairs, the lights and the upholstery of the booths are all superb.
Ben, who collaborated with designer Ryan Genesin on the fit-out, is the creative force behind the food of VND. His menu shows a modern disregard for boundaries or borders, mixing and matching what he’s learnt from his mum with what he has seen elsewhere in the world or dreamt up in the middle of the night. If the leaps from finesse to fast food, and back again, can be a little disconcerting, the level of interest in the cooking never falls away.
Two styles of oyster fall into the first category. The naturals are dressed in vinaigrette and scattered with a finely diced sweet-sour mix of Vietnamese pickles and fresh pineapple that tangos beautifully with the brine. A beer-battered version, with a blob of wasabi mayo, is still plump and releases a gush of juices, like a seafood soft centre.
Lightly cured kingfish is tossed with a mix of aromatic leaves, dressed with a ripper ginger nuoc cham and dumped into a lettuce leaf, ready to wrap up and munch. Think of it as an amalgam of South American ceviche, Thai miang and Vietnamese cold roll.
A king prawn and citrus salad is more mainstream, though frilly strips of white coral mushroom add a surprise textural diversion and the fried taro straws on top would make a terrific TV snack.
I’ve come across cheeseburger spring rolls a few times before but these ones offer the closest flavour facsimile, particularly when dunked into a creamy Big Mac-style sauce.
Wings of Glory, however, are weighed down by a heavy batter and never really get off the ground. The coating is lighter on the crisp soft shell crab that’s split into segments ranging from the pure crunch of the carapace to surprisingly meaty leg and claw joints. I’d have preferred a dressing with cleaner citrus zing rather than the added richness of a salted duck egg emulsion.
Crab also features in the signature egg noodle dish that is served like a bowl of pasta and has a seasoning (heavy on garlic powder, I think) that is strangely addictive.
Desserts continue in the same vein, whether it’s the matcha and chocolate “Royal Tea-ramisu” or turning Vietnamese coffee into a panna cotta with espresso and condensed milk glaze.
A popcorn creme brulee is made up of a lovely delicate custard under a toffee lid sparkling with gold leaf.
Throw in the constant rattle of a cocktail shaker behind the bar, a bright-eyed brigade of young waiters in immaculate calico aprons and a soundtrack of chart-toppers, and you could be in one of the city-smart establishments of the East or West End.
Instead, Ben and Linda have stayed close to home, close to family. And that is what makes VND one of a kind.
VIET NEXT DOOR
73A Addison Rd, Pennington
8447 7799; vietnextdoor.com
OWNER Ben and Linda Phan
CHEF Ben Phan
FOOD Vietnamese
ENTREE $12-$18
MAIN $18-$32
DESSERT $16
DRINKS Creative cocktails, including nine different G and Ts, are backed up
by a short but well balanced wine list.
OPEN LUNCH Sat and Sun
DINNER Fri-Sun
SCORE 13.5/20