TasWeekend Indulge: Saigon District street food with a delicious twist
There are plenty of places to find a fast Indochinese food fix in Hobart. But for those who like to linger longer, there’s a new arrival in town that promises to take you on a journey to Saigon you won’t easily forget.
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VIETNAMESE Pho at Salamanca, Cyclo and Saigon Express in Elizabeth St … there are plenty of places to find a fast Indochinese food fix in Hobart. But for those who like to linger longer in more comfortable surrounds, there’s a new arrival in town that promises to take you on a journey to Saigon you won’t easily forget.
I first visited Vietnam in 1995 while on a six-month backpacking trip through South-East Asia. What I remember is the freshness of the food — think crispy spring rolls wrapped in crunchy coats of lettuce stuffed with fresh herbs — and the amazing yoghurt and baguettes, a legacy of the French occupation. I drank copious amounts of 333 beer and, the morning after, sipped strong black coffee drip-filtered into a glass part filled with sweet and sticky condensed milk.
When I returned in 2009 with two girlfriends and considerably more money in my wallet, we drank cocktails at the Hanoi hotel where Graham Greene famously penned the Quiet American during the dying days of French colonialism and did riverside cooking classes in the tranquil town of Hoi An.
Tonight’s visit to Vietnamese eatery Saigon District, which opened just a few weeks ago in a long-vacant space last occupied by Sons of Baja in North Hobart, is to belatedly celebrate a friend’s birthday. We start by discussing an absent friend who is hurtling her way towards Kathmandu on her continuing quest to visit every country on earth. On this three-week expedition – which will push her over the 70 mark — she’s ticking off Nepal, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka. Saigon is not on her itinerary. Her loss.
The Saigon District team tested their menu at the Taste of Tasmania before opening the doors on their new enterprise, which offers “a modern twist on classic Vietnamese dishes using quality Tasmanian produce”, in February. The decor is greatly changed from the taco-centric days of Sons of Baja. And although the dining area has been scaled back, it somehow seems bigger.
We dispense with the pleasantries and get down to the serious business of ordering food. Deciding to go all-out, we pass the single-paged menu around the table to allow everyone to make a selection to share. Thankfully there are also several options available for the gluten-free diner in our midst.
First to land is the wagyu beef betel leaf — minced beef snugly wrapped in the leaf and cocooned in a lettuce cup. But it’s the addition of a sweet and tangy chunk of pineapple and anchovy sauce that really makes this meaty morsel sing.
Next come the sugarcane prawns off the specials list. Described as a famous street food, the minced prawn meat is wrapped around an edible skewer made from sweet but rather fibrous sugarcane. The accompanying chilli dipping sauce packs quite a punch.
The turmeric taco — the Vietnamese version of that Mexican staple — is a textural treat. Served upright in a nifty wire holder, the wafer-thin pancake cradles salty prawns and pork, beanshoots, lettuce and herbs.
By the time we’ve worked our way through cumin lamb cutlets, served beautifully pink, salt and pepper calamari and a few small-bite scallops on the half shell we are beginning to flag.
One of our party sidles over to the kitchen to ask for a short breather before the larger dishes arrive. My favourite of these is the wok-tossed beef with still-crunchy capsicum, cherry tomatoes, watercress and onion. “Magnificent”, booms the birthday girl’s meat-loving other half.
I go it alone for dessert as I simply can’t resist creme caramel. The Saigon version is topped with a coffee coconut sauce and fresh berries. It’s one dish I’m glad I don’t have to share.
While I can’t see myself taking another trip to Vietnam any time soon, I am sure I will back in the Saigon District within weeks.
SAIGON DISTRICT
8/285 Elizabeth St, North Hobart
Phone: 6234 2542
Open: Tuesday to Thursday, 5.30pm to 9.30pm; Friday and Saturday 5.30pm to 11pm; Sunday 5.30pm to 9.30pm.
Licensed and BYO (bottled wine only)
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