Dong Ba Restaurant, Vietnamese, Cabramatta

Dong Ba is spreading like wildfire, there's two branches specialising in Bun Bo Hue noodles and one in Bankstown. Now they've just opened a new restaurant, the third Dong Ba in Cabramatta.  This one claims to offer more general Vietnamese food.



When noodlies Sydney food blog tried it recently, we found the menu selection, well, very broad, they still have the single serve dishes like pho, com tam, mi, but added to that are mainly seafood dishes that you order for a family meal.

Fairfield Advance: Tea Time for Thang - Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

Front page from this morning's Fairfield Advance: Tea Time for Thang: "Canley Vale resident Thang Ngo is the toast of the town after being named an ambassador for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea..." full story below.

"Pick 6 dishes that represent Vietnam"...

Says my new journo friend, Daisy Dumas, she's doing a story for CNNGo.com. Oh, and they have to be in Cabramatta and we need to eat them in one sitting... I was soooo up for the challenge!

I selected six dishes that transport me back to Vietnam, dishes that we commonly eat and one or two that are just so uniquely Vietnamese... What do you think of my selection? Leave a comment...

1. Pho: at Pho Tau Bay

No list would be complete without Pho, Vietnam's most famous soup. It comes in several types: beef, chicken, vegetarian, even seafood. And Pho Tau Bay was voted Sydney's best Pho in 2010.

Buddha's Birthday 2011, Freedom Plaza, Cabramatta

Buddha's Birthday falls on the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, which means it falls on different days each year, but mainly in May.  According to Wikipedia, in 2011 Buddha's Birthday falls on 10 May.

The Buddha Light International Association (BLIA), the group behind the Nan Tien temple in Wollongong and several other centres around Sydney organised the festivities on Cabramatta Freedom Plaza today.



Freedom Plaza was transformed today by the Buddhist festival, as you can see in the video above, there's an enormous Buddha shrine, stalls selling vegetarian food, giving out Buddhist literature.

Dai Jang Gum Korean Restaurant, Cabramatta

We're at Dai Jang Gum Korean restaurant at least once a week and there's something comforting when it's your usual.  We have our own table at the back next to the Korean doll display and right under the TV screen that pumps out K-Pop and Korean tourism messages.



Tonight I'm on my own and the owner greets me with a complimentary Korean pancake, watch the video above and you get an idea of its huge size... and the wonderful atmosphere of Dai Jang Gum.

The old ladies of Cabramatta

I've talked about the entrepreneurial old ladies of Cabramatta before and the trials and tribulations they face at the hands of Fairfield Council inspectors.

Today, marks the 36th anniversary of the fall of Vietnam an event that has changed the lives of millions of Vietnamese.  I thought today would be an appropriate one to show my support for my lovely old ladies of Cabramatta.



Today, I stop by to get something for lunch and dinner.  Seems ridiculously cheap, each box is just $3 each.  And I've 'unboxed' one of them below, it's in the same 'family' as banh beo, but this version uses glutinous rice.

Que Huong Vietnamese, Cabramatta

Noodlies Sydney food blog has been going to Que Huong for over a decade, when they were a successful Vietnamese dessert eatery in a small Cabramatta shopping arcade. Today, they're a fully fledged Vietnamese restaurant offering uncompromising Vietnamese food.



They specialise in many home style Vietnamese dishes like banh xeo (pancake), banh hoi (vermicelli cakes) and a different type of Vietnamese fresh roll called nem cuon; instead of prawn and pork, the meat is nem, a cured pork mince that is bright red as you can see in the video above and the photos below.

Thien Truc Vegetarian, Vietnamese, Cabramatta

Vietnamese Buddhists eat vegetarian for 'ram' (the full and half moon cycles), which is roughly every fortnight. This regular demand explains why there are at least six vegetarian establishments in Cabramatta.  The Vietnamese love their food, so care is taken to make the food taste good as well as look good.



Today, we're at Thien Truc (heavenly bamboo) on Hughes street and we start off with bo bia (below), it's a different type of Vietnamese fresh rolls, made with pork skin rather than pork and prawns.  Of course, this is the vegetarian version.

Dong Ba Bun Bo Hue, Cabramatta

Bun bo hue is a fearsome, authentic and uncompromising Vietnamese soup. It demands more and it gives more. Where you would appreciate the subtle sweetness of Pho, you're whacked in the face with chili and lemongrass, as well as a congealed blood cube and a pig trotter or two.

Tan Hung Vuong, No 1 Cabramatta Centre, Cabramatta

Banh cuon has been a favourite dish of mine since I was around 7yo.  It was always such a treat for breakfast, the warm rice noodles enveloping pork mince and mushroom over a bed of lettuce, mints, bean sprouts and cha lua; a delicious Vietnamese pork devon.   Oh and the burnt onion on top gives it even more flavour.

I'd pour loads and loads of fish sauce on top of everything and devour it all in minutes.

Cabramatta Food Tour with noodlies - 21st May 2011

Noodlies is about uncovering authentic, diverse food and culture all around Sydney.  I've had so many requests to do a tour of Cabramatta which has resulted in this Cabramatta Food Tour with noodlies in conjunction with North Sydney Community Centre.

TOUR IS SOLD OUT, THANK YOU

Of course the Cabramatta Food Tour is about sampling authentic Vietnamese food, but it's also about giving you a unique insight into Vietnamese culture; you'll get to meet monks, speak to the owner of one of Sydney's leading Pho restaurants and go behind the scenes to uncover the real Cabramatta. 

Cabramatta House Temple

We'll meet at a house temple where you'll meet the Abbot and learn how to roll a vegetarian Vietnamese roll and of course eat some.

Super Dish Chinese, Cabramatta

Super Dish is a new restaurant in Cabramatta and it's not Vietnamese.  We're seeing more and more non-Vietnamese restaurants opening in the area recently including, Yummi Thai, Red Sichuan Chinese, Dai Jang Gum, Malaysian House (now closed) to name a few.

I'm guessing the second generation Vietnamese aren't interested in the 7 days restaurant business.  And the void is being filled by others attracted by the sheer number of people who flock to Cabramatta, especially on weekends.

Super Dish is Chinese (Canto) style fare, the sort of restaurant you see in Chinatown, it's no accident they all have similar names like Supermeal and Superbowl. It hasn't been open that long... and you can see from the video above, the crowds flock to anything new.

ABC702 with Simon Marnie today from 11am

Simon's food blogger panel is Helen from Grab Your Fork, Trina from Gourmet Forager and myself from noodlies.  We'll be talking about great food in different 'regions' of Sydney.

Noodlies Sydney food blog is covering the new and emerging food hot spot of Canley Vale and  Canley Heights, as Simon calls them 'The Canleys'.

Here are some highlights in case you miss it or wanted to get more info about our conversation.

Canley Vale and Canley Heights

Battambang Cambodian, Cabramatta (Secret Sydney)

Battambang restaurant in Cabramatta is on the eastern side of town (sometimes even called Khmer side).  It's  much quieter and sleepier, most people don't even notice this side of town it's so discreet.  Dong Vu, Won Kee (although it's Chinese-Cambodian), Dong Son and even the relatively new Bayon are all on the western side of town and have much greater awareness and visibility.  Don't confuse this with the sister Battambang restaurant on the western side of Cabramatta, that one is off John Street.



Battambang restaurant in Cabramatta is named after the second largest city in Cambodia, known as the leading rice producer of the country and a commercial hub attracting Thais, Laos, Chinese and of course Cambodian traders.

Many have heard of Phnom Penh noodles and that's the dish that I love here - the 'dry' version where the soup comes separately.  As you can see in the video and photo above the lovely glutinous rice noodles come out dry with many types of meat and offal and congealed blood (you get alot of it in many south east Asian food).  The noodles are flavoured by a nice, salty dark sauce and the meat is also saltier than usual - it should be this way because dry noodles do not get the benefit of flavour that comes from the soup.

Speaking of soup, that comes in a separate bowl, it's clear with some coriander and shallots as garnish.  You can take a mouthful of the noodles at the same time a mouthful of soup.  Or you can take them in separate mouthfuls.  I prefer the latter because you can fully appreciate the dry noodles and meat.

This is another Secret Sydney post. Secret Sydney is a new noodlies Sydney food blog project to uncover authentic, diverse food and culture all around Sydney.

Battambang Cambodian Restaurant
Shop 4, 156-158 Cabramatta Rd, CABRAMATTA
Phone: (02) 9724 7307

PS: In the video, the fried breadsticks brought out is an optional extra, not a complimentary side dish.

U.E. Chinese Restaurant, Cabramatta (Secret Sydney)

UE wins the title of hardest restaurant to find in Cabramatta and that's saying something because there's a few hidden eateries in Cabra town.  Entry is via a street off the main drag, there's minimal signage and you have to go down a tiny, dark alley, dodging abruptly swinging toilet doors and you finally reach U.E. Chinese restaurant.  Watch this noodlies Sydney food blog video and you get a feel for the tomb raider adventure you go through to get to this restaurant.



I've got no idea what U.E stands for, but the restaurant serves Chinese style egg noodles (Vietnamese go for the rice noodles called pho).  We weren't given a menu but a quick scan of the hand written signage stuck to the walls (check out the video) confirms that egg noodle soup is there specialty.  And it's traditional Chinese egg noodles so wonton and boiled duck or beef are all catered for, the relatively version of crispy skin chicken made famous by restaurants like Tan Viet are too much of an innovation.

Walter ordered the wonton version, which was strong in prawn flavours, so be warned if you're not a fan of seafood.  The soup was clear and sweet, shallots and garlic chives adding additional bite.  I recommend adding some fresh chilli for that extra kick.  Remember to dip the wonton into the provided chilli sauce if you want extra spice.

The soup in my duck noodles were darker, no doubt coloured by the meat, which was a tad over cooked and making the skin soggy and flesh a little tough.  My bowl also contained extra offal which made the whole experience rather busy.  The egg noodles were thick and strong, very much to my taste.

Tan Viet and other noodle places can relax, while U.E. may win the crown for the most impossible restaurant to find, it's not quite there in the best restaurant when it comes to the noodles.  On the plus side, it's a fun adventure just getting there and might be a good choice when all the other places are packed.

It's been around for a couple of decades by my reckoning, so it must be doing something right.

This is another Secret Sydney post. Secret Sydney is a new noodlies Sydney food blog project to uncover authentic, diverse food and culture all around Sydney.

U.E. Chinese Restaurant
4A/117 John Street (Enter via Hill St)
Cabramatta
9727 0014

Vietnamese Pork Roll Cabramatta: Viet Hoa

Banh mi thit - Vietnamese pork roll: school kids munch on them, footballers are spotted grabbing one for a snack, old people chew slowly and carefully (the crisp bread rolls don't mix easily with dentures).  Even food bloggers love them, Marrickville, Mascot, you can get them just about anywhere in Sydney.

Are they the ultimate in fusion? French influence in crispy, crunchy bread, pate, mayo combined with Vietnamese ingredients, meat, chilli and fish sauce or maggi.

Last night, I bought two pork rolls in Cabramatta at Viet Hoa hot bread shop for dinner.  I reckon they sell one of the best pork rolls in Sydney.  I love Viet Hoa because they're open late, I've driven past at midnight and they're still serving customers.  And it seems like the same old lady is there 24 hours, which means the rolls are made consistently good!

Watch the video and see my banh mi thit being made. Fresh bread, pate, mayo, three types of meat, vegetables and chill and sauce.



I remember when they were $1.50 (many, many years ago)... last night they were $4.. it's still pretty good value, what sort of sandwich would you get for $4 these days.  Pork rolls use fresh bread, 10 different ingredients and made to order, can't argue with that!

noodlies Sydney food blogs loves a good banh mi thit!


Viet Hoa Hot Bread
John Street (Hill street end)
Cabramatta

Vietnamese Desserts: Banh It

Banh it is a sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaf and cooked for several hours.  It's generally accepted that this dish comes from the central regions of Vietnam.

There are savoury and sweet versions.  Today, I'm continuing my support of the elderly Vientamese ladies who have become street vendors in Cabramatta by buying a sweet banh it... last week it was sam bo luong, this week, it's banh it. 

Unwrap the banana leaf and you find a triangular sticky rice dumpling that is gluggy, this version almost crunchy.  You can really taste the banana leaf flavour.  On the inside it's a generous filling of yellow bean paste; just a tad too sweet for me, but Vietnamese sweets are notoriously high in sugar.

A delicious treat found right here, on the streets of Cabramatta!

Pho 54 Vietnamese Restaurant, Cabramatta

It's not Studio 54, but Pho 54 is as hip and almost as retro.  It's been around for at least 20 years and it has been continuously popular aided by a very loyal fan base that promote the restaurant through word of mouth.



Pho 54 gets its name in the usual Vietnamese convention of using the street number.  It's on 54 Park Road in the Cabramatta mall.  It's a small restaurant, but the owners have made the most of the space.

Video Guide: How to eat Pho?

The noodlies, mint and sprouts are clean and fresh, but as always, it's the soup that sets a good pho apart from the also-rans.  While Pho Tau Bay's soup is sweet and Pho Minh more salty from the fish sauce, Pho 54 is smooth and balanced and yet still very tasty.  And as you can see from the picture, extremely well presented, to the point of being mouth-watering!

2010 noodlies Sydney's Best Pho restaurant

Pho 54 Vietnamese Restaurant
54 Park Rd, Cabramatta
(02) 9726 1992

Sâm Bổ Lượng: Vietnamese Desserts

I love the enterprising old ladies of Cabramatta, each weekend they add colour and even more life to the place by selling home made food and home grown vegetables.  Early on, over zealous council officers would chase them and made a point of publicly throwing their goods in the bin as a form of public deterrent.

But week after week, more and more come back.  I think the council has now given up this silly persecution.



Of course, I always make a point of supporting them (these ladies can also be very persuasive sales people), one week it's nem, another it's mint, sometimes banh tet, today it's Sâm Bổ Lượng.  I even go to nearby Canley Heights to buy home made yogurt and creme caramel.

Sâm Bổ Lượng is a popular Vietnamese dessert that you can get a most Vietnamese restaurants, grocery stores and now, on the streets of Cabramatta.

It must be related to a Chinese version because the name sounds Chinese.  It's cross between a syrupy drink and a dessert consisting lotus nuts, dried longans, dried snow fungus, dried prunes, dried seaweed and a lot of sugar.  If you want to make it at home, here's a recipe.

Long may the old ladies sell their wares!

Rise Cafe, Cabramatta

It's not all pho and som tum in Cabramatta, Aussie-style cafes are popping up including Rise Cafe.  Before Walter goes off for a month in Cambodia we thought we'd treat him to some aussie beef.  I had the house steak above, while he had the steak sandwich below.