Tan Viet is one of my favourite cheap eats with their signature dish only charging $10. With ongoing raves about their food and appearances on channel 9′s Getaway, and constant mentions in SMH magazine.. its no wonder during the weekend peak-hour lunch.. the line is almost overflowing on the road.

As soon as you are seated, if you look around the room.. everyone is pretty much eating crispy skin chicken with bowls of dry egg noodles or egg noodles with soup. The sight of red rice lights up the room with what foreigners would see as “weird looking rice” but delicious once eaten.

Famous for their crispy skin chicken, its a “MUST” visit you have to experience yourself!! ITS SERIOUSLY THAT GOOD!!

[Signature Dish] Mi Ga Don – Crispy skin chicken, egg noodles garnished with fresh lettuce, coriander, and shallots and various condiments
You know a dish is good when 70% of people are eating the same dish. Mi Ga Don comes with a side of crispy skin chicken, and you have the option of having your egg noodles either soupy (with chicken stock) or non-soupy (dry egg noodles with special sauce on the bottom of the bowl).

Mi Ga Don – side of crispy skin chicken
Chicken is soo tender it melts in your mouth and falls right off the bone not leaving any meat to waste. The best part is the skin which I like to leave to the end as it has a crispy taste leaving you heartbroken once eaten. – NO SHIET ITS THAT GOOD!!

Pork Chop and Broken Rice with the additional fried egg
I’ve had many vietnamese pork chops and its all different and comes down to the flavours in the marinade. Tan Viet in particular has the amazing lemongrass taste which is embedded into the flesh of the pork (J) loved it so much he ordered a third pork chop for $3. Crispy fried gooey egg is optional with an extra surcharge.

Crispy Skin Chicken & Tomato Rice
Another popular option if your not up for noodles but wanting some of their chicken. Red rice is also known as “Tomato Rice“. Not sure if they actually use tomato in it at the restaurants but people seem to think it is? The bf’s mum showed me how to cook tomato rice – Vietnamese style and its actually cooked with fresh prawn and a paste from a bottle.

Condiments
Fish sauce for adding taste to rice or noodle, lemon and bean sprouts if you’ve ordered the egg noodle soup.

Hope I made your mouth drool!

Tan Viet Noodle House
100 John Street
Cabramatta, NSW
P: (02) 9727 6853

Vietnamese is one of my favourite Asian foods! I love it because its so fresh, light and tasty. I go to Cabramatta at least once a month for a hair cut / trim and every time I’m in the area, I’m always hanging for Viet food. I’ve tried many Vietnamese restaurants along John Street and this is one of my favourite credit crunch places.

I know some vietnamese may think Bau Truong is expensive but i see it as under $10!!!!!!!!!! which to me is a plus saving especially if it involves good food! Can’t exactly complain about that. For many years, I went to Thanh Binh which I would also recommend. Unfortunately I stopped going there ever since Bau Truong opened mainly because I’m in love with their rice dishes! (I’m a rice eater!)

I’m always satisfied with their food and the service is friendly^_^. They speak good English and are always helpful which is handy if your a non-vietnamese speaker. The layout of the restaurant is spacious (at times) and the interior is modern in comparison to other restaurants but most importantly the food is great.

FOOD

Rice Paper Prawn Rolls with carrot & peanut condiment
One of my favourite healthy dishes of all time with zero calories.

Seafood Rolls
I was obsessed with these seafood rolls at one stage. I mainly loved it for its golden crunchiness combined with the fresh veggies. To eat these you grab the fried seafood roll, wrap some lettuce around it and add the vietnamese mint, basil, vinegar carrot. Pop it into your mouth ^_^

Condiments
I’ve noticed Vietnamese cuisine tends to have a lot of different condiments for many different meals. Each sauce is for something in particular.

Chili
If your addicted to chili like me and just has to add it to every meal.. then this chili condiment will add some fire to your dish (i personally think its not hot, then again I can handle super hot chilli)

Vietnamese Pancake (Bánh xèo)
Such an evil pancake but soo good. Its got bean sprouts, prawn, pork and you stuff it with fresh vietnamese herbs and pour fish sauce for taste!

Crispy Skin Chicken & Fried Rice
One of the best crispy skin chickens ever! (I think it beats Chinese restaurants as it can sometimes be too dry). The skin is soo crispy and  flavorsome it melts in your mouth! The flesh is soft  and juicy which falls off the bone!

Fish sauce with carrot
usually for pouring onto the rice or chicken for more flavour

BBQ Pork Chop
Lean marinated pork chop! it reminded me of having thinly sliced pork hovering over charcoal! Any meat bbqed is moan-worthy! One of my usual orders ! God bless PORK!

Pho Dac Biet
Beef, Tripe, Tendons the lot!!! Cant go wrong with Pho.. ive had so many that i no longer can tell what is the bomb! Stock was super tasty its awesome as a winter meal. However i think more tripe was needed but still slurp-o-licious!

Cubed Beef and Red Rice (Bo Luc Lac)
Bruce’s mum makes it for dinner sometimes mmmm!!.. Unfortunately not one of the best red rice’s i’ve had. Thanh Binh seems to do their bo luc lac better. At the end of the day its all about the beef and the beef is very tender, soft and full of flavour!

Lemon, Salt & Pepper Condiment for Bo Luc Lac
Personally I never use this.. for my meal its nice as it is

Lemon grass chili chicken
Chicken is always generous. If im desperate for chilli i usually order this. Its not hot even though i pour extra chilli into it but hey its very tasty with garlic bits. Another rice dish i tend to have if im up for chicken.

Rice
Dishes usually come with either red rice or plain rice. I always ask for fried-rice because it has yummy egg bits!

Bau Truong
Shop 10-12, 70 John St
Cabramatta NSW 2166
P: (02) 9727 4492

NOTE: I’ve eaten at Bau Truong Canley Vale branch and I prefer this restaurant – Bau Truong on John Street as it is better in terms of food. The canley vale branch is smaller and the ambiance is different.