Restaurants

Come here to dine under a sky painted on to the ceiling, surrounded by turquoise walls that give Viet Anh an airy and spacious feel. The list of 250 or so dishes can be overwhelming; all sound like rather unexciting variations of each other. The trick is to order dishes labelled Vietnamese or authentic. Bun rieu, for instance a soup so red you can almost see how spicy it is is a seldom-seen northern Vietnamese crabmeat soup with a sweet seafood undertone thats combined with the sourness of tomatoes and the saltiness of fish sauce. Viet Anhs version with thin strips of poached egg and prawn cake (similar in texture to fish cake) was sublime, though it could have done with a few more fresh herbs and fewer processed crab sticks. The fried tilapia fish, swimming in nuoc cham and topped with ripe mango, was equally delightful, the sweet and sour flavour of both the sauce and fruit harmonising well with the crunchy fish. Viet Anh has minor flaws, but when its menu says Vietnamese, Vietnamese is what you get.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008