It’s been about two weeks since I visited Kim Thanh with my family. I’ve been on the hunt for good Vietnamese in Brisbane, so thought this one was worth a try.
The restaurant is quite large and was pretty packed when we arrived at 7pm on a Friday night. It got progressively more crowded as the night continued. Whilst I think this is a testament to the popularity of the place, it did make it quite difficult to hear my dining companions! There was a little bit of confusion when we arrived, as they appeared to have given my booking away to someone else, and initially we were seated right in front of the door. Fortunately, a table become available in a more central area of the dining room and we were quickly moved there.
For entrees we ordered fried spring rolls and Vietnamese rice paper rolls. Both were enjoyable, but neither were standout. For 5 people we ordered 4 mains plus rice, which was plenty of food. Of course, we were saving room for fried ice-cream with caramel sauce (a guilty pleasure).
Our mains arrived quite quickly, although not all at once. This wasn’t a big issue, and I sometimes find this happens in Asian restaurants. We tried to pick from the Vietnamese aspect of the menu (as there is Chinese as well), although the combination chow mien did find its way into the order.
First up was the braised chicken with snow peas. The chicken was tender and the snow peas were nicely cooked, however this dish didn’t set my world on fire. It was…nice. We had a bit better luck with the deep fried calamari with salt and pepper, which was beautifully tender and nicely crisp on the outside. The combination chow mien was good, although it had a little too much seafood for my sister’s liking. Finally, the standout dish was the Kim Thanh beef salad. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the dish I didn’t get a photo of! This was everything a beef salad should be – tender beef, lots of herbs, a hint of spice and a delicious dressing. Hands down the best dish of the night. We finished with deep fried icecream which was one of the better versions of this dish.
Overall, Kim Thanh was good solid Vietnamese/Chinese food. It won’t be lighting the world on fire but it’s worth a visit. However, my quest for truly authentic Vietnamese food in Brisbane continues… suggestions welcome!
Kim Thanh Restaurant
93 Hardgrave St
West End
P: 3844 4954
Web: http://www.kimthanhrestaurant.com.au/kimthanh/default.htm
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