Green Tea in the Valley

If there are two things the Viets kick arse at, it's food and guerilla warfare. 


It was with the former in mind that four of us traipsed into Green Tea last Sunday in the hope that the food there would prove decent enough to refute its poor internet reviews. 




Set in the newly renovated Chinatown Mall, Green Tea's simplistic decor creates an immediate feeling of serenity upon entering, with its mouth-watering Asian fusion menu enough to entice even the most unadventurous eater. 


Listed were a huge variety of dishes, ranging from traditional Vietnamese fare (pho soup, caramelised pork ribs and spicy quail) to more adventurous dishes from the remainder of the continent (Japanese-style steak fillet, anyone?)


Glancing at the awesome menu, it was hard to understand how former patrons had rendered the food here "flavourless" and "awful". 
We were served promptly and as expected, the unkindly reviews rang most untrue. In fact, I remain certain that the hedonistic gods of earthly pleasures were smiling upon us as they delivered to our table some of the tastiest dishes to ever grace our palates. 


For entree, we had opted for the "make-your-own-fun rolls" and fun they certainly were! 
Comprising of silken rice papers wrapped around tender sugarcane prawns and crisp summer vegetables, a zesty dipping sauce competed the dish and provided a feisty element that tantalised our tastebuds.  
Flawlessly marrying sweet and sour, the rice paper rolls were a perfect start to the meal: not too big, not too small and so delicious I was sure they'd come with a heftier price than a meagre $13.50. 


Our next course was a fusion-style duck salad that brought East and West together in one sizeable portion. 
Thick slices of crispy-skin duck held their place atop a pile of crispy mesclun mix, julienned lotus root, tomato, cucumber, as well as crunchy, house-pickled daikon and carrot. A splattering of mint leaves and crushed roasted peanuts added an interesting textural component. The fresh ingredients made such a gorgeous rainbow of colours that the salad looked too good to eat.


The only disappointment was the pork ribs in Peking sauce which my friend had ordered. Although the ribs had been cooked to perfection, they arrived drowning in such a quantity of sauce that even a generous helping of rice did little to absorb it. The sauce also proved a little too sickly and seemed to overpower the entire dish. 


We decided to complete the meal with drinks, opting for the iced lychee tea with whole lychees and the three-coloured dessert with layers of red bean, mung bean and jelly over coconut cream and crushed ice. Both were sweet, although not overpoweringly so, and the perfect finish to a standout meal. 


I'd rate Green Tea four out of five stars, in the hope that they read this and offer me a free meal. 
If all Vietnamese food is as spectacular as the dishes at Green Tea, I'd happily walk to Ho Chi Minh City. 


Green Tea can be found at Shop 1B, 31 Duncan Street, Fortitude Valley.
Open 7 days for lunch and dinner, it's fully licensed. BYO wine.
Call (07) 3252 4855

Review- lunch at Madtongsan I

Today's post is brought to you by the letter K.
K for Korean and K for kickass, as these two words describe yeterday's culinary exploits.

I must admit that I have oft wondered what korean food is like, but a slight ignorance of Korean culture, coupled with year 12 history's Cold War unit led me to conclude that Korean food is probably similar to its japanese counterpart, with just a healthy dash of socialism mixed in :)

However, an opportunity arose yesterday to try this magnificently multifaceted cuisine in the form of lunch at the charmingly tiny Madtongsan 1, located in Brisbane's Elizabeth Street Arcade.

Despite occupying merely a diminutive corner of the arcade, it's difficult for passers-by to miss Madtongsan 1. The kiosk-sized restaurant exudes a warm charm and certain aura of hustle and bustle as the waitstaff flit hurriedly between the cramped tables, and crowds of chattering, salivating customers wait patiently for a table outside, gazing longingly at the steaming bowls on seated patrons' tables and at the brightly-illustrated menus that paper the windows. Having witnessed the hype over the small restaurant, I decided to give it a go.

Decor/ambience- although cramped and somewhat minimalistic in terms of decoration, the amazing smells wafting from the nearby kitchen and the large portion sizes are enough to get anyone's tummy rumbling aggressively. Warm lighting and colours and a surprising lack of music create a homely feel that makes patrons feel relaxed despite the "get in, eat, get out" mood that is the hallmark of most lunchtime eateries.

Food- Despite a small menu, choices vary widely and all look positively mouthgasmic. My selection, bibimbap, a ricebowl dish, looked simple and plain on the menu, but when it arrived at the table, I saw that I was much mistaken in my initial critique. As illustrated in the accompanying photo, bibimbap is a fantastical concoction of steamed seasoned rice, Korean veggies all prepared lovingly in a variety of manners and a big dollop of Krakatoa-hot hot sauce, all topped off with a fried egg, sunny-side up. The point of the dish is to mix the bowl's contents together, stirring the hot sauce through, creating a cacophony of colours and flavours- delicious! We were also given two complimentary traditional side dishes- spiced potato and the ubiquitous kimchi (or kimchee).

If you haven'tbeen fortunate enough to have tried kimchi (the little dish in the left in the photo), it really is something. Like an Asian version of sauerkraut, it revolves around pickled cabbage, but that is where the similarities to its Germanic cousin, end. As well as vinegar, the cabbage is also favoured with chilli, salt and a number of secret Korean 'erbs and spices that create an unami-esque taste explosion that is truly unique. Eaten by the Koreans with every meal, you can put the versatile condiment with A-NYthing and it will taste wonderfully amazing. It really is one of those flavours that makes you say, "day-um!"

Value- For a paltry $9, this bibimbap was one of the most awesome Asian dishes I have ever had in my entire life (bear in mind that I just came back from a month in Vietnam), and the marriage of the salty kimchi, spicy sauce and flavoursome veggies definitely left me wanting more. In fact, if they eat like this ALL the time in Korea, I might consider taking my next holiday there. Now, when does the next plane leave for Seoul? :)

Madtongsan is located at 28 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. Mains are $9-$11 each.