Halong Bay Restaurant
Editorial
Citysearch® 2010 Best in the City Winner: Best Cheap and Cheerful!
Newtown's eagerness for the young spring day has encouraged Halong Bay to open its glass panels allowing scents of coriander, basil and lemongrass to float out onto the streets. Down the very end of King Street these fragrances lure in students from the local college and young couples looking for a laid-back lunch. Vietnamese accents pepper the room proving the restaurant's credibility with the cuisine. The mother and son duo collaborate with the techniques and textures from home as dishes arrive steaming from the pan with an explosion of aromas. The restaurant has a simple yet quirky charm that diners have come to love because it allows the focus to remain on the food.
The mother brings generous entrées of prawn pancakes, roasted quail and stuffed chicken wings to a group of art students as they delve into the servings. The crispy skin of the large chicken wing envelopes a creative combination of pork, fungus, vermicelli noodles and soy. Crunching through the fried edges becomes a medley soft and crunchy textures. A serving of plump squid is seasoned with simple salt and pepper flavours allowing the ocean characters to not be lost in a sea of spice. When all that is left of the entrées are crumbs and chicken bones, fresh papaya salad and a plate of chicken and basil stir-fry arrive with the sauce creeping into the accompanying piled rice. Leaves of basil wilted from the heat of the pan infuse the chicken and hints of chilli create a flirtatious bite. A family gathers around a Vietnamese steamboat cauldron which holds a bubbling broth. They drop prawns and baby octopus into the bubbling depths below which will soon be divvied up with the communal soup.
Halong Bay is a simple restaurant of dishes with pungent and authentic flavours that you could as easily envision yourself enjoying in the night noodle markets of Vietnam.
Edwina Storie, September 2010
User Feedback
Rebecca
October 24, 2010
I love Halong Bay Restaurant in Newtown I have to have it once a week or more its very addictive GOOD LUCK!!! :)
Eric Nguyen
October 24, 2010
Halong bay resturaunt food is the best vietnamese food i have tried in newtown! votes up!
John
October 24, 2010
I love the very popular salt & pepper Calamari that the best in sydney.
Jenny
October 24, 2010
I love food of Halong Bay restaurant in newtown. I & my friends we often go there to have diner. We deeply like bonfire dishes and Mixed entree.
Kim
October 25, 2010
Please don't forget the correct link to vote is: http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/competition/1172621788971/1137800167279?origRef=http%3A%2F%2Fsydney.citysearch.com.au%2Frestaurants%2F1137801258452%2FHalong+Bay+Restaurant
Nhu Trinh
October 25, 2010
I recently got back from Vietnam, and was craving Vietnamese food. Halong Bay was exceptional and exceeded all expectations. I was greeted with a warm friendly smile. The waitress was very charming and eager to help and showed alot of interest in my preference and taste. I opted for the Vietnamese pancake... highly recommend it. The food taste so authentic and ambience so relaxed and welcoming. make me want to go to Vietnam. But Halong Bay will suit just fine for now
Sonda Sawyer
October 26, 2010
We often have diner @ Halong Bay restaurant, we really enjoy the food there.
Alan Carter
October 26, 2010
I and some friends of mine, we go to Halong Bay restaurant in Newtown twice a week. we strongly recommend the caramelized pork, sugar cane prawn & BBQ beef rice rolls are the best in town.
Bruce Ryan
October 30, 2010
I can say Halong Bay's food is the best in Newtown.
Victor Fable
November 01, 2010
Friendly staffs Good food I will come back.
Hancokes mares
November 03, 2010
I love your food! ( Halong Bay )
Vina Denney
November 03, 2010
I and my friends just adored the food with fantastic presentation. We will come back.
TG
November 05, 2010
I'm sure Mr Ramsay couldn't fault this place, The food is fresh & served whilst things are still simering, delicious and priced within reason, In Summer things only get better when the sliding doors are pulled wide open to allow some cool air in, Good Product/ Price & Service - Get that into you "Mr Ramsay"...
Michael Watt
November 16, 2010
Last week,I And my family went to Halong Bay Restaurant in Newtown for a diner, but we are really sorry that Halong Bay are closed for Moving to New place @ 520 King St Newtown. We love u guys food.
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