Tân Việt Noodle House has long been one of our favourite restaurants for the Vietnamese crispy fried chicken dish, gà da giòn. In late 2020, Lâm Ký Noodle House opened, and given the steady stream of patrons we observed every time we walked by, we decided to try it and see how it compares to our favourite, Tân Việt.
Cơm Gà Da Giòn (Cơm Đỏ) ($18.00).
This is our usual order, and the version at Lâm Ký was quite similar to Tân Việt in both taste and presentation. The portion of chicken was a bit smaller, but the chicken skin was equally crisp, and while the meat was slightly less succulent than Tân Việt’s, it was not dry. However, the accompanying chicken broth was outstanding, with a deeply rich, intensely chicken-y flavour, making it the perfect end to the meal. The tomato rice was slightly drier than Tân Việt’s but not a concern as we like to eat it with the accompanying fish sauce.
Mì Gà Da Giòn ($18.00, egg noodle soup).
The chicken portion was consistent with the previous dish. The soup base for the noodles was much more mellow but still more flavourful than the same dish from Tân Việt.
Overall, Lâm Ký Noodle House is a worthy competitor to Tân Việt, and we would be happy to return, especially given the long queues often outside Tân Việt during weekend lunch hours.
Lâm Ký Noodle House is located at Shop 8, 8 Dutton Lane, Cabramatta NSW 2166.