Vietnamese food ranks right at the top with my other favourite foods: Japanese and Italian. The only distinction is that I don’t need to eat out at a restaurant to enjoy it because the Northern style Vietnamese food that D’s mother cooks up on a regular basis is absolutely delicious. On occasion, though I do eat Vietnamese food at a restaurant. Hương Xưa is a restaurant famed for its northern Vietnamese style cooking.
While most people think of phở when they think of Vietnamese food, the dish that comes to mind for me is Northern style bún thịt nướng. Northern style has rice paper spring rolls and grilled fatty pork, whereas southern style has only meat patties. Not only is this my favourite Vietnamese dish but it ranks right up there with my most favourite foods. I could eat it for three meals straight and not get sick of it and still want more.
So, of course, I order bún thịt nướng. The spring rolls are hot and crispy, with pork mince, black fungi, carrots and glass noodles. I’d prefer that they didn’t season with ginger, though (ginger and leafy herbs are a part of Vietnamese cuisine I cannot appreciate) and a greater meat to veggie ratio. But overall, the spring rolls were tasty. The grilled meat (under the spring rolls) was deliciously fatty and the rice noodle was fresh, which is something I don’t often enjoy at home.
While I don’t prefer it to homemade bún thịt nướng, this would certainly tide any craving over.
Hương Xưa is located at 4/217-219 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights NSW 2166.