A work-related adventure to Campbelltown saw us having a Vietnamese lunch at Golden Lotus.
Vietnamese mango chicken salad / gỏi xoài ($17.00.99), with fresh mangoes, green apples and carrots.
The presentation and the portion size were generous with pieces juicy pieces of chicken thigh. The dressing for the salad, however, was weak in acidity from lime juice and lacked the freshness that usually comes from the addition of fresh Vietnamese mint and Thai basil and the crunch from roasted peanuts. The green apples and carrots made up the bulk of the salad, with the green mango bits lacking a vibrant crunch. If I weren’t comparing it to a traditional Vietnamese salad, this may have been a decent salad but as it was, it was lacking.
Grilled pork with vermicelli / bún thịt nướng ($16.00.99), ‘grilled sliced pork served with vermicelli, salad and special fish sauce’.
Bún thịt nướng is my favourite Vietnamese dish and while we had a pretty amazing version of it from VN Street Foods just recently, I’ve also had very decent versions elsewhere. This version, however, did not even begin to stack up. The pork was over-tenderised from bicarbonate soda, which left it with a mushy mouthfeel, while the carrot and daikon were barely pickled and bulked up by cabbage. Critically, the vermicelli had an odd sweetness, as if it were cooked in sweetened water.
Jackfruit Smoothie ($6.00.99). It had a mellow jackfruit flavour but relied too much on condensed milk, resulting in an overly sweet dairy flavour that was offputting.
Overall, Golden Lotus was a disappointing spot for Vietnamese food, which was unsurprising given the lack of competition around the area.
Golden Lotus is located at Shop C033, Macarthur Square, 200 Gilchrist Drive, Campbelltown NSW 2560.