Raise the Red Lantern

Tonight saw a reunion of four Abbey's friends at the Red Lantern restaurant in Surry Hills. J., D., Ant. and I convened in this pretty, red and black terrace, gratefully ordered the first round of drinks and shared one of the two 'Chef' Choice' banquet options. The venue was J.'s idea and it was a good one. Over two hours we consumed an unholy quantity of excellent food, left still more food on the table and paid $45 a head (not including the alcohol). 'Nuff said. 

Actually, not 'nuff said - allow me to rave about some of the dishes instead. To start there were Cha Gio (loosely related to spring-rolls but distinguished by recognisable ingredients that tasted of something), Goi Cuon (rice-paper rolls), sensationally light and airy chilli salted squid with a tart dipping sauce (so light and airy that we played 'spot the leftover bits of squid amongst the pale green shredded lettuce' with some enthusiasm) and a salad of roast duck and pickled vegetables with banana flower blossom. There was already some mini-groaning. Could we rise to the challenge of another round of traditionally built (in the Mma Ramotswe sense) dishes?? Why, yes as it turned out.

After this excellent beginning we progressed to Cha Ca (fish fillets in tumeric, yoghurt and dill on slippery, slender piles of noodles with unexpected little slices of sweetness contributed by quartered cherry tomatoes), Ga Roti (caramelised chicken with soy, chilli and garlic that literally fell off the bone when you tried to serve yourself), Suon Nuong (juicy pork cutlets char-grilled and served with a dipping sauce and plate of cool, glistening greens with just a whisper of vinegar. We just about all managed to drop this while attempting to eat it.), Bo Kho (slow-cooked wagyu beef in a decadent gravy served - rather strangely - with a baguette. J. convincingly put this down to the French colonial influence) and  - a real stand-out - Dau Dua vui Nam (snake beans, mushrooms, soy-bean strips in a salty, fragrant sauce). There was very little conversation at dinner despite the fact that we haven't met up for a while. Everyone had their mouth full, most of the time. At the end, the friendly, utterly unpretentious waiter asked us with a slightly furrowed brow "Did you not like it or are you just full?" This is what happens when everyone is too classy to ask for a doggy bag. 

I may have just raved about all of the dishes. Oh well.

In other exciting news, the very lovely D.H. sent me a surprise book on Arran via Ant. tonight!  It is so nice to have unexpected travel-porn to drool over in between classes...