Madame Hanoi - Your Next Date Night

Madame Hanoi - Adelaide Casino, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

Madame Hanoi is one of those places that I (Nathan) had heard great things about, from friends and from other On The Chopping Board (OTCB) members (other reviews here) but had never had the opportunity to try. One night, before a showing of The Sound of Music at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, we decided that the location, reputation and menu perfectly matched our night so we booked a table. 

The menu at Madame Hanoi is very focussed on a shared experience. Based upon this, we thought we would choose some items from each of the sections of the menu to get a a good feel for the flavours and styles used. Discussions with the friendly staff indicated that 4 choices would be sufficient for 2 people looking to have a generous dinner without being over full. This would also suit our timeframes in trying to get to the show on time.

banh bao - slow cooked beef with red onion, pickled carrot, coriander - $16.90

First dish up was the Banh bao with slow cooked beef. The Bao's are soft and slightly sweet and a perfect size to take two generous mouthfuls without falling apart. The contents are very much like your typical Banh Mi lunch. The contrast between the soft, slightly sweet beef, crunchy carrots, coriander and onion made for a great combination.

la lot ca song - kingfish, nam jim, green mango, peanut, mint - $18.90

The next dish to come out was the Kingfish. The delicate flavours in this dish were a great compliment to the Kingfish. The punchy nam jim, slightly sour green mango and crunchy peanut all worked together to highlight the Kingfish whilst contrasting multiple textures. An example of something simple in description, but complex in its delivery and taste.

cafe de paris prawn - spencer gulf prawn, red chilli, garlic, parsley lemon - $12.60 each

As we were eating the Kingfish, out came the prawns. My eyes were instantly drawn to the bright colours and size of the prawns, they were certainly "King". A bit of a challenge to eat initially, but once you can get the tasty tail meat out, you are in for a treat. The prawns are sweet and succulent, the smokey char from the grill adding depth to the lighter flavours of chilli, garlic and lemon. A great representation of our local produce that certainly focussed on the prawn being the hero.

heo quay cuon rau - crispy pork belly, vietnamese herbs, hoisin sauce, lettuce cups - $24.30 (3 pieces)

The last dish was probably the dish I was looking forward to the most. Crispy pork belly (a secret recipe to make your own here) is one of those dishes that I struggle to go past on a menu where I think it will be delivered great. What we got was exactly, and maybe a little bit better, than what I expected. It would be one of my favourite pork bellies I've had out. Crispy, just the right about of fat remaining, and super soft pork meat. The dish has a good "fun" element, as you try and find your own personal favourite mix of ingredients sauce and lettuce. I personally tried to make my pork stand out, so had less ingredients per lettuce cup. Definitely a dish I would order again on a return visit.

Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly: A good selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes - just discuss with the staff upon arrival.
Child Friendly:  The front bar wasn't overly child friendly, but upstairs may be more friendly with more suitable tables. There are definitely dishes on the menu for kids to eat.

Ambiance: 4/5 - Fantastically decorated with a great vibe.
Service: 4.5/5 - Fantastic service, friendly and very accommodating to our requests.
Food: 9/10 - Excellent - all our dishes were unique and captured flavours of Vietnam and France.

In total OTCB gives Madame Hanoi 17.5/20 chops On The Chopping Board.