La Badiane @ Ha Noi, Vietnam

My last of my Vietnam Culinary Adventures was at La Badiane. La Badiane is a French restaurant located in a small street in the Hoan Kiem District. It was created in 2008 by 3 French friends, and it is now slowly becoming the top rated restaurants in Ha Noi. One of the creators was there, and hearing him speak Vietnamese, and then French amazed me and made me more excited to eat. The restaurant decor it a mix of garden cafe meets beach, due go the colour of the restaurant, plants, chairs and the displayed photographs of water and beaches.

Duck French rillettes

A rillette is a preparation of meat similar to pate, the difference being that pate is more of a paste and rillette has more of a solid consistency. The reason for the textural difference is that the meat for a rillette is cubed as a pate is minced. When the opportunity to eat duck at a French restaurant arises I go straight for it. This entree was a great start to the meal for me, the crunch of the bread was unbelievable. On the top, and between the bread there was a lovely subtle spread. All went so well together.

Potato Salad

This was definitely not what you expect a potato salad to look like. The potato was combined with peas, fresh herbs and topped with a small salad. There was an ample amount of a mustard flavour which is usually not evident in a potato salad. Texture wise though, it was still creamy with the potatoes having the correct consistency.

Crab meat spring rolls

This entree reminded me slightly of a seafood sushi roll, without the seaweed. Instead, the outside was composed of rice paper rolls, like those used to make pho cuon or banh cuon. It was accompanied with a seafood type sauce.

Beef Carpaccio in citrus dressing

This dish was constantly reviewed on TripAdvisor, with some saying it was good, and others saying it was bad. I took the risk, tried it and judged for myself. The main risk associated with this dish is the concept of raw beef slices (especially when you are in a foreign country). The acidity in the dressing, and grapefruit placed on top kill a lot of bacteria, which therefore makes the dish safe to eat. There was a balance of citrus, salt and sweetness (from the Vietnam limes/oranges). The croutons added the crunch to the dish. My overall judgement on the dish is tasty and I did not have any repercussions. 

Beetroot Carpaccio with asparagus

A vegetarian option on the menu where the beetroot was finely sliced served with an array of vegetables. The asparagus was not overcook and had still obtained its crunch. The  cheese that came with the dish was nice and soft, and didn't over power the overall taste of the dish. 

Duck "Parmentier" in Arabic Spices

In summary, this dish was a Shepard's pie, but instead of beef (which is what is generally used) it was duck. The sauce was a light gravy which wasn't too over powering or heavy. The potato was soft and creamy, which coincided with the delicate duck meat that melted in your mouth. 

Brioche

Thickly sliced brioche that was coated in a light sugar syrup topped with icing sugar. The plate was dressed with a little bit of honey, and a strawberry sauce. This was a nice dessert, but would be an even better breakfast. 

Yoghurt mousse with crispy rice and passion fruit sauce

The concept of yoghurt is slowly growing on me. The dessert was okay, but not something I could eat a lot of. The passionfruit with the crispy rice was different, but nice (most likely due to the fact I enjoy anything with passionfruit).

Stewed apples in cinnamon with caramelised hazelnuts

This dessert was definitely too weird for me. I tried a spoonful, and it just reminded me of baby food. I have realised, I don't think I like the concept of using apples in desserts, unless it is cake. 

Creme Brulee done 3 ways (left to right): Vanilla & Pistachio, Chocolate & Peppercorn 

and Raspberry & Thyme

Reading this dish on the menu was an opportunity I could not turn down. All the creme brulees had the wonderful crack of burnt sugar and a smooth custard. The combination of different flavours was very intriguing. The vanilla and pistachio went extremely well together. The chocolate and peppercorn was strange, where the chocolate was fine, but once mixed with a bite of the peppercorn, the concept turned weird. I think if it was topped with a bit of chilli, it may have worked a lot better. Lastly, the raspberry and thyme was my favourite of the 3. A different mix that worked, providing a strangely nice fusion of flavours.

The overall dining experience equated to roughly USD $20pp, including drinks. Fine dining in Vietnam is extremely cheap compared to Australia, so if you ever get the opportunity, just go for it! 

Good food, good times!

Etch Restaurant @ Sydney (CLOSED)

Etch is the brain child of award winning Chef and Owner Justin North so therefore is also sided with the restaurant called Becasse, and the Charlie and Co. Burger Bar. Etch provides a casual European dining experience, with the joy of food that isn't to harsh on the wallet. With a French inspired decor such as long lounges in the foyer, and in the dining area there are paintings along the wall with gold trimmed frames. Lucky for me, a friend showed me a voucher to enjoy an 8 course degustation (including amuse bouche and pre dessert). Let the feast begin!

 Amuse-Bouche

This was strange. I asked the waiter what it was, and she stated it was 'a cold creamed corn soup'. I can't compare it to anything that I have tasted before, so to me it tasted like a chive and chicken salt sauce. It may have not been pleasant to the tongue, but was definitely interesting...

Local figs, woodside goats curd with a sesame twirl

This set the degustation flowing. This was my first time trying figs, and what an amazing fruit. The combination of the figs with the curd had an explosion of flavour, mixed with the balsamic vinegar based sauce caused all the taste buds to dance. The crunch of the sesame twirl just added that extra oomph to the dish.

Crispy prawn salad with mango and wasabi dressing

One of my favourite dishes of the lunch. My friend doesn't like prawns, and she even enjoyed the dish. The dressing is what made the dish, with the sweetness of mango and kick of the wasabi. All together, I just wanted to lick the plate clean. Words can't describe the delight of this dish.

Risotto Milanese with baby vegetables

The risotto had a similar taste to the amuse bouche, difference being that the rice made it a lot nicer. The taste wasn't as strong, and the subtleness of the baby vegetables gave the dish a nice balance of flavours. The coriander added a freshness to the dish.

Caramelised pork belly, kohlrabi puree, pickled peach and crispy pig ears

Do not be turned off by the idea of crispy big ears, it was delightful. You wouldn't even think it was pig ears unless someone actually told you, they tasted like calamari. Now, Kholrabi (a German turnip, which in Vietnamese is called Su hau) had a nice subtle taste which added a lightness to the caramelised pork belly and the strong taste of the pickled peaches. The dish contained 2 sauces, peach gel sauce, and balsamic sauce. Both working very well with the meats on the dish.

Aromatic slow braised lamb shoulder, cauliflower puree, garlic spinach, mint, balsamic

The lamb was a dish that just melted in your mouth.  Beautifully cooked, with a rich brown balsamic based sauce. To me, the garlic spinach made this dish extra delicious by adding a crunch and a new level of flavour. The sauce made all the components work well together, to the point where I wanted to have my own tub of it.

Pre dessert - Honey marshmallow with sliced poached pear& nashi pear and a pear sauce  

The purpose of a pre dessert is to cleanse the palette for the real dessert. This was a light pre dessert. The marshmallow wasn't too sweet, and the slices of pear added a freshness which took away all the tastes of the previous dishes to prepare us for the dessert to come.

Dessert - Lemon parfait with pineapple, coriander and young coconut salad

The dessert, is the make or break of any meal, and this was a make. I was mesmerised by the the perfectly presented dessert, and couldn't wait to devour it. A parfait, is a reference to a frozen dessert made of sugar syrup, egg and cream. At the base of the parfait there was toasted coconut which added a crunch to the silky smooth lemon dessert.  On the top of the parfait there a crispy meringue and some passion fruit pulp. The young coconut was soft and delicate, with the perfect amount of sweetness, which worked well with the pineapple. The coriander added a little punch of freshness to the dessert. When all those components were combined, I was in a whole new world. Every spoonful just got better and better.

The overall experience at Etch Restaurant was superb. The staff provided a great service, and the ambiance of the restaurant was a casual yet classy dining experience. I hope to go to Etch again to try other foods on there standard menu.

Good food, good times!