Ms Kim (HWKR)
Ground Floor, 137 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne Vietnamese
$$
Food
- XL Spring Rolls
- Crispy Pork Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- Banh Mi
- Banh Xeo
The Good
It was off to a great start with the XL Spring Rolls. While their size was far from “XL”, they were rather tasty nonetheless. The light, crisp wrapping was fried to a beautiful crisp. Within, the mixture of pork and veggies were tender and flavoursome, offering a beautiful porky, herby flavour throughout. Nicely paired with the sweet and tangy nước chấm and crisp leaves of lettuce.
The Crispy Pork Vermicelli Noodle Salad didn’t disappoint either. The bowl was beautifully presented and topped with an abundance of house-made crispy pork belly. The skin on each piece offered up a satisfying crunch, which was nicely juxtaposed by the tender and juicy layers of fat and protein that was so flavourful. Underneath sat a good helping of silly smooth rice vermicelli, coupled with shredded carrots and plenty of fresh greens, the sweet and tangy sauce beautifully tied all the components together.
The Mediocre
The Banh
The Bad
There was no denying that the weakest dish of our meal was the Banh Xeo. This traditional Vietnamese pancake looked absolutely sensational. Unfortunately, the egg batter had the wrong consistency, leaning towards chewy and lacking in delicate crispness. Within, the pancake was loaded with raw bean sprouts and we found the occasional piece of prawn or pork. This is in contrast to the authentic Vietnamese rendition, where the protein would be in abundance, stir fried together with bean sprouts and other greens to create a flavourful combination. So very promising yet utterly disappointing.
The Verdict
Situated in HWKR for a limited time only, Ms Kim from MKR is offering her home-made Vietnamese food at a modern and convenient locale, with pricing to match, of course.
Despite missing the mark on the Banh Xeo, the majority of what we sampled, while not strictly authentic, was most definitely tasty.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
We will definitely be back for more spring rolls and vermicelli salad!
Penguineats was invited to dine at Ms Kim.