Au Lac

A proper restaurant rather than an overgrown canteen like so many other Vietnamese eateries on Kingsland Road, the spacious Au Lac is thoroughly welcoming, with yellow-ochre walls, lanterns & pretty Vietnamese paintings. While the extensive menu covers all the bases of Vietnamese favourites, recent reports of wobbling standards were confirmed by our most recent visit. Starters were respectable – banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake with prawn, chicken & bean sprouts) were crunchy & fresh – but main courses were totally lacklustre. An oily dish of stir-fried tofu & underpowering lemongrass lacked the expected zing, while steamed whole sea bass came overcooked & full of flat flavours. Service is similarly hit & miss: helpful but haphazard.