Mekong

This tiny eatery was dishing up steaming-hot bowls of pho noodle soup long before Vietnamese cuisine became fashionable in the capital. Loved by locals for its modest prices & snappy service, Mekong may look a little jaded with lime-green paint slapped over rough brick walls, but there’s nothing tired about its cooking. Bright invigorating flavours & contrasting textures are the hallmarks of Vietnamese food, & the kitchen proves its worth with cold ‘crystal’ rolls, crunchy ‘goi’ salads with nuoc cham dressing, zingy stir-fries, bo luc lac (‘shaking beef’), ca kho (a simmered seafood hotpot) & Saigon rice-stick noodles. The long menu also makes a few detours into Thailand & China for pad thai, crispy won ton & Szechuan pork. Punchy New World whites stand up well to the vibrant flavours.