Au Lac

The name may refer to an ancient Vietnamese dynasty, but there’s nothing fancy or autocratic about Au Lac. In fact it’s a slightly dowdy little dining room, with not much decoration apart from a map of the mother country & some dodgy bamboo lamps. But the fresh, inexpensive food keeps satisfied locals coming back for more. Avoid the Chinese-takeaway interlopers on the long menu, & go native with a traditional Vietnamese savoury pancake, a crisp lotus shoot salad with chicken, prawns, peanuts & herbs or a steaming, meal-in-a-bowl pho noodle soup with chunks of juicy rare beef. Service, from the Vietnamese family owners, is helpful & welcoming.