LOCATION
A minute’s stroll from Coogee Beach and just a ten minute drive from the Sydney CBD.Parking on Arden Street.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
If going Vietnamese isn't exotic enough, dining on Vietnamese fusion dishes is something else again. Simple, truly authentic Vietnamese cuisine blended with a touch of the good old Australiana flare is alive and well and living at Banana Palm. A diverse range of herbs herbs and spices get together with unexpected twists in one big festive display at Banana Palm. Fresh produce is rolled, wok-tossed, marinated, deep-fried flame-grilled, slow-cooked and always beautifully presented in original and vivacious ways.
Chef and co-owner, Hai Pham infuses thoughtful taste and style into every detail reminiscent of Vietnam’s colourful history. On arrival, amid the chitter-chatter you get the sense that you are not only visiting another culture, you are visiting another time.
Dimly lit, dark wood tables and chairs contrast nicely with the olive green and cream colour scheme, while earthy imported artefacts and banana leaf motifs subtly decorate the large room. Arched windows offer glimpses of Coogee Beach while menus adorn crisp white tablecloths.
The menu is obviously dedicated to classic cooking practised by the generations of a colonial era gone by. Ignore any negative reviews possibly written by Vietnamese restaurant rivals on reader blogs adhering to slow service. I noticed a banquet of over twenty-one that evening running as smooth as Vietnamese amber coral or gold rose silk. The atmosphere was thrillingly up-beat, and service was caring and efficient.
Impressive were the deep fried banh xeo (a traditional Vietnamese savoury pancake with pork, prawns, mung beans, bean sprouts and onion). However the Vietnamese fresh rolls at Thanh Binh still reign supreme. Try the traditional Vietnamese sour soup with barramundi and Vietnamese herbs. Or for depth of flavour follow with a main of warm roasted duck breast salad with Vietnamese mint, coriander, eryngo and red onion, or the lamb shank curry with sweet potato, eggplant and zucchini. If you are a party of four or more, the banquet menu is great value at $40 per person.
In this world where we must be careful what we wish for, as genetically modified everything, factory poultry and chemically enhanced fodder reaches the plates of so many. Now more than ever, we crave a genuinely good-natured feed, that isn’t so overly priced. At Banana Palm, those cravings can joyfully rest.
Scott Winter
Seats up to 80
Dinner 7 nights a week.