LOCATIONTen minutes from the city, squeezed in the middle of Hardgrave Road, West End, Brisbane.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAJudging by the endless stream of happy customers, Quan Thanh’s has hit the nail on the head when it comes to authentic Asian fare. This bubbly Vietnamese/Chinese place is a hive of activity every night of the week, with seemingly more patrons then chairs. Tasty Chinese dishes like chicken chow-mien, beef and black bean sauce, and Mongolian lamb steam on your table moments after you order. Changing countries and cuisine is as simple as flipping the menu over: A-side Vietnamese, B-side Chinese. The mammoth bowls of authentic Vietnamese soups, like the wonton-noodle or sliced-beef-noodle become works of art. Add your own chilli, bean sprouts and sauces.
For a fresh, tasty treat from the extensive menu, you can’t go past the rice paper wraps, with heaps of different goodies to roll up – try the satay chicken or prawn and pork, beef or grilled prawn. The no-nonsense, no-frill decor is hidden amongst the throng of guests who happily chat and drink away every night. For a super sweet after-dinner treat savour one of the Asian specialty desserts – deep-fried ice-cream or banana fritters. For a consistently great local dinner haunt on the cheap, you will have your tastebuds squealing for another visit to Quan’s.
Katharine Chapman, June 2009