LOCATIONEasy access via 109 tram or a short walk from Lennox Street, Park Street or North Richmond train station.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIt’s “lucky 88” for those looking for well priced Vietnamese fare among Victoria Street’s plethora of restaurants. Eighty-eight symbolises fortune and good luck and this restaurant delivers, offering fresh and flavourful Vietnamese and Chinese specialties, welcoming decor and friendly staff. The ambience here is fairly basic but cosy and a little more up-market than some along this strip. It can get noisy on busy nights but even when the restaurant is full the service is efficient and there is never a feeling of being hurried out the door to make way for the next customer.
Vietnamese favourites such as crispy beef, Vietnamese coleslaw, rice paper rolls and broken rice dishes can be found here and are done well, but regulars come for entrees such as grilled beef in mint leaves or spicy quail and for main-sized eggplant stuffed with prawns, Saigon coconut beef or tofu with lemongrass and chilli. There’s a good selection of vegetarian dishes as well as several classic desserts such as fried ice-cream, lychees and glutinous rice pudding to satisfy any sweet cravings. A more-than-generous BYO policy (corkage is less than a dollar), with several bottle shops within easy walking distance, makes Quan 88 a reasonably priced, quality option for a quick mid-week meal or a night out with friends.
Angela Costanzo