mekong

one word to describe this restaurant—- perfect!!!!!!! i love theflavours& all the spice that went with it! the shared mekong plate that consisted of banh xeo, scallops and the chicken satay was so delicious! i also got to love their cocktail menu !

if i’m judging food alone it’s a 11/10 but i thought the vibe was fairly poor, for a busy thursday night at 8pm and all the restaurants around heaving this one is on the third floor and was half empty. i don’t know why cause the food andflavourswere soooo good. pork ribs were the highlight... big, falling off the bone and a stack of meat made them to die for. beef cheek curry was superb as was the entrees we had... they were described as gyozas but were clearly like fried wontons but who cares, they tasted amazing. could be the best roti i’ve had in my life... flakey crispy and fresh. service speed was good but not all that cluey. 4.5/5

we came here expecting solely vietnamese cuisine, but mekong is much more than that, offering a variety of modern pan-asian dishes on their extensive menu.

we tried two entrees (cambodian beef skewers and por pieer thai spring roll) and the spring roll won out on both presentation and flavour. the beef skewers were dry and chewy due to their small size, but the peanut sauce was tasty. the spring roll came cut into four pieces, and despite being vegetarian, was a triumph in textures andflavourswith a rich and tangy orange tamarind sauce.

the two mains (soft shell crab masala and chargrilled cambodian pork ribs) had much better consistency and were comparable to each other. the soft shell crab was nice and crispy with the garam masala sauce perfectly rich, fiery, and tangy, while the sizeable pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and came in a super sticky and sweet glaze, tempered a little by the side of asian slaw.

lastly, we shared a dessert (soy panna cotta) which was a clever take on the underrated chinese dessert of tofu pudding, with the panna cotta replacing the silky tofu. the panna cotta was firm with a slight jiggle, and its subtle soy flavour paired nicely with the sharpness of the ginger syrup.

apart from the dessert, the four savoury dishes were over-balanced on the sweeter side and catering for the western palate, but if you don't mind that, mekong is an asian restaurant worthy of your attention.

have i been living under a rock or something?...as i only first heard about kensington street at the beginning of this week, and after further investigation i cleared all of our previous weekend dining plans to check out this new entertainment district in the city!

located just before the central park shopping centre opposite uts (when walking down george st away from the city) is a pedestrianised walkway filled with restaurants and shops, firstly with the reconfigured ‘old rum store’, followed by ‘spice alley’ a curving narrow street with eatery and alfresco dining on both sides  (picture an outdoor food court), before looping back around to kensington st east and west sides. we completed the loop, poking our heads into a few stores before deciding on mekong, located on the upper floor (east side) above viet.

welcomed by the sounds of the chefs grinding up spices in a stone mortar and pestle, and the melody of a top 50 pop-music track, i think the first impression perfectly captured the east-west fusion vibe mekong is aiming for.

studying the menu, you know it’s going to be a unique experience when nothing on it was stock-standard or typical (so we didn’t really know what to expect), and seeing the prices next to the dishes it was also going to be a bit on the pricier side, for example an average entree was the same price as a main down in spice alley.  we ended up ordering the mekong entree sharing plate (which was made up of half of the entrees on the menu). and we ended up only choosing one main to go with our $30 entree plate.

when we placed our order the friendly waiter was prepared to offer his assistance, as perhaps the menu could have been a little more descriptive than just listing out the ingredients of the dish. but he seemed pleased with our choices, and we waited with anticipation as we took in the interior and table setting; the  cutlery was modern and up-market and the proper linen napkin easily scored a 5-out-of-5 stars on the napkin test. the walls were painted in a textured green finish, and the other fixtures of bamboo pillars, large green leafy pot plants, and dark wooden floors collectively gave off a jungle vibe. the simple wooden chairs reminded me of the original mekong restaurant from the 80’s which used to be located in bondi junction (but i’m sure there is no linkage between the old and the current name-sake restaurants).

when the food arrived, the fragrance of the food wafted up to meet us. yum! the shared plate had:
-pork belly wrapped in betel leaf- picture a tiny dark-green spring-roll filled with mince pork (hard to tell if it was really pork belly).
-soft shell crab taco- a canapé sized mouthful of shredded fresh coconut, inside of a paper thin fold of crispy shell (hard to taste the crab though).
-steamed scallop served on its shell with various greens/herbs/spices, a spicy tangy sauce, and slithers of young coconut (although the toppings overshadowed the smallish piece of scallop)
-and last of the entree quartet was the crispy seafood crape which was pan-fried to a smoky crisp on one side, while still a little bit chewy (a good chewy) on the other. the crepe was the most substantial of the four, with 2 prawns each and a nice spicy sauce to drizzle on top.

all in all, all of the tastes andflavourswere added with thought to maximise the affect in your mouth and i think mekong should be categorised as a ‘fine dining’ restaurant, not what it is currently classified as (casual dining), as with the attention to detail and the price, there is nothing casual about this place.

and being a fine establishment like it is, the waiter waited until he collected our entrée plates before indicating to the kitchen to start preparing our single main dish. by this time we were already evaluating the meal thus far, and we had agreed on 4.5, the main could lift the meal to a 5, if it surpassed the high bar from the entrée.

our main was smoked duck which was served in a sweet-tangy broth. and it was a little bit disappointing, as the totality of duck we received for a main size portion was only one duck leg, to be shared between two. i’m not sure how you’d manage it if you had a few more people to dinner, i guess you’d need to order two plates (at $28 each), or literally have a bite each?

any smoky flavour from the cooking process was unfortunately lost on the duck and the crispy skin was soggy due to being served in broth. don’t get me wrong, the broth was tasty as it had a complex taste signature which was sweet and tart from the cinnamon stick and the cumquat, but the interestingflavoursalso masked the star of the dish. duck me! what a shame!

and after i was chasing around every last grain of rice on my plate, as i was still hungry after $65 for two (including a side of rice, and tips), i guess i left a little dissatisfied. definitely the food was great! but i wished there was more of it, considering you’re paying top dollar. but yeah, the main did help them to maintain their 4.5, but we won’t be back any time soon, as i think we already tried the most interesting dishes on their menu, and there are so many more restaurants to try at kensington street, than to justify coming back to the same place twice.

a nice combo of flavoursfrom se cuisines! very nice balance of spices and deepflavoursin the amok curry (high quality ingredients too - tiger prawns, clams, barramundi & fresh scallops) & nice sweet & spicy flavour in the soft shell crab masala. nice seafood crepe pancake too. overall very tasty food! efficient service.

bistro mekong recently launched at quadrangle shopping village in castlecrag. bistro mekong promises to showcase the best of indochine cuisine but with a twist. their menu is designed for sharing and is the perfect local spot for a casual dinner with friends or family. not for us though as we're located the complete opposite direction! theirflavoursare inspired by countries along the mekong river. if you are in castlecrag and are craving some tasty indo-chinese food, bistro mekong is open tuesday - sunday.

amazing food - we had the appetiser platter to share and i chose the soft shell crab masala as the main. the platter was a delight - a myriad of textures andflavoursmade from south east asianflavourswith a twist such as lemongrass scallop, betel leaf and seafood crepes with a wonderful sweet sticky dipping sauce. the crab was wonderfully crunch and the masala was rich and flavoursome without being overwhelming. i mopped every last bit of it up with the crunchy mantao buns provided! a truly memorable meal and very wallet friendly too! hugely recommended if you’re looking for authentic asian in a relaxed, hip setting.

second visit i had the amok curry and cambodian ribs. if there’s one dish you need to come back here for, it’s the curry. steeped in fragrant fish broth, spices and onions/garlic and heaped all over a generous helping of scallops, shellfish and two jumbo prawns, this is a dish fit for the kings.

pretty impressive restaurant, all theflavourswere yummy. i really liked the crab taco, the scallop and the red duck curry plus with first table got 50% off. got to love a bargain. highly recommend mekong. my only slight negatives were the sauce on the fresh spring roll was super sweet and drowning the dish and the squid ink dumplings lacked a little flavour for my liking.

came here during the stoneleigh promo where you get a free bottle of wine with your meal which was a nice touch. the service was very attentive and food came out at a good pace. we got the tasting platter which is well presented and you get to try a good sample of the entrées. for the main we decided to get the wagyu salad (greatflavoursbut unfortunately too spicy for my liking - word of warning tell the staff to not make it spicy if you can't handle heat like me), side of bok choy & rice. the manager was also very knowledgeable & friendly. i will definitely be back here to try out more dishes.

river ninja!!

travelling up the mekong river with your taste buds, this place rocks in terms of flavours.

upper mekong is located next to spice alley, this place serves up a fusion of dishes that you would find near the mekong river but more refined.

as you can see the dishes looks amazing and theflavoursare there, the resturant's layout is simple but classic, reminds me of a fine dine but more casual.

staff and service here was great, attentive and very detailed informing us of the dish and flavours.

great place and will return ... maybe to the lower mekong 😉 until next time ... keep eating!!!!

upon arrival to mekong, i was attended by a lovely man named ryan with such adequate presentation in customer service. throughout the evening, i was consistently being served even without needing to call for assistance, providing drinks and asking how my dishes were. usually being disrupted during my dinner is quite irritating, but with every staff's undivided care to my needs made my night more enjoyable and welcoming.
they've taken their vietnamese cuisine and literally put me right in its homeland. such exquisite and strongflavourswith every dish possible.
recommend to try the squid-ink dumplings in broth. outstanding authentic strongflavoursin the broth that leaves you speechless.

the newest addition to kensington street. located on the third floor of the building, you are instantly greeted by bamboo features and friendly staff.

we were seated very quickly and while perusing the menu, we were treated to an appetiser of baby carrots covered in chilli jam and pork floss. there was so many delicious sounding dishes on the menu, we just wanted to try everything between the two of us lol. we were given a suggestion of ordering 2-3 entree, 2 mains and some sides. we pretty much ordered as recommended.

for the entrees, we ordered the pork in the betel leaf, squid ink dumplings and the barramundi. they were all delicious, but my favourite was probably the squid ink dumpling and the barrumundi. we ordered two mains that was both red curry based. the first was the sweet lemon rumdul and the very popular full moon. i loved the full moon and i can see why it is very popular. it was delicious and very photo worthy. we also got a side of morning glory with our mains. we couldn't leave without dessert and the dishes we had were very filling so we went with the coconut icecream. it was light and refreshing with all the toppings on it. a must have.

overall, it was a great experience. theflavoursof south east asia comes alive with every bite. i'll definitely be back!

the influence of dishes at mekong span across burma, laos, thailand, cambodia and vietnam. it may seem like too much for a single restaurant to handle but mekong have managed to pull it off. entree like little fish – thai crisp anchovies with lime, lemongrass, chilli and peanuts $5 showcases punchyflavoursand is full of crunch from the deep fried anchovies. squid ink dumpling (2) with crabmeat and prawn thai stuffing in broth $12 paper-thin dumplings swimming in a delicate broth – the crab and prawn filling strike that perfect middle of sweetness and meatiness.

mekong, kensington street's newest addition, has given south east asian cuisine a new life. with a modern twist on traditional flavours, the upstairs dining lounge presents an open kitchen and complete bar that disassociates itself from the hustle and bustle of its sister store below; lower mekong.

on arrival, a complimentary snack of baby carrots coated in chilli jam and pork floss placed us in first gear, and there after, accelerated onwards and upwards. squid ink dumplings were mouthfuls of soft lubricious sheets encapsulating a morsel of prawn and crab mix. micro herbs and edible flowers added colour and vibrancy, and was a recurring addition throughout the night. the standout however, was the warm broth. the earthy tones with added sweetness was refreshing yet hearty. justifiably worthy of the $12 price tag as i would definitely be back just to have this dish again.

in comparison, coco and chick was slightly underwhelming as the chickpea filling lacked seasoning and was difficult to eat, with no starchy ingredient to hold the pocket together. accompanying chilli jam was well received with a sweet undertone followed by an unexpected kick.

mains were eagerly anticipated and admittedly did take some time to arrive. when they did, it was everything we imagined and more! full moon was a steamed young coconut egg custard with tiger prawns. the flesh of coconut was tender and translucent and had me nodding like a bobble head. not to be outdone, the royal seafood amok was similarly spectacular. each seafood element was perfectly cooked and the viscous sauce had so much flavour i had goosebumps on my tongue (if that's even possible). on completion of mains my mouth was on fire, and it felt amazing!

so good was our night that we decided to try 3 out of their 4 desserts. to hit 3 for 3 (of coconuts) we made a home run with the bangkok ice cream. the sweet corn, pomegranate and warm sticky rice paired beautifully with the cold coconut ice cream. as an added bonus, we scraped out the flesh of the coconut shell and devoured that too. pure tropical bliss. rose water lychee mousse was very light and fragrant with a refreshing mango purée and fine crumble. although the basil panna cotta lacked the signature wobble, texturally it was not overly gelatinous or firm. to accentuate theflavoursof basil, the dessert was not very sweet, however the walnut crumble and drops of meringue really completed the dish.

there was so many drool worthy moments at mekong that i just can't wait to be back! service was also very attentive yet unobtrusive. will definitely be checking out lower mekong too for their take on vietnamese street food as the skewers i saw walking past were calling my name.

watch video review in link!

kensington street goes from strength to strength with the addition of mekong. chef tiw rakarin (mama’s buoi, bang luck) takes diners on a journey through indochina, with a menu that draws inspiration andflavoursfrom the region. sydney is spoilt with an array of cheap and cheerful eateries which showcase the street food cuisine of continental asia. mekong offers a fine dining experience, with an emphasis on providing theflavoursyou are used to, complemented with innovative techniques and a level of refinement akin to david thompson’s sailors thai and longrain.

*coco & vine dined as guests of mekong.