Phamous Kitchen
233 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney
Phamous Kitchen is a vibrant, fresh Vietnamese restaurant which brings a modern take on the traditional cuisine to Darling Street in Balmain. Even though it is surrounded by great food, Phamous Kitchen had a steady flow of people dining, even on our mid-week visit. The decor is welcoming and bright, while maintaining some of the elements of a traditional Vietnamese restaurant, like wooden beams and embellished tiles.
This theme was carried through to the menu, featuring traditional food with a modern twist. Everything looked delicious and it was difficult to decide on what to order. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly, taking the time to explain the concept behind the restaurant, answer any questions we had and helped us choose our dishes.
We decided on the Hanoi Vietnamese Roll, the Pulled Pork Pancake and the Slow-Cooked Wagyu. The Hanoi Vietnamese Roll was absolutely delicious, and we nearly ordered two extras, but we thought we best wait for the rest of the food. The rice paper used is imported from Vietnam and was flaky, crispy and not greasy like you’d expect on a roll like this anywhere else. The filling of crab, prawn, mushroom and pork mince was cooked perfectly, full of flavour and just the right texture. The dipping sauce and pickled vegetables added another depth of flavour that made this simple dish, quite extraordinary.
Next up was their modern twist on the traditional Vietnamese pancake which was topped with Pulled Pork. The fluffy, crispy pancake was topped with pulled pork, sauerkraut, picked onions, micro herbs and goats curd. The Viscount and Viscountess have tried quite a few of these pancakes across Sydney, and this was by far our favourite. We hope Phamous Kitchen makes this a permanent item on their menu.
Our final dish was the slow-cooked wagyu, which was such an interesting interpretation of a traditional stew. The beef was soft and just fell apart in your mouth. The stew was a delicious combination of cinnamon and other spices, and the roasted black carrots added a great smoky flavour. Combined with edamame beans, dehydrated vegetables and beautiful home-made sweet potato gnocchi, this dish featured some great flavours and textures which worked perfectly to create a hearty winter dish.
A huge thank you to Danny and the team at Phamous Kitchen for hosting us. Special thanks to Claire and April from CPM Online Marketing for arranging this visit.