Restaurant profile: Q Viet
Originally written for Clique Mag
Just a fifteen-minute drive from the CBD, the western suburbs have garnered a reputation for some of Adelaide’s best Vietnamese cuisine. “This side of town is just known for where all of the Vietnamese people live so that’s why all of the restaurants here are considered the best for Vietnamese food,” says Long Dihn, co-owner of the region’s newest addition, Q Viet.
Standing on the grounds of former local favourite, Sing Sing, Q Viet is the newest authentic fare hotspot to hit the suburb. A partnership between four families, Long and his siblings are no stranger to the Adelaide hospitality scene. In fact, you might recognise their familiar pho from their debut restaurant endeavour, Café Saba in Norwood.
When it came to Q Viet, “it was a property that had been here for ages and then they put it up for sale last year and we decided to take a punt” says Long.
“We bought it and didn’t really have a plan of what we were going to do,” he continues, “by fate my cousin was working with us at the time and my brother-in-law was doing a cooking course at TAFE, so we were like ‘let’s get together and see how it goes’”.
Subtle nods to the property’s origins are evident, with the original Sing Sing banner still hanging from the fence out front. Eager to pay homage to their predecessor’s esteemed status, Long ensured elements of Sing Sing remained, “like the frontage, with the little dome in the middle [which] is kind of quirky so we kept that the same,” he says.
As for the fit out inside, “it just needed to freshen up”.
Sydney’s Soda Sopa is responsible for the new-look establishment, which sees a departure from Sing Sing’s signature green tiles and red brick in favour of “something fresh, a Scandinavian kind of look, [with] a lot of timber”.
The resulting space is bright and modern with an emphasis on detailing. A fresh lick of paint sees the walls now white, the dividing wall dominated by a monochrome mural depicting a Vietnamese street scene.
Trinkets, greenery and natural tones inject a sense of homeliness and warmth. The building’s original rafters remain untouched overhead and light timber banquettes line the walls of the eastern dining room.
Naturally, Q Viet’s family orientated origin and ethos extend across its menu. The result is an extensive offering of traditional favourites, authentic home-style dishes and family recipes. Fittingly, it’s a menu that lends itself to sharing.
This homage to familial heritage is evident with Grandpa’s Gently Spiced Beef Broth Recipe making the base of all pho offerings, but “we didn’t just want to open and be just another pho shop, so that’s why we expanded our menu,” explains Long. “There’s a few dishes that a lot of restaurants around here, or anywhere in Adelaide don’t really sell”.
“A lot of the dishes are just things you make at home, you wouldn’t go out to a restaurant and find it,” he says. The Banh Canh Cua Tom is a prime example. Available in generous small, large and extra-large servings, the hearty union of crab, prawn, pork hock and thick rice noodles in light chicken broth is perfect for battling the winter chill.
Another talking point, the Mi Xao Don is a whirlwind of textures. Trading soup slurps for crisp stir fry, a bed of deep-fried egg noodles is softened by a light, traditional Vietnamese sauce.
Currently, the dessert menu sees fan-favourite Fried Ice Cream and Pandan Panna Cotta take centre stage with the promise of a Vietnamese take on the classic ice-cream sundae to come.
As for the wine list, Q Viet has a strict selection of South Australian varietals on pour. “That was deliberate, South Australia has some of the best wines, so that’s our target,” says Long.
A family owned operation with heritage at its heart, Q Viet “aims to be a family friendly restaurant, to cater for anyone and everyone”.
“The business structure itself is so family related, so that’s how we want it to feel, we want everyone to come in and feel welcome and feel a part of it,” explains Long.