A recent trip to Melbourne meant only one thing - a foodies quest for the best cold rolls in town. Considering my cold roll addiction I thought I was in heaven when I saw the name of this place. The inside was quite cozy and judging by the 'full house' it was looking as if the cuisine would be quite tasty. The menu was quite extensive with soups, pho's and of course entrees with, you guessed it RICE PAPER ROLLS! yay!
I was keen on having a main meal also however much to my dismay I was told all the dishes had MSG - a big no no for me!
Sooo, I had to make do with cold rolls without sauce and a prawn salad...again without the sauce (essentially cabbage and a few prawns).
I don't know how to describe the dishes other than bland...but I guess that's really my own fault.
So, all in all I can't really give this place the best review - the whole msg factor ruined the experience for me. I'm sure if there was a sauce to accompany the dishes without msg I would have a decent review and opinion.
For those without allergies go the whole hog and I'm sure the food will be somewhat more authentic.

Approximate cost: $10

Went past this place on my way home from the beach to pick up a quick, light feed. Unfortunately, the 'quick' factor didn't really play out. Looking for something 'light' I picked the Vego salad that set me back $14.90. Surely throwing together a few veggies wouldn't take that long. Much to my dismay, half and hour later I was still waiting on the salad to be prepared. Surely they didn't have to go out the back and pull the pumpkin and spinach from the ground? Eventually the salad arrived. A medium size, it was quite tasty, the fetta providing a nice zing.
I guess (considering the name), the specialty here is burgers but nonetheless the salad wasn't too bad.
The girls working were quite friendly. An average experience, not sure if I'll be back again.

Went past here to pick up some prawn cold rolls. Serving of 3 for $6. Unfortunately the serving size was quite small and the sauce was very bland and runny. The veggies used lacked freshness (looked like 'leftovers'). Whilst the lady who served me was quite nice, unfortunately the quality of the food won't have me coming back for a second round. That said, maybe the other menu items are better. Unfortunately I guess I'll never know.

Three words....NYUM NYUM NYUM!! Being a cold roll addict I had to try this place, especially upon seeing their somewhat more extensive selection of flavours. I started with the prawn flavour and wow. Not a fan of vermicelli, I asked to have extra veg instead and boy was I surprised. They bulked the roll up to the max, filled with a selection of lovely veggies without skimping on the shrimp. Felt like I was eating a wrap rather than a cold roll - soo good! Despite being full after my double roll, I had to give the tofu and shiitaki mushroom a crack. Again super nyum!! This roll was decked out with the tofu and plenty of mushroom - again full to the brim!
Price wise, it's a bit more than your usual Vietnamese shop - $5 for a couple of rolls so $2.50 a pop. However, considering the size and quality I'd say it all 'evens out in the wash'. Definitely recommend giving this place a crack. If cold rolls aren't your thing then go for the spring rolls, Banh Mi, Salad bowl or Bun bowl.
Ps. nyum :)

Approximate cost: $5-8

A chilled, unpretentious Vietnamese restaurant in the Northern suburbs. Went there for a quick meal the other night, second time. Quite a secluded little joint with a very cosy yet not overdone 'booth' interior. Comfortable seating, plenty of sauces/cutlery on the table. Can be either formal or informal, appropriate for both. Super extensive menu and very reasonably priced. Staff are more than happy to tailor orders to suit any dietary preference. Service is quick and there's a large selection of wines available for the Winos out there. Two combination laksas, a serve of prawn cold rolls, a Vietnamese seafood salad and a glass of orange juice set us back $48. Not bad at all for a flush meal for 3. Recommend giving it a go!

Approximate cost: $12

Love this place for it's cold rolls. Only $4 for a serving of 3!! Such a bargain. They're relatively small however the taste is superb. Very tightly bound, the rice paper used is super tasty and never breaks. The peanut sauce is pretty schmick too and the service, being a take away joint, is super quick. Haven't tried anything else here but it's definitely my go-to for cold rolls when I'm in Chinatown! Thumbs up!

Approximate cost: $4

Gave this place a go for dinner. Luckily we booked, was a full house on Saturday night with people coming in and out all night. The interior is very nice - warm and cosy with serene tunes playing in the background. One thing I'll say was that the service was super fast. Although it took about 15 minutes before I was approached by a staff member after sitting down, the food came out within 10 minutes of being ordered - so quite happy with that. Prices quite reasonable however serving sizes were significantly smaller than usual. This probably accounts for the cheaper prices. The cold rolls were super small but the peanut sauce was a thumbs up. Also ordered a vegetarian salad which was unfortunately just shredded cabbage with some oily dressing. The salt and pepper squid was pretty ordinary, again the serving size being too small and the combination hot pot was pretty tasty with a nice zing.
All in all, an average dining experience. If you're after a satisfying feast I wouldn't recommend this place but for a super light meal it's the place to go.

A relatively new Vietnamese joint with both eat in and take away options. Opened in April 2013, the menu is quite extensive with lots of take away options. Not really an eat in 'restaurant' type joint - you wouldn't really come here for an proper 'set' dinner. That said, it's a good place for a quick bite with menu items including light dishes (cold rolls, sugarcane prawns etc. for $4.90), soups (beef noodle $9.50), and dry dishes (combination rice vermicelli $10.50). Mum grabbed a seafood laksa for $10.50 with which she was super pleased and the cold rolls I tried were okay, although they were quite small and the rice paper wasn't the freshest...
That said, was met with a smile, service was quite quick and prices reasonable. Worth a try.

Approximate cost: $10

Decided to stop by this place on my through North Adelaide and check out the menu - mind you this was at about 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. The place was virtually empty, maybe 8 people inside in total. That being said it had a nice and warm, bright feel to it. Checked out the menu and I was a bit disappointed by the prices - more than the usual Vietnamese joint. Having just had dinner, I thought I'd give the cold rolls a try. The best thing about them was the speed of the service....only had to wait about 5 minutes. The bad; they were tiny - super tiny. $5.90 for three tiny cold rolls that I would describe as bite sized pieces. Perusing the rest of the menu I was disappointed with the other prices; a laksa noodle soup with seafood setting you back$15.50, hotpot $18.90 and a simple Green Vegetable dish (no noodles or rice) being $12.90. Maybe if the prices were a tad fairer, business would be better.

This is my regular coffee joint. I haven't had a sit down meal here so I can't speak for the food but I can definitely review things from the 'coffee' perspective. My 'regular' is a large decaf soy latte for, you wouldn't believe it, a measly $4.50! Now, considering that most other coffee joints charge extra for any and every 'variation' under the son (decaf, soy, syrup etc. etc.), this is a great bargain. The girls always serve me with a smile and ensure that service is super quick which is really handy considering the time constraints of the lunch break. Using super tasty Lavazza beans, the roast is always perfect and has a lovely creamy texture. Definitely recommend this place if you're after a guaranteed coffee experience.

Approximate cost: $4.50