Binh Dan, Cabramatta
Monday, December 05, 2016
Hey all! Here's a great lunch option for everyone if you find yourself in Cabramatta doing a tonne of grocery shopping and then getting hungry. Binh Dan is on Hughes St right next to Vinh Phat. I actually came here to eat many months ago and and I don't really recall what the food was like but I remember really not liking the place because the tables, chairs and entire area was really dirty and uncleaned. The seating was sticky and lots of flies were in the restaurant. That's why I cringed when my parents were lured into having lunch here by the special 30% signs you can see out the front. Although got to admit, $7 for a main is a really cheap price.
THANKFULLY the cleanliness of Binh Dan has changed a lot. I saw the tables and chairs getting wiped down more often after each guest, the condiments getting replaced, and felt like there was little to no flies buzzing around now. The staff were also really attentive and served us quickly & with a smile!
The decor of Binh Dan is very sophisticated yet simple. The green counter wall contrasts nicely with the black and white flora walls. There are also large pictures of food from the menu. Although one of them in particular was really funny because the tomatoes were so clearly photoshopped onto the picture as a last minute addition!!
The menu is nicely laminated and the first few pages feature the special 30% deal. I think this indicates that these cheap prices are here to stay!
Our sauces, bean sprouts and soup that accompany each dish we ordered comes out really quickly! It's also not long until the mains come out. Really impressed with the fast turn out.
Dads: Cơm Tấm Đặc Biệt $8.40
Almost a staple on every Vietnamese restaurant menu is this "Cơm Tấm Đặc Biệt " which translates to special broken rice. You can expect broken rice, a fried egg on top, grilled marinated pork chop, fresh lettuce, tomato and cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, bì (shredded pork skin), and chả trứng hấp (pork loaf with egg). It is accompanied with a dipping sauce made with fish sauce that is really delicious with the broken rice, and a bowl of canh (clear soup). The com tam dac biet here is really nice with the pork chop being mostly tender - but the only thing is I think they went a bit stingy on the fresh vegetables. Although for this price, everything was quite filling and yum!
My: Hủ Tiếu Xào Dồ Biển $9.80
This is a stir-fried flat rice noodle with a combination of seafood in a thick gravy-like sauce. Hu Tieu Xao is my favourite dish to order being my absolute go-to. This one was satisfactory with generous amounts of bok choy, carrots, cabbage, seafood (prawns, cuttlefish, squid, fish, scallops), and baby corn! I wish the noodles were a bit more fried with a bit more char, and the sauce had a bit more depth but overall really decent.
Moms: Bún Măng Vịt $9.10
You guys may have actually noticed I've reviewed this dish a few times and that's because my mom's on the search for the best Bún Măng Vịt in Sydney! She made me finish off this for her as we all switched around our dishes. I thought the thin vermicelli noodles and soup were average and nothing special. Almost bland. The bamboo is this bowl was absolutely bland and I think it is the cheap kind you can buy in a can (I assume this because I buy it sometimes)! On the side, the duck meat on the side was described by my parents as from an "old" duck because of its dark colour. The texture was very tough and dry and had no flavour. The bed of shredded cabbage and mint/basil it sat on had a sweet taste but at least I felt like it was very fresh.
Overall our experience at Binh Dan definitely improved a lot from my first experience so I'm glad we got the chance to give this place another chance. The food is also very decent and there is a great selection you can choose from with the special 30% discount.
Let me know if you've dined here before and what you ordered! I'd love to hear all about it incase I do visit again :)
Thanks for reading! xx
TL;DR:
Price: Under $10! Cheap!
Quality: Not the best Viet food but very decent and fresh
Service: Efficient, fast
Ambience: Small and open restaurant
Binh Dan
10 Hughes St,
Cabramatta NSW 2166
Open 7 days a week
8AM - 9PM
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