Tuong Lai Vietnamese Restaurant

Cheap, quick, and very authentic Vietnamese food! Don’t let the look of the restaurant fool you! This shabby old restaurant is a staple for the Cabramatta locals (so I’ve been told). Best known for their ‘broken rice’ dishes, Tuong Lai is a small hidden gem just off the main strip. Be sure to get in early, and don’t be alarmed if they squeeze other parties onto the table!

I was so disappointed! I order the grilled pork chop and the texture wasn’t how I had it in Vietnam. It tasted more pan fried then actually being grilled.
It’s a small shop on a side street. Menu is on the wall. Must know the Vietnamese name of food (or read Chinese) as I didn’t see anything in English.
Price is average of $ 10 a meal. I can’t compare to rest of Sydney but this is considered expensive in NYC standard for the location and ambience (mom and pop’s shop).

«I say my good man, do you remember a tall bloke, in here recently, moved the tables around, red shirt, long yellow hair, no not blond, yellow, looked a bit like John Smith from the Pocohontas cartoon, named Phil N? — constantly checking his undies? yep thats him… oh… ‘He-​Man’… righto, whatever.»
«I’ll have what he had. Here, I printed it out for you. By the way, mighty fine moustache you have there!»
«Stir fried daschund you say»… «with still beating snakes heart» (aside to self [picture Seinfeld, jaw fixed, top lip baring teeth] — «Phil!»… why I ortta !”)
I’m not going to spoil Phil’s surprise but I have left a clue as to what Com Tam Bi Suon Cha actually is, which you will need if you dont speak or read Vietnamese because there is not a word of English to be read in this place, and not a price anywhere. And theres no menu except whats on the walls. So no cheating by looking at pictures and ordering by number.
I line up with everyone else, thinking no one has seen me, the only non Vietnamese person in the queue. Phil N must have really stood out. Two naughty old ladies pretend to know someone inside and push in. I am impressed, except Moustache man spots them, yells and points at me, and throws them out. Wow! I did not expect that! Now they are in the queue behind me… and… I’m in !
I’m at a shared table and clueless. The Patriach of the family at our table looks at me like I have asked to borrow his car, its only going to get worse because I have to show the waiter my phone to order lunch. How embarrassment… except… he takes pity on me…
«What would you like mate?»
I have never kissed a Vietnamese man before, but theres a first time for everything. He grins his head off at me and I laugh right back at him. He knows full well I am a cá out of water in here. This is the most fun I’ve had out here — this is the REAL DEAL.
So I finish up, head over to Moustache man and pull out my wallet.
«Eight dollars» he says.
” WHAT? !!” I literally shout, he looks at me and beams as he takes my tenner, and he will not let me leave him the $ 2.
Phil I hope you get the cartoon woman of your dreams (always fancied Veronica from the Archies myself) and have little Disney kids, you are a legend.

You must be wondering, how does a pokey hole-​in-​the-​wall manned by bushy middle aged dads for waiters stay in business for so long? It ain’t service for one. Firstly, they assume everyone, and I mean everyone, who walks in knows Vietnamese. Secondly, they assume you know what you want because everyone else in the joint seems to know. Man I don’t even know what undies I want to wear on a Sunday.
Being the clever man that I am, I turned the tables around until the waiter asked me not to play with the furniture. So I said: «Tell me waiter man, what is good here?» Suddenly, he is empowered with strong English and replies with a smile «EVERYTHING :)» Notice the emoticon? Well I felt that. There’s only one kind of business with that kind of attitude that still manages to draw in the crowds: it’s one with good food at a good price — thankfully Tuong Lai does both.
Forget blowing $ 10 on a Subway sandwich next door — it won’t even get you a footlong and cookie these days. Curse you cookie! Instead, bring your blue note to the moustached men of Tuong Lai and watch them pirouette the sticky floors with your note flapping about in exchange for some hearty Vietnamese fare. I believe there’s a wormhole in the kitchen that connects Cabramatta with Saigon because its fast and authentic. Try the COM TAM BI SUON CHA — Print that out, hand it in and thank me later. Oh and that sugar cane prawn looks mighty fine too but I haven’t figured the translation yet. You do it!

Authentic Vietnamese fare with authentic prices to match. Tuong Lai has been around as long as my memory serves me. I remember frequenting the low-​key, fast-​paced and unassuming eatery with my parents as a child and it still remains a favorite after so many years offering all the simple and traditional staples of vietnamese dishes. Not a massive menu but enough choice to satisfy everyone’s pallate. You may find yourself queuing during the peak times but don’t get put off as they turnover customers quickly. It’s an eat and go eatery worth the 5 or so minute wait. I’ve had most on the menu and it’s ALL good. But for first timers do try the infamous Banh Hoi Chao Tom — Grilled Prawn Paste on Sugar Cane Skewers OR Com Tam Dac Biet — Broken Rice Special with Pork Chop… Oh and Bun Dac Biet — Vermicelli and herbs with grilled prawn paste/​pork meatballs/​Lemongrass meat… But really it really all is good!