A Day Out in: Canley Heights

When I started discovering my intrigue in all things food, no one around me really saw what I saw. Everyone would sort of think it was weird that I religiously read menus and skimmed through recipes on my laptop. A particular memory that jumps out involves me surfing through menus during class (as usual) with my friend, Thomson, looking on. He then proceeded to mock and imitate me by opening up the menu from Rockpool on his laptop as a joke. However, as his eyes skimmed the words on it he found them jumping out from the page, his palette tasting the flavours of the dishes, his mind whirring from all these new combinations and concepts. His joke obviously backfired because since then, he has become just as obsessed as me for pristine cuisine. He knows his stuff and I trust him to the point where I let him organise a little foodie run for us and our new friend, Raz. He decided on Canley Heights, in order to show Raz authentic Vietnamese food as she grew up on the Central Coast where diversity in cuisine is quite minimal. All these dishes are staples when you come here and I ensure you, they will not disappoint. 

Vietnamese Iced Coffee - $4.00

We started off at Huong Xua, which is a Vietnamese eatery. I assumed we were going to eat there but Thomson told me we were merely there for their Vietnamese iced coffee. He has been on the search for a good one as some places can do a disappointing version. Vietnamese iced coffee is a dark roast coffee that has been brewed using a small French drip filter. It is then sweetened with condensed milk and poured into a cup filled with a bed of ice. Upon first sip, Raz expected a standard iced coffee from your local cafe but what she really got was something unbelievably creamy and smooth, with a perfect balance between sweetness and bitter coffee. 

Thin dry egg noodles with crispy skin chicken - $13.00 

Next stop was Tan Viet, which is a noodle house right next door to Huong Xua that specialises in crispy skin chicken. Crispy skin chicken is an art form and these guys absolutely nail it. Generally, when ordering it you have it either with noodles or tomato rice, so we all decided on the dry noodles as it was a hot day. However, keep in mind the tomato rice is a really good accompaniment too! With this, the noodles tasted so fresh and were thoroughly coated in a luscious soy based sauce. It was then topped with herbs, fried shallots and bean sprouts that gave it an unbelievable freshness and texture. Condiments were also available on the table as well, to let everyone season it to their liking. 

Crispy skin chicken 

Now for the main hero of the meal. This is hands down the best crispy skin chicken I've ever had. The skin itself is paper thin and biting into it you hear this heavenly shattering sound. The flesh of the chicken is perfectly cooked and juicy, and has subtle flavours of the stock they first boil the chicken in. This goes well with the accompanying nuoc mam, which is a traditional Vietnamese sauce that is composed of fish sauce, lemons, sugar, salt and chilli.  

Chicken broth 

Another component of the dry noodles with crispy skin chicken is the chicken broth that comes along with it. Vietnamese food revolves around balance, so the purpose of this broth is to give you a break from the slightly heavy noodles and chicken. It has a good and hearty chicken flavour to it, without it being overpowering. 

Pork spring rolls - $7.50

Next on the agenda was back to Huong Xua, as Thomson reckons their spring rolls are one of the best available in restaurants. These come with a plate of bean sprouts, various herbs and a bowl of nuoc mam dipping sauce. To eat it, we wrapped a piece of spring roll in lettuce, bean sprouts and Vietnamese mint, and then dipped it in the nuoc mam. The result of this is an explosion of textures and flavours. The insides of the spring roll is soft with lots of pork mince and vegetables, while the outside remains delectably crispy. The herbs are also so fresh and crunchy, and the dipping sauce just rounds it all up. This is incredibly moreish. 

Thai fried ice cream - $14.00

If you asked me what my favourite dessert was, I would 98% of the time say fried ice cream. I will eat any version of it, whether it be substandard ones from the Chinese place down the road, or from the finest of fine dining restaurants. I will eat it and I will enjoy it. With this in mind, we thought it would be nice to end the day with the Holy Basil fried ice cream for dessert. This thing has a strong following and well, I just don't see why not. When you crack into that golden filo pastry and scoop up some of the creamy vanilla innards, along with the gooey caramel and crunchy toasted coconut onto one spoon it becomes a holistic experience. We were left scraping the plate. 

When our meal was done, we were in awe of the amazing food Asian culture provides. It simply just revolves around absolute balance and harmony of flavours, and it's something I have grown to appreciate deeply. However, keep in mind that the service may sometimes be rushed but they will provide your food quickly and what they lack in attentiveness, they make up for in absolute flavour. Definitely not an experience to miss fellow readers!