Than Nuong - Woolloongabba

Readers would know that as an avid fan of Asian food in general, I do have a particular liking for Vietnamese food, and like regular doses of pho where possible. Usually I opt for the tried and tested places in Inala, Runcorn or Sunnybank to satisfy my cravings, never did I consider that to venture outside of my comfort zone to forage for Pho outside of those areas, that is, until I received a gracious invite from David, the manager of newly opened Than Nuong, situated along Logan road at Woolloongabba. Bringing two companions with me, we went at Saturday at 12pm, just after opening.

Arriving at our reserved time, I was pleased to see that we were the second table there, at minutes after opening. The restaurant itself quickly filled soon after we were seated.

Menus were provided soon after by our friendly waitress. I note that the lunch menu is considerably shorter than the dinner menu I had seen online, but still contained all essential components of a Vietnamese restaurant, which I intended on trying. Ordering a selection of entrees and mains, it really didn't take very long for our food to start coming out.

Surprisingly, our mains were the first to arrive, before our entrees.

My first companion had the Lemongrass Beef Vermicelli Salad. As indicated on the menu, the beef was cooked over a hardwood charcoal, and it was absolutely delicious. It had a super soft tender and meaty texture, with a delicious charring along the edges. It was also really well marinated with fish sauce and lemongrass, giving it a sweet and tangy flavour. What really caught my eye though was the noodles which were well cooked, but then also cut into little squares to allow ease of eating, a convenience that I had never seen before, but really appreciated, as they were bite sized and the dish was easily eaten without any mess.

Another companion had the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice. I note it was served with white rice as opposed to broken rice like some other Vietnamese stores. Like the beef, the chicken was perfectly caramelised with a slightly burnt edge, but I do prefer the tender melt in your mouth texture of the beef more. The chicken was thick cut and juicy though. Rice also had a good texture, and salad was quite refreshing and crispy.

Of course, I opted for a bowl of rare beef pho, as is my usual at every new Vietnamese restaurant. The soup was wonderful, with depth of flavours whilst retaining a lightness to the broth. I particularly liked the copious amount of spring onions and Spanish onions that garnished the soup. The noodles were very smooth and substantial but not too soft. The beef was also very tender, making for a very delicious bowl of pho, which I enjoyed immensely. 

Our entrees only started arriving considerably after we had finished our mains. First to arrive was the charcoal quails. They were served with a tangy salad with spicy dipping sauce. I loved the delicious meaty texture of the quail and the fact that they weren't too small or overly burnt, the meat was still quite tender and juicy throughout.

Next we had a serve of prawn rice paper rolls. The rolls were quite large and the fillings were generous, with considerable amounts of prawn and cabbage rather than just vermicelli noodles. I loved how fresh and tasty the rolls were, but found it a little odd to be served with hoi sin peanut sauce, which was in my opinion, less effective compared to fish sauce in permeating the roll. 

Next from our selection of entrees was the Spicy Chicken Wings. These had a delightfully crispy skin, with a moist juicy interior and were well received by all.

We also had a serve of the soft shell crab. I was quite impressed with the presentation, being served chopped up upon vegie salad and arranged on prawn crackers, making for bite sized parcels of happiness in my mouth. I loved the tangy marinade which contrasted the fresh crisp salad. I also really liked how crunchy the tempura crab was.

Our last dish comprised of the entree platter. New elements included the beef wrapped in spinach and crumbed crab claw, both of which were highly enjoyable. I particularly loved how much crab meat was in the claw and the fact that the batter wasn't too thick. 

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Than Nuong, however, as always, our opinions are solely our own.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10